Los Angeles Dodgers: Two Dodgers take home monthly honors
By Jason Reed
After a great May for the Los Angeles Dodgers Cody Bellinger took home NL Rookie of the Month honors while Alex Wood took home NL Pitcher of the Month honors.
The Los Angeles Dodgers did very, very well in the month of May. Going 19-9 the Dodgers turned it around from a rough April to find themselves back atop the NL West. The team currently stands 0.5 games back of both the Diamondbacks and Rockies after losing two straight, yet still see themselves in a great position heading forward.
This big improvement can be attributed to a great team effort, the Dodgers pitching staff continues to thrive and the Dodgers bats are finally coming around. Leading the charge has been two unforeseen talents, pitcher Alex Wood and Rookie outfielder and first baseman Cody Bellinger.
First, Alex Wood not only far exceeded what was expected of him but perhaps established himself as one of the best pitchers in the National League.
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Wood had a very special month of May that far outshined any other pitcher in the National League. Making five starts, Wood threw 28.1 innings, struck out 41 batters, pitching to a 5-0 record and a 1.27 ERA.
All of the earned runs Wood allowed came in one game in which he allowed four earned runs against the Giants. Since then Wood has thrown over 20 straight scoreless innings. Wood was by far the best Dodgers pitcher, outpitching Clayton Kershaw, and was the NL’s best as well.
As for Cody Bellinger, he was the spark that the Dodgers needed. Called up in late April, Bellinger has served as the catalyst much like Yasiel Puig did in 2013. His month of May was equally as impressive as Wood’s as well.
Bellinger’s batting average took a huge dip down to .245, which was expected after his hot start and the type of power hitter he is. However, the power did not subside as Bellinger slugged nine home runs, driving in 27 runs in the process. Bellinger may not be the most consistent hitter for average, but he seemingly always comes up in big game moments.
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Overall, fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers should hope that this kind of play keeps up for both Wood and Bellinger. They have been the leaders of this turnaround, and if the team wants to continue winning they must continue their hot play.