Written by Brian Wright at The Sports Daily
It doesn’t take a thorough investigation to find out the common denominator of baseball’s upper-echelon. The top five team ERAs are all playoff-bound clubs. Each can make a strong case as the best as we enter the all-important month of October.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Some franchises enjoy a balanced rotation. The Dodgers provide opponents with a 1-2 knockout punch that come in the familiar names of Greinke and Kershaw. Even though the two have combined for 34 wins and nearly 500 strikeouts this season as well as four Cy Young Awards overall, the legacy of their prized left-hander is still in doubt.
The specter of playoff struggles for Clayton Kershaw remain ever-present – and will only be eradicated with an October that can closely match what he’s been so noted for in the regular season.
His one-hit complete game shutout against the rival Giants to clinch the NL West may be a sign he’s turning the corner.
Even more concerning is the considerable drop-off that L.A. is stuck with at the back end of the starting staff, not to mention the shakiness that has inflicted the bullpen. This vulnerability may be masked in a short Division Series, but can be easily exposed in a seven-game set.
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