Dodgers May Review: Full throttle

The Dodgers’ formula for winning was the same throughout the month. Great pitching plus great hitting, with the occasional bullpen implosion.

They were in first place for the entire month of May. They entered the month just one game ahead of the division and exit May with a 8.5 lead. The rest of the division shuffled around but the Dodgers sat pretty on top.

Starting pitchers held a 2.50 ERA this month, which is the best in the MLB. They also lead the league in WHIP (0.931), walk rate (3.4%) and strikeout:walk ratio (7.41).

The boys in blue are on pace to win 109 games this season.

Batter of May

This isn’t easy. There were several hitters that performed well in the month of May, with five of the eight starters batting .300 or higher. The easy answer is Cody Bellinger, who is at the top of the pack for almost every stat. He boasts a .319/.413/.585 slash line and leads the team in hits (30) and walks (15). He also has the team’s second-most doubles (7), home runs (6). No other Dodger is across the board like Belli.

Joc Pederson was the slugger of May, leading the team in home runs (7) and slugging percentage (.723). Max Muncy also had seven home runs in May.

Pitcher of May

There is no question Hyun-Jin Ryu is the pitcher of the month. Ryu went 5-0 in May, boasting a 0.59 ERA. In six starts, he only allowed three runs to score. He lead the team with 36 strikeouts and only allowed three walks. He held his opponents to a .177 batting average, only behind Kenta Maeda (.146).

Out of the bullpen, Pedro Báez was noteworthy. He sported a 1.93 ERA in 12 appearances. In 9 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched, he allowed five runs (two earned).

May NL West Standings

Record: 19-7

140 runs scored (3.89 per game)

92 runs allowed (2.56 per game)

NL West Standings through May

Record: 39-19

314 runs scored (5.41 per game)

229 runs allowed (3.94 per game)

.632 pythagorean winning percentage (36-21)

Game of the month

On May 29, the Dodgers came back from a five-run deficit to win in walk-off fashion. Four of the runs scored in the comeback were driven in during the ninth inning. Though the Dodgers were put into that predicament because of the bullpen, the come-from-behind win was exciting nonetheless. Alex Verdugo’s sacrifice fly brought in the winning run to seal the deal. You can relive the madness with the TBLA game recap!

May weeks in review: Apr. 29-May 5 | May 6-May 12 | May 13-May 19 | May 20-26 | May 27-June 2

The month ahead

The Dodgers only have two days off in June, both coming early on in the month (June 6, 12). In total, they will play 14 of 28 games at home in June. Their schedule includes a two-game set with the Angels in Anaheim, as well as a four-game series against the Cubs at home. They will also play the Rockies and Giants seven times each and face the Diamondbacks for six games.

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