Hyun-Jin Ryu: Rookie of the Year?

Quiet as kept, Hyun-Jin Ryu has injected himself into the National League Rookie of the Year debate. I know Yasiel Puig has gotten the lion's share of attention as a rookie but the Dodgers' other lefty pitching phenom deserves to get praise as well.

Ryu (11-3) shut down the Cardinals Thursday with another brilliant outing (7 IP, 5 Hits, 0 earned runs for his fourth straight win) as he pitched with no fear of one of the best teams in the majors. He came at St. Louis' hitters like a veteran and when I thought he was done after 6 innings, he went out and pitched the 7th to finish off his night and relieve the bullpen a bit.

Earlier this month, Don Mattingly tried to drum up support for Ryu as Rookie of the Year and I'm doing the same now. Let's spell out his case.

Confidence in Canada (Dodgers Keep Rolling)

Just when I think I keep running out of things to say about the Dodgers' incredible play, this team keeps on finding ways to stretch my creativity. Consider what they did last night.


Down to their last strike against Toronto, Andre Ethier - who's been resembling his Captain Clutch days lately - ties the game in the 9th inning. Then in the 10th, Mark Ellis and Yasiel Puig hit home runs to spark a five-run explosion and finish off the Blue Jays in a sweep.

To recap, three straight wins in Toronto, the last two via comeback. 41 runs scored the last four games. Six straight road wins coming off the All-Star break (10 in a row overall). First place in the National League West. At this point, the question isn't how hot this team can stay but who's going to catch fire next.

Even maligned reliever Brandon League has rediscovered his mojo, earning a win the last two games. His two scoreless innings of work Wednesday were crucial in putting the Dodgers in position to tie and take the lead. For a guy who's earned groans this year after losing his job as the closer, he's starting to redeem himself quite nicely.

Back From the Dead, the Dodgers Keep Rolling

A month ago, I was ready to consider this Dodgers season a wash. On the morning of June 3, they were nine games under .500. Between injuries and lackluster hitting, nothing was going right. By June 19, they were 29-40 after losing Game 1 of a doubleheader to the Yankees.

Fast forward to today. The team just finished a 14th inning game to sweep the Diamondbacks. They're 1.5 games out of first place. They're 45-45 and all a sudden they look like a different team and I'm watching games with more interest than just as a loyal fan.

Instead of worrying where the Dodgers offense comes from, I see timely hitting coming from AJ Ellis, Hanley Ramirez, Adrian Gonzalez and yes, Yasiel Puig. 

A lot of credit goes to Puig, your reigning National League rookie/player of the month. I've still yet to come up with a non-pitching rookie who's impacted the team like this right away and if he makes the All-Star team, I'll be happy. But I want to give props to Ramirez, who looks more and more like the player he was from 2008-2010.

Yasiel Puig: Something Like A Phenomenon

Has anybody had a better first week in pro sports recently than Yasiel Puig? The Dodgers' highly touted phenom has been on a tear this week unlike anything I've seen. A recap of his first five games.

Monday: 2 hits and a bullet assist from deep right field for the game-ending double play.
Tuesday: 2 home runs. The first to tie the game, the second to give the Dodgers more insurance.
Wednesday: 0-for-4. A reminder that he's human.
Thursday: Grand slam in the 8th inning to turn a 1-0 lead to a 5-0 cushion. On the first pitch!!
Friday: Game-tying home run in the 6th. Intentional walk in the 8th.

4 home runs, 10 runs batted in. A name on the lips of non-baseball fans. Can't script it any better. He'd be front and center on that old VH1 show "Best Week Ever"

I was at Dodger Stadium Friday and to see the Puig Phenomenon live was something to behold. We saw folks already selling bootleg Puig shirts on the drive in. There were fans with "Viva Puig" signs in the stadium. The atmosphere was ready to see another big moment and the team's latest phenom didn't disappoint.

Battle for Los Angeles (Dodgers vs. Angels)

I hate to say it but the battle for Los Angeles baseball supremacy this week feels lackluster. Maybe I'm saying this as a Dodgers fan, but the facts support me.

In one corner you have the Angels, who've won eight straight games and appear to be finding their mojo after struggling mightily. In the other you have the Dodgers, who've won three out of their last nine and appear on the verge of firing Don Mattingly as manager.

Clayton Kershaw also picked a bad time to have a rough start, giving up 4 HR's to the Cardinals on Sunday. Considering he's been hot the last few starts, you can forgive him for that. The Dodgers have bigger problems to worry about.