Roger Arrieta
The Los Angeles Dodgers are at the top of the NL West division with a 56-44 record, and despite the conclusion of their last series with the New York Mets this past weekend, things are looking up for the blue crew from out west.
After taking the first two contests, the Dodgers dropped the last two games of their four-game set with the Mets and are now 5-5 in their last ten games. At the same time, they’ve had a grasp on first in their division all year, as they pace themselves for a playoff run. In the coming days, the Dodgers will host the struggling Oakland Athletics and the dangerous Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who are currently first in the AL West at 55-43.
Despite both of these opponents being interleague in-state rivals, Dodgers tickets for the next five games feature an average ticket price of just $55.66, which is actually below their average on the season. This is as good a deal as you’ll find, considering the Dodgers rarely get to see the American League’s Athletics and Angels during the regular season. While the A’s have been slumping this season, they’re still a team that boasts some quality talent on both sides of the ball and they’re more than capable of giving Los Angeles a challenge. It’s even more surprising that this stretch of such affordable pricing also includes a series with Anaheim, as tickets to see the Angels are normally high-priced, no matter the opponent. After all, they look like one of the favorites in the AL this year.
Another great thing about going to Dodger home games is the great deals you can find on Dodger Stadium parking from ParkWhiz.com. They have spots available all around the stadium for fans to take away the hassle and nuisance of trying to find your own parking, and the price is as low as $4 for some of their upcoming affairs.
The Dodgers have remained one of the best teams in baseball this year thanks to a balanced effort. Their hitting has been solid, featuring the emergence of first-time All-Star Joc Pederson, who has taken the league by storm similar to how teammate Yasiel Puig did when he first arrived.
Now it’s Pederson’s turn. The 23-year-old outfielder is spearheading the youth movement along with Puig, and has shown an ability to drive the ball out of the park, having 21 home runs, not to mention while driving in 43 runs. With Puig and Pederson doing a lot of damage alongside established veterans like Adrian Gonzalez, Jimmy Rollins, Howie Kendrick and Andre Ethier, the Dodgers have an offense they can feel comfortable with on an everyday basis.
What makes the Dodgers a true title contender, however, is the fact that they have two of the best pitchers in the game today to accompany that offense. Clayton Kershaw, the reigning NL Cy Young and MVP, is 8-6 on the year with a 2.51 ERA, having another one of his typically dominant seasons. Zack Greinke, meanwhile, actually might be considered the frontrunner for this year’s Cy Young award, as he’s 9-2 with an unbelievable 1.37 ERA, even just having a scoreless streak of 45 ⅔ innings before it was snapped by the Mets on Sunday.
If Kershaw and Greinke continue to pitch in such elite fashion, it’s hard to see any National League taking them down in a playoff series come October. In the meantime, a couple of AL teams will take their hand at it, while potentially avoiding those two elite arms. Even so, this is an important final week in July for LA, as they seek to gain further separation from the second-place Giants.
