%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201004.4%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201004.4%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%23231F20%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%23005B9E%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%23989898%3B%7D%0A%09.st4%7Bfill%3A%23EE3B3F%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cg%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M41%2C12.5H0v137.7h41c13.6%2C0%2C25.1-5.5%2C34.4-16.4c9.3-11%2C14.1-28.4%2C14.2-52.4c-0.1-24-4.9-41.5-14.2-52.4%0A%09%09%09C66.1%2C18%2C54.6%2C12.5%2C41%2C12.5z%20M61.5%2C115.3c-4.9%2C8.5-11.7%2C12.9-20.5%2C13.2H20.8V81.4V34.3H41c8.8%2C0.3%2C15.6%2C4.4%2C20.6%2C12.4%0A%09%09%09c5%2C8%2C7.5%2C19.6%2C7.5%2C34.6C68.9%2C95.5%2C66.4%2C106.8%2C61.5%2C115.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M146%2C47.3c-14.5%2C0.4-25.2%2C6.4-32.2%2C17.9c-5.1%2C8.8-7.7%2C20.4-7.8%2C34.7c0.1%2C13.8%2C2.7%2C25.1%2C7.8%2C33.9%0A%09%09%09c6.8%2C11.9%2C17.5%2C18.2%2C32.2%2C18.9c14.6-0.7%2C25.4-7%2C32.2-18.9c5.1-8.8%2C7.7-20.1%2C7.8-33.9c-0.1-14.4-2.7-26-7.8-34.7%0A%09%09%09C171.2%2C53.6%2C160.5%2C47.7%2C146%2C47.3z%20M162.5%2C119.2c-3.5%2C7.8-9.1%2C11.7-16.7%2C11.7c-6.9%2C0-12.4-3.9-16.3-11.7%0A%09%09%09c-2.4-5.5-3.5-11.9-3.5-19.1c0-7.7%2C1.2-14.3%2C3.5-19.7c3.4-7.8%2C8.8-11.7%2C16.3-11.7c7.7%2C0%2C13.3%2C3.9%2C16.7%2C11.7%0A%09%09%09c2.4%2C5.5%2C3.5%2C12.1%2C3.5%2C19.7C166%2C107.4%2C164.8%2C113.7%2C162.5%2C119.2z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M260.4%2C54.5c-4.2-4.7-10.2-7.1-18.1-7.2c-26.4%2C0.5-39.6%2C18.6-39.6%2C54.3c0%2C34.1%2C13.1%2C51.2%2C39.2%2C51.2%0A%09%09%09c6.8%2C0%2C13-2%2C18.4-6v3.5h20.8v-140l-20.8%2C10.9V54.5z%20M260%2C123.7c-4.8%2C6.6-10.9%2C9.8-18.2%2C9.7c-12.3-0.1-18.5-10.8-18.6-32.1%0A%09%09%09c0-21.1%2C6.4-32.1%2C19.2-32.9c8%2C0%2C13.9%2C3.4%2C17.7%2C10.1V123.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M359.5%2C54.5c-4.2-4.7-10.2-7.1-18.1-7.2c-26.4%2C0.5-39.6%2C18.6-39.6%2C54.3c0%2C34.1%2C13.1%2C51.2%2C39.2%2C51.2%0A%09%09%09c6.8%2C0%2C13-2%2C18.4-6c0.4%2C16.9-7.3%2C28.6-23%2C35.1l8.6%2C18.1c22.5-8.6%2C34.2-26.4%2C35.1-53.2V48.1h-20.8V54.5z%20M359.1%2C123.7%0A%09%09%09c-4.8%2C6.6-10.9%2C9.8-18.2%2C9.7c-12.3-0.1-18.5-10.8-18.6-32.1c0-21.1%2C6.4-32.1%2C19.2-32.9c8%2C0%2C13.9%2C3.4%2C17.7%2C10.1V123.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M465.9%2C61.7c-7-9.6-16.3-14.4-28-14.4c-12.4%2C0-22.1%2C5.2-29.1%2C15.5c-7%2C10.3-10.5%2C22.6-10.5%2C36.7%0A%09%09%09c0%2C17.1%2C3.6%2C30.3%2C10.9%2C39.5c7.3%2C9.2%2C16.8%2C13.8%2C28.7%2C13.8c16.9-0.4%2C28.6-8.3%2C35.1-23.6l-18.6-8c-3.9%2C7-9.6%2C10.3-16.9%2C10.1%0A%09%09%09c-5.2%2C0.1-9.5-1.9-12.8-6.1c-3.3-4.2-4.9-9.5-4.9-15.9h56.5C476.4%2C87.1%2C472.9%2C71.3%2C465.9%2C61.7z%20M419.5%2C89%0A%09%09%09c-0.3-5.2%2C1.3-10.1%2C4.7-14.7c3.4-4.6%2C8-6.8%2C13.7-6.7c5.4%2C0%2C9.6%2C2.1%2C12.9%2C6.4c3.2%2C4.2%2C4.7%2C9.2%2C4.6%2C15H419.