A Look at Some Results Statistics...A Lot of 1-Run Games

I always cringe when I check a Dodger final score of a game that I completely missed like I did today.  It’s childish, I know, but sometimes I cover my eyes and slowly peek through to see if they won.  It’s almost like I feel that I let the boys down when I have to miss a game.  I used to feel the same way when my son’s report card arrived in the mail.  I think I was more nervous for that, than I was for my own.

Some things you can control.  Watching the boys in blue is one of those uncontrolable things.  So today as I was doing everything I could to keep from pulling a tweaked hamstring in a softball tournament that we were eventually eliminated from, I was completely relieved see the 2-1 result this evening.  As I write this, I haven’t even checked the Giants score.  (Just checked, “Yes,” they lost).

Dee Gordon is about to get pummeled by his teammates after  singling in the winning run in the 10th inning of today's 2-1 result against the White Sox (photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

So the Dodgers squeaked out another exciting one-run win.  It think it’s time to call these guys the cardiac kids.   They have played in 31 one run contests.  That’s 46% of the games.  (By comparison, last year’s team played in 1 run games 27% of the time). With the lead back to 5 games, the team has never been more than a 1/2 game out of first this season, and that was back after game number 3 or 4 in April.  

Don Mattingly is ejected for the 4th time this season.  (photo by Gus Ruelas/AP)

2012 is proving to be different than past seasons as the Dodgers are holding their own against American League opponents.  Now 5-4 against the A.L., the Dodgers continue to dominate at home, with 24 wins and a .667 winning percentage.  They head back on the road to finish off their inter-league schedule.  Of course the schedule makers are once again playing a practical joke on them as the head off to the Bay Area for 3 against the A’s, only to return to the Southland for three against the Angels and then bouncing back to San Francisco for an all important series against the Giants.

All series are important with the precarious lead they have, but we’ll probably be real interested in the 3 game set at AT&T next week.  Without question, we're bound to see a bunch of one-run games.  Strap on your seat belts, these guys are sure to give us an "E" ticket ride for the remainder of the season.