Though they have struggled in the month of May, a lack of an overwhelming favorite in the National League West means it's too early to completely write off the Dodgers. An 11-16 record this month heading into May's final day has the Dodgers in fourth place, five and a half games out at 25-30. But the division has seen great turnover this month, and now the red hot Arizona Diamondbacks are in first place.
National League West Standings | |||
Team | W-L | Pct | GB |
Arizona | 30-24 | .556 | --- |
San Francisco |
29-24 | .547 | ½ |
Colorado | 25-28 | .472 | 4½ |
Dodgers | 25-30 | .455 | 5½ |
San Diego |
23-31 | .426 | 7 |
The Dodgers' upcoming schedule over the next two weeks includes playing the Rockies and Reds twice each, and a trip to Philadelphia. Currently, Baseball Prospectus lists the Dodgers' chances of making the playoffs at 10.9%, so they still have their work cut out for them.
Make no mistake, the Dodgers absolutely need to play better for them to be considered contenders in the division. But the two favorites, San Francisco and Colorado, suffered big losses last week, as Jorge De La Rosa and Buster Posey are now out for the year. The Diamondbacks have won 15 of 17 games, but raise your hand if you think they can keep this up all season. As long as the rest of the division keeps the door open, the Dodgers aren't dead yet.
For more news and information on the Dodgers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.