Leading up to the 2012 MLB regular season, enough had already been written in the MLB blogs about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense, and their ability to put up big numbers with Matt Kemp leading the way. However, while Dodgers’ fans have to be happy that their team is delivering on big expectations with the best record in the majors through the first two months of the baseball season, it is the pitching staff that has led the way so far and not the bats, even though Kemp another others have been excellent. Los Angeles’ pitching staff ranks second in the majors with a combined ERA just over 3.00, and while reigning National League Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw has been dynamite once again, he hasn’t even been the best arm on the Dodgers’ staff this 5Dimes season.
That title belongs to Chris Capuano through his first 10 starts of the season. The 33-year old is having a career year so far with a 7-1 record, and 2.14 ERA, allowing more than one earned run just once in his last seven starts. Kershaw is just 4-3 despite another impressive ERA at 2.42, forcing the onus on to the offense to provide some more run support if he is going to make another Cy Young run. Ted Lilly has been impressive with a 5-1 record to start the sports bet year, keeping his ERA on the right side of 4.00 as support to Capuano and Kershaw as the perfect one-two tandem. In addition, the trio of Kenley Jansen, Ronald Belisario, and Josh Lindblom have already combined for 23 holds with each registering an ERA under 2.19, with Jansen also netting four wins and six saves.
Meanwhile, despite registering one of the best run differentials in the majors and the most wins, the Dodgers actually have room to improve if the offense can capitalize on its hitting production. Los Angeles ranks fourth in the majors in batting average, but just 12th in runs, and if they can cut that difference even marginally it will undoubtedly take this team to an elite per head level as the top contender in the NL, if they aren’t that already. In order for the Dodgers to reach that potential they will need Matt Kemp to stay healthy and continue to produce at a high level, with Andre Ethier and AJ Ellis also chipping away with averages north of .300.
The odds listed by the best online sports betting sites dictate that the Dodgers are already at that level, and while it’s hard to argue what they have done so far, the numbers within the numbers don’t lie. Consistency throughout a marathon season will be the toughest test for a Los Angeles team that has all of the tools to do something special, as well as the ability to stay healthy. Considering all that Dodgers’ fans have been through over the past couple of years, with the ownership distractions and underachieving teams, there is finally reason to be happy with the direction this team is headed in.
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