Dodgers Making History At Home

Even with the loss on Wednesday in Arizona, the Dodgers return home with the best record in baseball at 30-14. We are reaching the point that the Dodgers are more than a team off to a hot start, but rather simply a good team.

The Dodgers are 55-26 in their last 81 games, the best record in baseball during that span (since last August 20) by five games over the Texas Rangers.

The Dodgers are 92-70 in their last 162 games, the fourth best record in the National League during that span (since last May 18), behind Philadelphia (100-67), Arizona (96-70), and Milwaukee (94-70).

Part of the great Dodger turnaround has been a crazy run of wins at home. Entering play last July 7, the Dodgers were just 19-27 at home, in danger of finishing with just the seventh losing home record in Dodger Stadium history. Clayton Kershaw got the start that night for the Dodgers, and as you may have expected the Dodgers won, one of three straight shutout wins for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers kept rolling at home for the rest of the season, winning 23 of their final 35 home games to finish at 42-39 at Dodger Stadium. That has carried over into this season and then some, as one season after the Dodgers opened 19-27 at home they are 19-4 at Dodger Stadium this year. That's 42-16 (.724) at home in their last 58 home games.

The Dodgers have been world beaters at home this season, outscoring their opponents by exactly two runs per game at Dodger Stadium. At 19-4, the Dodgers are tied with the 1980 squad for the best home start in franchise history. No Dodgers team has ever been 20-4 at home.

The 1980 club began 19-3 at Dodger Stadium but lost their next two home games. The 1980 Dodgers lost a one-game playoff for the National League West to the Houston Astros, falling in the finale at Dodger Stadium after a final-weekend home sweep to force the extra game. The 55 home wins by the 1980 club are the most in franchise history since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

The 1974 Dodgers opened their season with a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, and swept them with scores of 8-0, 8-0, and 9-2. They were off and running with a 16-3 start at Dodger Stadium, but losing two of three games to Atlanta in May dropped them to 17-5 at home. The Dodgers then won their next seven home games, including a three-game sweep of the Big Red Machine to open 24-5, the best five-loss start at home in franchise history.

The 1947 club was 14-5 at Ebbets Field, but won their next five at home on their way to the National League pennant.

The 1942 Dodgers began 18-5 at home on their way to 104 wins, the second most in franchise history, behind the 105-win 1953 club. But they watched the World Series at home thanks to the St. Louis Cardinals winning 106 games.

The Dodgers welcome the Houston Astros for three games, followed by the Milwaukee Brewers for four games for a seven-game homestand to end the month. If they can continue their home success, May will be quite a month.