When it was all said and done, a 3-4 road trip wasn't all that bad.
Sure, it could have, and should have, been better. They should have won the Wednesday game in St. Louis and should have won the Saturday game in Atlanta.
Not could have won. Should have won.
They had base runners all over the place, and the Cardinals fought back from two separate one-run deficits in their final at-bat. All the breaks went their way in that game.
In Atlanta, Wolf didn't get the call on a strike three to Chipper Jones, who then singles home a run. Later in the game, Russell Martin can't handle a throw from Andre Ethier on a play at the plate that should have ended the inning.
Not only does the run score to tie the game, the inning continues and the go-ahead run scores.
With all that said, they still have a seven-game lead in the National League West and now they get to come home to a Brewer team they play quite well against.
They've won 19 out of 25 against the Milwaukee club, and that club is slumping at the moment.
The balance of power in the National League has shifted a little bit, with the Dodgers showing chinks in the armor, the Phillies acquiring Cliff Lee and with the Cardinals, Cubs, Giants and Rockies all playing very good baseball.
This homestand will be a very good chance to run off a few wins, start getting back to that goal of 30 games above .500 while re-establishing themselves as the undoubted team to beat in the NL.
They have the right mine on the mound to get that started with Clayton Kershaw currently toeing the slab for Boys in Blue.
Kershaw is 5-0 with a 0.79 ERA in his last nine starts, and has put up a pair of scoreless innings so far.
Right now is the time for the Dodgers answer some of the doubters that think they are more like the team that has gone 25-20 in their last 45 games, and not like the team that went 40-20 in the first 60.
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