Dodgers feasting on NL West

The Dodgers' win on Wednesday night secured a quick two-game sweep of the Diamondbacks and gave the Dodgers their ninth consecutive series win against National League West opponents. Beating up on the division has been key to the Dodgers' climb atop the division standings.

The first of those nine series wins came June 6-8 at Coors Field in Denver, when the Dodgers took two of three games. The Rockies won the middle game of that series, pushing the Dodgers to a season-worst 9½ games back of San Francisco in the division.

Counting that series in Colorado, the Dodgers are 22-6 in their last 28 games against the NL West, and 45-28 overall, five games up on the Giants in the division entering play on Thursday.

At 36-19 (.655) on the season, the Dodgers have their second-best mark against the NL West since divisional play began in 1969.

It is the best mark of any major league team against its own division in 2014.

The only year better against their own division was in 1974, when the Dodgers obliterated their divisional foes to the tune of 63-27 (.700) on their way to 102 wins, their best record since moving to Los Angeles, and a World Series berth.

The Dodgers have won at least 60 percent of their games against NL West foes seven times in their 45 previous years of divisional play, the last in 2009. In those previous seven seasons, the Dodgers finished in first place six times and second place once, finishing one game behind San Francisco in 1971.

But the divisional work isn't done. The Dodgers are in San Diego this weekend for three games agianst the Padres, and play 21 of their final 28 games against the NL West. The Dodgers have a home series and a road series against the Giants, Padres and Rockies, and a home series against the Diamondbacks.