When the Los Angeles Dodgers (42-26) lost five consecutive games against sub-.500 teams in May, there was some talk about them being vulnerable. Such skepticism feels like a lifetime ago following their recent surge, which is highlighted by a road series victory over the American League-leading New York Yankees this past weekend. LA stayed on the attack on Tuesday versus the defending champions.
The Dodgers returned home for the first time in a week and gave their fans many reasons to celebrate, as they absolutely blasted the Texas Rangers (31-35). The perennial division leaders solidified their eye-popping 15-2 victory relatively early, courtesy of Will Smith (three-run home run) and Mookie Betts (bases clearing double), but they did not take their foot off the gas.
Up 7-1 in the sixth inning, The Boys in Blue exploded for a historic output, with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Jason Heyward all belting homers in Dodger Stadium. The bashers launched LA into rarefied air while also plunging Texas into a seemingly never-ending nightmare.
The Dodgers' four home runs in a single inning tie a franchise record, according to MLB.com's Sarah Langs. This is the team other fans feared when president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman added to an already stacked roster in the offseason.
Dodgers are finding their top form
Although bombardments like this one are not going to happen too often in the big leagues, it is a showcase of what this juggernaut is capable of if the lineup is firing on all cylinders. Everyone knows the dangers the top of the order can bring, but the 6-9 hitters can be unpredictable (especially since Max Muncy is injured). Manager Dave Roberts is relying on five-time Gold Glover Heyward, 2020 World Series champ Gavin Lux, rookie Andy Pages and utility infielder Miguel Rojas to balance out the offense.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers' stars are poised to keep terrorizing the rest of the league. Teoscar Hernandez and Shohei Ohtani rank second and third in the National League with 17 and 16 homers, respectively. Freddie Freeman is a doubles machine who is approaching a .300 batting average, Will Smith is a top hitting catcher and Mookie Betts is arguably the club's best all-around player in 2024 (3.6 WAR).
Ohtani is understandably the headliner after putting together three sensational campaigns in a row and signing the largest contract in MLB history, but Los Angeles can pummel opponents in a variety of ways. The series opener versus the Rangers might as well have been batting practice for the Dodgers.
Though, fans have seen this movie before. NL West domination (currently lead the San Diego Padres by seven and a half games) and individual superstardom reigns supreme until LA rolls into October, the shortened 2020 season notwithstanding.
LA aims to change its reputation in 2024
While no one is going to retrieve the Dodgers' latest World Series rings, winning a title in a full-length campaign is the minimum that should be expected when considering the duration of their excellence and the talent of their roster. Waiting until the playoffs to validate the hype is unbearable for many, but the team can keep fans entertained along the way with mammoth efforts like Tuesday's.
With a fairly soft upcoming schedule, the Dodgers will have plenty of opportunities to obliterate more squads in the month of June. They look to clinch the series against the Rangers Wednesday night, starting at 10:10 p.m. ET. And eventually, LA hopes to be the one to claim their crown.
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