The Los Angeles Dodgers did something in August that had never been accomplished in National League history before, hitting 57 home runs as a team during a single calendar month. The previous franchise record was 55 in June of 2018.
That fell one short of the all-time NL mark, initially set by the Cincinnati Reds in 1999. The Atlanta Braves then tied it last year.
The Dodgers were able to tie and then break the record during their final game of the month against the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Corey Seager was the first one to go deep in the game, hitting a solo shot in the first to account for the team’s 55th home run in August.
Will Smith tied the record with a solo shot in the second to account for No. 56, and Cody Bellinger hit the 57th, a two-run shot in the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ victory over Texas.
Though, Mookie Betts was hardly impressed by the accomplishment. “I don’t think it means anything,” he said. “It’s a pretty cool stat to accomplish, but I think the No. 1 thing is the World Series, so we have to continue to work for that.”
Overall on the season, the Dodgers have hit 68 home runs, which is the most in baseball. They also have the best record in the league at 26-10 after a 21-7 month of August, seemingly on their way to an eighth NL West title. L.A. is the only team that has yet to lose a series in 2020.
Offensively, it has been a group effort for the Dodgers, especially in the month of offense. To account for the 57 home runs, the following players contributed: Mookie Betts (10), Bellinger (10), Max Muncy (6), Seager (6), Joc Pederson (5), AJ Pollock (5), Smith (3), Edwin Rios (2), Justin Turner (2), Chris Taylor (2), Matt Beaty (2), Kiké Hernandez (2), Keibert Ruiz (1) and Austin Barnes (1).
Record comes with asterisk
While the Dodgers breaking the record for home runs in a single month is certainly impressive, it is worth noting that August was the first full month with a designated hitter in NL history.
The Dodgers have not had one set DH in 2020, but they have used to it get a lot of their regular players rest. Also, considering they have more than eight players capable of starting on every given night, the Dodgers have benefitted from having an extra spot in the lineup arguably more than any other team.
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