Los Angeles Dodgers: Hot streak must continue into crucial series

The Los Angeles Dodgers are playing one of the most important series thus far as the team hosts the St. Louis Cardinals.

While there certainly are bigger series, such as series against the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks, the Los Angeles Dodgers-St. Louis Cardinals three-game set is big for both sides.

The Cardinals went on a red-hot streak to reinsert the team back into the postseason discussion and is now just half a game out of the three-way tie for the NL Wild Card. As for the Dodgers, the team rebounded from its slow streak with a red-hot streak, however, have not been great since the break.

The Dodgers are winners of thee of the last four, though, and carry some momentum into a series that could shape up the NL Wild Card. While the NL West crown is the obvious goal, the Dodgers need to reach the postseason in any way possible.

Los Angeles is extremely talented and trails the Wild Card by 1.5 games and the division lead by two games. All it takes is a hot streak and the Dodgers could look like the best team in the National League heading into the playoffs.

It must continue here with the Cardinals and the red-hot bats that have been carrying the Dodgers must continue to produce. While Kenley Jansen is set to return soon, the Dodger bats need to continue to create as much cushion as possible.

With that in mind, our two selections for our Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak series are simple.

Sarah’s pick — Current streak 2: Cody Bellinger

My pick for tonight’s opener against the red-hot Cardinals is Cody Bellinger. Quietly, Bellinger has become the best hitter the Dodgers have, and they’re going to need more than a little offense going into this series against St. Louis.

Between Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna, and Harrison Bader, the Cardinals are strong on offense, and their pitching has been great, especially RHP Miles Mikolas (who the Dodgers won’t be seeing in this series, since he pitched on Saturday.)

Either way, this is a new Cardinals team we’re seeing, and the Dodgers, led by Bellinger, are going to have to show us the kind of offense we saw this weekend in order to win the series.

Jason’s pick — Current streak 1: Justin Turner

Justin Turner started the season on the disabled list and upon returning was not the same Justin Turner that Dodger fans know and love. Turner scratched and clawed to a decent batting line, owning a .258 batting average at the All-Star Break.

In just 17 games played since the break, Turner has raised his batting average back above .300 to .305.

That is due to a red-hot second half that included a 4-5 performance last night. In the 17 games since the break, Turner is hitting .433 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and a 1.298 OPS. Over the last week, Turner is hitting an even .500.

Justin Turner is already in playoff-mode as the Dodgers enter the last chapter of the season as the underdogs. If there is a safe pick for a base hit, it is Justin Turner.