Dodgers July review: Finding ways to win

The Dodgers put up a record as good as you can get in baseball and by doing that they set themselves as not only their division’s best team, they became the best team in baseball.

The numbers are amazing. The Dodgers won 20 of 23 games in July, the .870 winning percentage being a Dodger franchise best for any month (since 1913). Prior to 2017, best winning percentages in July were by the 1962 Dodgers were 20-6 (.769) and the 2013 Dodgers were 19-6 (.760).

They had two long winning streaks, an 11-game streak that bookended the All-Star Break and then they closed July with a still-active eight-game streak.

The Dodgers averaged 4.65 runs per game against giving up 3.00 runs for a 1.65 run per game differential.

And as far as the standings, the Dodgers finished July not only with a 14-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West, they also have a 10½-game advantage over the Washington Nationals for the overall best record in the National League.

But that isn’t enough for this team as they now have the best record in the major leagues, leading the American League’s best, the Houston Astros, by five games.

Batter of July

Chris Taylor hit .394/.412/.660 in July, leading the Dodgers in hits, runs scored, RBI, doubles and triples. Corey Seager also had a good July, he had a 1.010 OPS and his six home runs led the Dodgers.

Other Dodgers who hit well were Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes, they had a .939 OPS and .862 OPS, respectively, and Justin Turner hit five home runs and had a .911 OPS.

Pitcher of July

Rich Hill was the pitcher of the month, he was 4-0 in five starts with an 1.45 ERA. Hill also had 40 strikeouts against 5 walks in 31 innings pitched.

Others who pitched well include Kenley Jansen with nine saves, and in 12⅓ innings, Jansen had 16 strikeouts against 3 walks. Clayton Kershaw was 3-0 in four starts, prior to going on the disabled list, Kershaw had 33 strikeouts in 25 innings pitched.

July performance

Record: 20-3
107 runs scored (4.65 per game)
69 runs allowed (3.00 per game)
.696 pythagorean winning percentage (16-7)

Season to date

Record: 74-31
535 runs scored (5.09 per game)
350 runs allowed (3.33 per game)
.700 pythagorean winning percentage (73-32)

Game of the month

It is hard not to pick the very last game of the month, the 3-2 walk-off win over the San Francisco Giants that had Kyle Farmer delivering a game-winning double in his first major league plate appearance.

You could pick their second 5-run comeback of the season that happened when Justin Turner hit a walk-off single to beat the Minnesota Twins.

But I pick the game where Fernando Rodney is still looking for that first out of the inning. Trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1 with three outs to go, the Dodgers would get three hits and four walks off Rodney before he left with a tied game and the bases loaded. Chris Taylor would single home the winning run and the Dodgers recorded their first of six series sweeps in July

Situational stats

Pinch hitting: Dodgers pinch hitters were 9-for-39 with two doubles and six RBI in July, hitting .231/.347/.282.

Runners in scoring position: The Dodgers hit .249/.372/.430 with RISP for July, and their 240 plate appearances with RISP was tied for 14th in the majors.

Bases loaded: The team was 5-for-24 for the month with one grand slam. The Dodgers hit .208/.269/.333 with the bases loaded in July.

The month ahead

The Dodgers hit the road for most of August with just eight home games. They have a nine-game road trip and a seven-game trip that will take them to the Southeast, East Coast and Midwest. The club has inter-league series at home against the White Sox and on the road against the Tigers.

A look back

July weeks in review: June 26 -July 2 | July 3-9 | July 10-16 | July 17-24 | July 24-30

Previous months in review: April | May | June

Stats