Dodgers Week 15: Heading into the break on fire

As the adage goes, a team or player performing well doesn’t want to rest over a long break; they’d rather keep playing. The Dodgers certainly fall in this category, heading into the All-Star Game with 15 wins in their last 17 games. But at the very least, we can use the break to step back and appreciate what they’ve done lately.

The last week saw them take four out of five games from the Cardinals and Angels. After going undefeated the previous week despite trailing in six of seven games, the Dodgers practiced the comeback muscle twice more in St. Louis. They fell just short on Tuesday, but authored their finest rally of the year on Wednesday, erasing a six-run deficit in the final three innings.

After a week and a half of falling behind early, the Dodgers simply fixed the glitch. Los Angeles didn’t trail in any of its last three games, thanks to excellent pitching that has been the backbone of the team all season even while facing injuries.

Last week, the Dodgers also got unreal production on offense from its two hottest batters, neither of whom made the All-Star team.

Batter of the week

Freddie Freeman, since All-Star rosters were released last Sunday — as well as in various roster replacements since — without his inclusion, made nine outs in six games while batting. This week against the Cardinals and Angels, Freeman was simply divine, going 12-for-19 (.632) with four doubles and two home runs. At one point he reached base in nine straight plate appearances. He heads into the break having reached base 20 times in his last 29 trips to the plate.

Honorable mention goes to catcher and fellow non-All-Star Will Smith, who kept pace with Freeman until Saturday. Smith had to settle for a 9-for-19 (.474) week, with four extra-base hits. He drove in a run in seven straight games through Friday.

Pitcher of the week

Clayton Kershaw has been simply magnificent this season, and on Friday in Anaheim painted another masterpiece. He took a perfect game into the eighth inning, settling for only one hit allowed in eight scoreless frames. Along with his seven perfect innings on April 13 in Minnesota, Kershaw is the first in the expansion era (since 1961) to retire the first 21 batters of two different starts in one season, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Tyler Anderson, who on Saturday became the third Dodgers starting pitcher added to the All-Star team, had a scoreless outing of his own, on Thursday in St. Louis. Julio Urías, with unrealized All-Star credentials of his own, heads into the break having won his last five decisions, including seven strong innings Saturday in Anaheim.

Week 15 results

4-1 record
33 runs scored (6.60 per game)
15 runs allowed (3.00 per game)
.809 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

60-30 record
462 runs scored (5.13 per game)
293 runs allowed (3.26 per game)
.697 pythagorean win percentage (63-27)

Transactions

Wednesday: Jake Reed was claimed off waivers from the Mets, and sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Thursday: Brusdar Graterol was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, retroactive to July 11. Reyes Moronta was recalled.

Game results

• Tuesday: Cardinals 7, Dodgers 6
• Wednesday: Dodgers 7, Cardinals 6
• Thursday: Dodgers 4, Cardinals 0
• Friday: Dodgers 9, Angels 1
• Saturday: Dodgers 7, Angels 1

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 | Week 14

Up next

The Dodgers are home all week, running the Ed Whitson gauntlet with the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium followed by a four-game series against the Giants. The pitching matchups for next weekend haven’t yet been revealed.