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M515.9%2C55.5v-7.4h-21v102.2h21.2V87.6c0.5-12.6%2C5.2-19%2C13.9-19.3c4.1-0.1%2C8%2C1.8%2C12%2C6l6.9-19.9%0A%09%09%09c-5.1-4.5-11-6.8-17.7-7C524.5%2C47.3%2C519.4%2C50%2C515.9%2C55.5z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M598.1%2C86.3c-6.5-2.6-10.6-4.6-12.3-6c-1.6-1.4-2.4-3.2-2.3-5.3c0.1-2.5%2C1.1-4.4%2C3-5.9%0A%09%09%09c1.9-1.4%2C4.5-2.2%2C7.8-2.2c8%2C0.3%2C15.2%2C3.5%2C21.6%2C9.7l13.1-13.8c-9.3-10.3-21-15.6-35.1-15.8c-9.3%2C0-16.8%2C2.9-22.5%2C8.7%0A%09%09%09c-5.7%2C5.8-8.3%2C12.1-7.9%2C18.8c0%2C6.7%2C2.2%2C12.6%2C6.7%2C17.7c4.4%2C5.1%2C11.5%2C9.3%2C21.2%2C12.7c6.7%2C2.7%2C11.5%2C5.5%2C14.5%2C8.2%0A%09%09%09c3%2C2.7%2C4.4%2C5.7%2C4.3%2C8.8c0.1%2C3.2-1.4%2C5.8-4.6%2C7.9c-3.2%2C2.1-7.1%2C3.1-11.7%2C3c-6.4-0.1-13.6-3.5-21.6-10.1l-13.7%2C14.4%0A%09%09%09c10.7%2C10.1%2C22.5%2C15.3%2C35.3%2C15.4c11.3-0.1%2C20.1-2.9%2C26.5-8.3c6.4-5.4%2C9.7-12.5%2C9.8-21.3c0-10-3-17.9-9.1-23.6%0A%09%09%09C615%2C93.7%2C607.4%2C89.3%2C598.1%2C86.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22775.5%2C85.1%20758.4%2C12.5%20738.2%2C12.5%20721.5%2C85.1%20711.3%2C12.5%20690.1%2C12.5%20709.5%2C150.3%20728%2C150.3%20%0A%09%09%09748.2%2C61.9%20769%2C150.3%20787.4%2C150.3%20806.9%2C12.5%20785.7%2C12.5%20%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M883.5%2C56.4c-7-6.1-15.6-9.1-25.8-9.1c-12.4%2C0.4-23.4%2C4.1-32.8%2C11.1L835.3%2C75c6.8-5.2%2C14.5-7.7%2C23-7.4%0A%09%09%09c9.9%2C1%2C14.8%2C6.4%2C14.5%2C16.4c-5.2-1.5-10.9-2.3-16.9-2.3c-10.9-0.1-19.5%2C3.2-25.8%2C10c-6.3%2C6.8-9.5%2C15.2-9.5%2C25.2%0A%09%09%09c0%2C11.6%2C3.4%2C20.5%2C10.3%2C26.6c6.9%2C6.1%2C15.5%2C9.2%2C26%2C9.4c6.3-0.1%2C12-2.1%2C17.1-6v3.3h20.2V83C894%2C71.4%2C890.5%2C62.5%2C883.5%2C56.4z%0A%09%09%09%20M872.2%2C127c-5%2C5.1-10.3%2C7.6-15.9%2C7.6c-5.2%2C0-9.4-1.8-12.5-5.5c-3.1-3.7-4.6-7.6-4.6-11.7c-0.1-4%2C1.3-7.5%2C4.3-10.7%0A%09%09%09c3-3.2%2C6.8-4.7%2C11.4-4.7c5.8%2C0%2C11.5%2C0.8%2C17.3%2C2.5V127z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22980.9%2C49.7%20955.6%2C120.2%20929.3%2C49.7%20906.7%2C49.7%20943.6%2C150.3%20924.4%2C199.8%20947.5%2C199.8%201004.4%2C49.7%20%09%09%0A%09%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Dodgers entered the break with a 4.5 game lead in the National League West. The boys in blue have a 51-39 record which is good enough for fourth best in the majors. They’ve been in first place for every day of the first half except for one. Things haven’t been easy for the Dodgers though. Mounting injuries, inconsistent offense, and mediocre play have made things difficult at times for the Dodgers throughout the first half of the season.
Despite all of this, the Dodgers have persevered. They’ve overcome a lot of problems to have a comfortable lead in the NL West. So how have they done it? What are the top five reasons the Dodgers are in first place? Let’s take a look….
Next: Solid Pitching