After an uneven start to the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been one of the hottest teams in baseball this month, which continued with a sweep of the San Diego Padres.
It marked the Dodgers’ 13th win in their last 15 games, and ninth consecutive victory at Dodger Stadium. L.A. has also won five consecutive games against the Padres since dropping the series opener at Petco Park two weeks ago, but manager Dave Roberts downplayed that success as any sort of statement made in the National League West.
“I think we’re playing good baseball,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 4-0 win. “We know we have a good ballclub, and like I said before, it’s just good to play good baseball against a team like that.
“Put some distance between us and them. Still have another team trailing us in the Diamondbacks, and we’ve got another team that’s playing really good baseball in the Twins coming into town.
“I think the hallmark of our ballclub is a lot of unselfish guys but also guys that do a really good job of staying in the moment. That’s the key for us.”
After an offseason that saw the Dodgers lose several key contributors and the Padres continue to load up, many felt there was a changing of the tide in the NL West.
“I don’t think we ever felt we were the underdogs,” Roberts said. “I think certain people in our clubhouse took it a different way, and that’s OK. Whatever fuels them.
“The most important thing is playing baseball games and then seeing who the best team is at the end. I’ve always liked our club.”
Dave Roberts keeping focus on Dodgers
Roberts added that the Dodgers’ turnaround has a lot to do with the team staying focused on themselves and not the Padres or other opponents. “There’s a lot of keys to success,” Roberts began.
“I think one of them is putting more of your emphasis on your own ballclub and not being distracted by other variables, other factors, other teams. And I think for me, it’s been a hallmark of all of our ballclubs and this year is no different.”
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