The Los Angeles Dodgers won their 10th straight game yesterday with a 12-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies completing a three game sweep. The Dodgers 52-25 record is the best in the NL and the second best in MLB behind only the Houston Astros (who are the only other MLB franchise to have a double digit winning streak this season).
At the center of this 10-game winning streak is Dodgers rookie first baseman-outfielder Cody Bellinger. During this surge, Bellinger has gone 15 for 42 (.362) with 6 HR and 15 RBI. Overall, in the month of June, Bellinger is hitting .307 with 13 HR and 26 RBI. If that doesn't make him NL Player of the Month then nothing will. Bellinger now leads the NL with 24 home runs including two in yesterday's finale against Colorado.
Is it conceivable that we could have not one, but two Rookies of the Year win the NL MVP? New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is putting up Triple Crown numbers, but Bellinger isn't far behind.
Of course, the Dodgers don't live by Bellinger alone. You've still got Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Yasiel Puig, Corey Seager and Justin Turner. But Bellinger might be the final piece of the puzzle that gets the team to its first World Series since 1988.
With that said, the NL West is MLB's elite division. The Arizona Diamondbacks, under new manager Torey Lovullo, are only two games back of the Dodgers and have won 8 of their last 10 games. And despite the fact the Rockies have lost five straight games they are only 4.5 back of the Dodgers and still own a better record than the NL East leading Washington Nationals. Chances are all three teams will make the post-season. It is a shame one of these three teams will likely have to exit after the NL Wild Card Game while the weaker NL East and Central division winners advance. But life isn't fair except if you're Cody Bellinger.
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