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If you can’t beat them, join them. And if you can’t join them, buy your way to success.
So far in the 2021 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been unable to gain the upper hand on surprise package San Francisco Giants. They continue to defy expectations in a campaign they were expected to be nothing more than bit-part players in.
The Giants remain top of the NL West with a 0.630 record, but some believe they may fade in the second half of the campaign as injuries and fatigue set in amongst their ageing roster.
As for the Dodgers, they did what all sporting champions do – try to buy their way to success. Rarely before has there been a trade deadline day quite as manic as July 30, and when the dust had settled it became clear that the LA franchise will settle for nothing less than World Series success this term.
From DC to LA.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 30, 2021
Welcome to the best coast, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner! pic.twitter.com/HTd1kV6stA
They have invested heavily in Trea Turner and Max Scherzer, the outstanding Washington Nationals pair. The Dodgers may have had to relinquish four young prospects into the bargain, but Turner and Scherzer are players for today, not just for tomorrow. And what players too. Scherzer is pitching at an ERA of 2.75 and boasts a 9-4 record this term, and he showed his class on his Dodgers debut in August – striking out ten batters in a stellar performance as his new employer defeated the Houston Astros.
As for Turner, he could yet force his way into the MVP contest, more on him shortly. For now, needless to say, the Dodgers enter the second half of the season stronger than they ended the first. Incidentally, here at Space Casino and other sportsbooks the most likely World Series game is the Dodgers vs the Astros according to the odds, and you might surmise that the Californian franchise might have the edge on their Texan counterparts. Only the final result will reveal who the winner is for sure.
Trae-mendous
Back to Turner, who is chomping at the bit to make his delayed debut for his new employer. If the 28-year-old brings his form from the Nationals to the Dodgers, then they are in for an almighty shot in the arm. Turner has already served up 18 home runs and 66 runs in 2021 with an OBP of .369, and that is the form of a player knocking on the door of the MVP race.
Shohei Ohtani is the first player in MLB history to hit 37 homers and steal 15 bases before the end of July. pic.twitter.com/Ljs8G3u7Z2
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 30, 2021
Indeed, if Fernando Tatis Jr and Jacob DeGrom miss ball games due to their respective injuries, Turner will go head-to-head with Shohei Ohtani for the honours.
Personal pride aside, baseball is a team game and Turner will be expecting to help the Dodgers kick on in what is the business end of the season. His stats speak volumes and so too does his pedigree – the recent All-Star is also a former World Series champion with the Nationals.
And it’s that X-Factor, along with the pitching excellence of Scherzer. This surely marks the Dodgers out as the team to beat on the long and winding road to the World Series.
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