Dodgers Week 14: Widening the gap

The Dodgers trailed in six of their seven games last week, but none of that seemed to matter. They did just enough to win every single night, with only one of the games decided by more than two runs.

Starting pitching, much like the entire season, was the steady force all week, including a scoreless gem by Mitch White and Ryan Pepiot earning his first major league win in a spot start that gave the rest of the rotation extra rest.

Out of the bullpen, they even got saves from four different pitchers. When a starter finally delivered a clunker, with Julio Urías lasting only two innings on Sunday, and trailing 5-0 before batting, the Dodgers won that game, too.

They won in walk-off fashion twice last week, tripling their season total, and even won a game that went to extra-innings.

Sweeps of the Rockies and Cubs — the latter completing a season sweep of Chicago, over seven games — gave the Dodgers a 10-1 homestand, and they finished their stretch of 20 games in 20 days with 16 wins.

That’s good enough for an eight-game lead in the National League West, the Dodgers’ largest divisional lead since the end of the 2019 season.

Batter of the week

Gavin Lux reached base more than two times per game on average, all while hitting .500 with two triples and a home run.

Honorable mention goes to Justin Turner, who had an incredible week of his own, leading the team in hits (11). Turner is hitting .397 over his last three weeks, raising his seasonal wRC+ from 78 to 103.

Pitcher of the week

Clayton Kershaw pitched into the eighth inning and struck out 10 in his latest win, the exclamation point before securing his ninth All-Star nod on Sunday. It was the 26th time in his career Kershaw struck out double digits with no walks, almost quadruple anyone else in franchise history.

Fellow All-Star Tony Gonsolin pitched seven innings on Thursday to improve to 11-0, with the major league ERA leader earning his first trip to the midsummer classic.

Week 14 results

7-0 record
36 runs scored (5.14 per game)
23 runs allowed (3.29 per game)
.694 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

56-29 record
429 runs scored (5.05 per game)
278 runs allowed (3.27 per game)
.689 pythagorean win percentage (59-26)

Hey now

The Dodgers will have at least four players on the National League roster for the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium. Mookie Betts and Trea Turner were voted to start the game by fans. Gonsolin was voted to the roster by players, and Kershaw was an MLB pick.

Transactions

Tuesday: Ryan Pepiot was called up for his fourth spot start of the year, and had his best outing to date, allowing only one run and one walk in five innings, striking out six for his first major league win.

Tuesday: Reyes Moronta was optioned, and Ian Gibaut was claimed off waivers by the Reds.

Wednesday: Chris Taylor was placed on the injured list with a small fracture in his left foot that’s expected to keep him out at least through the All-Star break, and likely longer.

Wednesday: Caleb Ferguson was activated off the injured list, and Pepiot was sent down the day after his spot start for the fourth time in four tries this season.

Game results

• Monday: Dodgers 5, Rockies 3
• Tuesday: Dodgers 5, Rockies 2
• Wednesday: Dodgers 2, Rockies 1
• Thursday: Dodgers 5, Cubs 3
• Friday: Dodgers 4, Cubs 3 (10 innings)
• Saturday: Dodgers 4, Cubs 2
• Sunday: Dodgers 11, Cubs 9

Previous weekly reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13

Up next

After a Monday off day, their first off day in three weeks, the Dodgers hit the road to run the George Hendrick gauntlet, playing the Cardinals and Angels to take them into the break, including a unpalatable Sunday off day. The Halos’ rotation for the two-gamer in Anaheim is a guess.