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Even after the Dodgers found a way to blow four leads in Tuesday’s loss to the Giants, Los Angeles still leads the National League in fewest runs allowed on the season, at 3.29 per game.
The Dodgers also lead the NL in runs scored (5.77), which might seem familiar. At ESPN on Tuesday, David Schoenfield pointed out this rarity (including stats through Monday’s game):
Since 1901, 42 teams have led their league in both categories, but the Dodgers have a chance to make history. They also led the NL in both categories in 2018 and 2019, so they can become the first NL team to do so three years in a row and the first team to do so since the Yankees did it four years in a row before integration, from 1936 to 1939.
The Dodgers led the majors with a +77 run differential, with the next-best NL team (San Diego) at +23.
They’ve had better 31-game stretches in franchise history, including +91, +83, and +81 runs in 2019. The modern Dodgers record for best run differential for a 31-game stretch is +104 runs, by Brooklyn from July 16-August 15, 1953.
But to start a season, only one Dodgers team has outscored their opponents by more runs through the first 31 games than this year’s team.
Dodgers best 31-game run differential to start a season
| Year | City | Runs scored | Runs allowed | Run differential | Record | Final win% (result) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | City | Runs scored | Runs allowed | Run differential | Record | Final win% (result) |
| 1974 | Los Angeles | 172 | 93 | +79 | 22-9 | .630 (NL pennant) |
| 1955 | Brooklyn | 191 | 114 | +77 | 25-6 | .641 (WS champs) |
| 2020 | Los Angeles | 179 | 102 | +77 | 22-9 | TBD |
| 1942 | Brooklyn | 184 | 111 | +73 | 23-8 | .675 (NL playoff) |
| 1977 | Los Angeles | 180 | 108 | +72 | 24-7 | .605 (NL pennant) |
| 1888 | Brooklyn | 178 | 108 | +70 | 22-9 | .629 (2nd; AA) |
In case you were wondering or wanted to give the Dodgers a goal for Wednesday night, the 1974 team was at +85 after 32 games.
Links
- J.P. Hoornstra at the Orange County Register wrote about the success of Ross Stripling’s podcast this year.
- Collin Whitchurch at Baseball Prospects picked theoretical first-half All-Star rosters. Amazingly, Mookie Betts isn’t starting but rather is a reserve outfielder in the National League. a Justin Turner is starting at third base, however, and is joined on the roster by pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen.
- An FBI official was reassigned after a Department of Justice report was critical of a meeting discussing sensitive information in the Stadium Club during Game 3 of the 2018 NLCS at Dodger Stadium, writes Josh Gerstein at Politico.