Four games. That’s what is going to decide the balance of the season for the boys in blue. At the conclusion of play on Sunday, we will know if the Los Angeles Dodgers are back and ready to defend their pennant crown from 2018, or if the wait will be at least 31 years before their next opportunity for a World Series victory.
When the Dodgers take the field tonight in L.A., they will do so after cutting their deficit to one game in the chase for first in the N.L. West. They will also be facing the team they are trying to pass in this hunt, the Arizona Diamondbacks. After struggling to find their second half groove, there is no doubt, they are where they want to be two days before the end of August.
There’s more at stake though, outside of baseball standings. Kenley Jansen is off his meds, literally, as a result of feeling sluggish and zapped of energy. You cannot question his competitiveness and his thirst to win. Though, I do hope that he isn’t overlooking his health, in order to prove a point. We all want him healthy whether he is in our out of a Dodgers uniform.
The Dodgers have been unequivocally tested and pushed all season. This may be the most challenging year Dave Roberts has faced in his young tenure as the skip in blue. This, also, might be the most challenging year for the fans, knowing how close the team was last year to that elusive World Series ring.
Either way, come Sunday, while not cemented, the path to October will be clearer for the city of Angels Dodgers.
Photo: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
