PHOENIX — Aaron Judge is mashing homers at an astounding pace for the New York Yankees. Shohei Ohtani provides the same type of thump for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But it’s the Arizona Diamondbacks who have the best offense in the big leagues — by quite a bit.
The Diamondbacks are averaging 5.48 runs per game, a full half run better than the second place team, which is the Yankees at 4.98. Arizona was at it again over the weekend, pulling off an 11-10 win in 10 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Arizona took a 5-0 lead, then trailed 8-5, then tied it up at 8-8, fell behind 10-8 in the 10th and then rallied for three runs in the bottom of the inning for the win. Eugenio Suárez provided the walk-off moment with a bases loaded single to deep right. It was a much-needed win for a franchise fighting with the Padres, Mets and Braves for the three NL wild cards.
The D-backs have a deep, speedy lineup led by Ketel Marte, Christian Walker, Corbin Carroll, Joc Pederson, Jake McCarthy and Suárez. No lead is safe when Arizona is at the plate.
“We’re really executing at a high level and it’s not just the slug,” manager Torey Lovullo said after a 14-4 win against the Rangers last week. “It’s patient at-bats waiting for our pitch, putting down the bat, handing it off to the next guy.”
Suarez has been one of MLB’s best players in the second half of the season, batting .320 with 18 homers and 44 RBIs over 51 games coming into the weekend games.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers boast one of the best lineups in baseball, led by superstars like Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
The problem is they also have to pitch.
A rash of injuries to the pitching staff — including front-line starters like Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw — have left manager Dave Roberts scrambling as his team reaches the most important part of the season. The Dodgers are so thin on the mound that Roberts acknowledged earlier in the week that Ohtani could return to the mound in October after having offseason elbow surgery.
“Anything is possible,” Roberts said. “I hope that’s on his mind as far as motivation for his rehab. The odds of it coming to pass are very slim, but they’re not zero.”
The Dodgers’ roster conundrum isn’t unique in baseball this season. As the playoffs approach, no team looks bulletproof. In fact, this will likely be the first season since 2014 that no team will reach the 100-win mark in the regular season.
The…