Dodgers look to continue power surge

Corey Seager was the star of the Dodgers’ 12-0 drubbing of the Mets on Tuesday night, and hit three home runs. With that power display, he is closing in on a franchise record.

Since the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958, they have had a number of stellar shortstops. Maury Wills changed the game with his speed, Bill Russell was in the lineup for nearly two decades, and Rafael Furcal gave many of his prime years to the franchise. The a Hanley Ramirez era was short but sweet.

But Seager is destined to go down as the best Dodgers shortstop since the club moved west. He doesn’t even have two full years under his belt, but Seager is already just two home runs shy of the most hit by a shortstop by a Los Angeles Dodger.

Seager has 42 career home runs, with 41 hit as a shortstop, including all 12 hit so far in 2017. Furcal is the LA Dodgers leader at the position, with 43 home runs, hit over nearly six full seasons.

Since the start of 2016, Seager’s 38 home runs as a shortstop are the most in baseball.

The Dodgers led the NL with 187 home runs in 2015, their first time leading the league since 1983. Last year they hit 189 home runs but slipped to eighth in the league. This year, even though they are on pace for a franchise-record 214 — the record is 211 home runs, in 2000 — the club is just seventh in the NL in long balls.

But of late, the Dodgers have been on quite a power display. They have 27 home runs in their last 10 games, and 33 home runs in 18 games in June, the latter a 297-homer pace over the course of a full season.

Cody Bellinger has been a big part of that power surge. He has 10 home runs in his last 10 games, and 11 home runs in 18 games in June.

The Dodgers’ franchise record for home runs in a month is 15, set by Duke Snider in August 1953 and matched by Pedro Guerrero in June 1985. Bellinger has 10 games remaining this month to try to join or beat that duo.

Game info

Time: 7:10 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA, ESPN