Dodgers Week 7: Creating some distance

LOS ANGELES — Series against a division rival can mean everything or very little, depending on when you ask.

“I appreciate [the rivalry], as far as it’s good for the game, it’s good for all of us. But for us to think about getting too high for a particular team, that lends itself to letdowns later,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before playing three games against the Padres at Dodger Stadium. “There’s a reason why it’s 162 on the schedule. I just don’t think we give into that.”

Whether the Dodgers will admit it or not, they had to take satisfaction in sweeping the Padres to complete a 5-1 week, and winning five of six games over the last two weekends against San Diego, whose offseason spending spree and stacked lineup had some picking the Padres to win the division.

“We know what we’re capable of,” said Mookie Betts, who hit three home runs during the week. “We know what we can do. We’re just doing it.”

“There are a lot of keys to success. I think one of them is putting more of your emphasis on your own ball club, and not being distracted by other variables, other factors, other teams,” Roberts said. “For me, it’s been a hallmark of all of our ball clubs, and this year is no different.”

The results bear this out, with the Dodgers now winners of five straight series and 13 out of 15 games. They are on pace for over 100 wins, something they’ve done in each of the last three full major league seasons.

They also dominated the Padres last year in the regular season, winning all six series and taking 15 out of 19 games. It gained the Dodgers a bye through the wild card round and home-field advantage in the NLDS, but the Padres still managed to eliminate LA in four games.

Whether that NLDS exit was a motivating factor this or last weekend, or whether the Dodgers took umbrage to Petco Park displaying a meme of Clayton Kershaw crying on the scoreboard after what is now San Diego’s lone win against LA this season, remains to be seen. What matters is how this team plays in October, but that’s not any different than in any of the last 10 years.

But you also have to get to the postseason, and building a seven-game lead over a division rival 41 games into the season is a good head start for the Dodgers.

Batter of the week

The top two hitters in the Dodgers lineup were a wrecking crew last week. The slight edge goes to Freddie Freeman, who homered twice, hit three doubles, and led the team in runs scored and RBI. He drove in three runs in Friday’s win over San Diego.

Mookie Betts was also incredible with three home runs, including the go-ahead shots on both Friday and Sunday against the Padres.

Pitcher of the week

Relievers were gassed after seven pitchers combined for eight innings the night before, and at least half the bullpen was unavailable on Wednesday in Milwaukee, but Clayton Kershaw made it all a moot point by pitching seven innings to beat the Brewers and finish off a winning road trip.

Honorable mention goes to Tony Gonsolin, who got one bad result with a three-unearned-run home run Monday in Milwaukee, but put up a 0.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 11 innings in his two starts.

Week 7 results

5-1 record
29 runs scored (4.83 per game)
16 runs allowed (2.67 per game)
.748 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

26-15 record
220 runs scored (5.37 per game)
164 runs allowed (4.00 per game)
.631 pythagorean win percentage (26-15)

Miscellany

Four score: It took until Friday, in their 39th game of the season, but the Dodgers finally scored exactly four runs in a game in 2023. They were the last MLB team to score exactly four runs in a game, with every other team doing so at least twice before Friday. Thirty-eight games was the longest the Dodgers have ever started a season without scoring exactly four runs in a game. Then they did so again on Saturday and Sunday to sweep the Padres.

Transactions

Tuesday: Caleb Ferguson was the fifth Dodger added to the paternity list this season, and Justin Bruihl was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Thursday: Michael Busch and Wander Suero were optioned to Triple-A.

Friday: J.D. Martinez was activated off the injured list after missing 15 games with lower back tightness, and Ferguson returned from the paternity list.

Game results

• Monday: Brewers 9, Dodgers 3
• Tuesday: Dodgers 6, Brewers 2
• Wednesday: Dodgers 8, Brewers 1
• Friday: Dodgers 4, Padres 2
• Saturday: Dodgers 4, Padres 2
• Sunday: Dodgers 4, Padres 0

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6

The week ahead

The Dodgers run the Tom Brunansky gauntlet — or the 1987 World Series invitational, if you prefer — finishing off the homestand against the Twins before heading to St. Louis for four games against the Cardinals.

Without yet knowing how Noah Syndergaard and his blistered right index finger will do on Monday or what Clayton Kershaw’s plans are for potential bereavement leave after Tuesday, the weekend rotation is just a guess at this point.