4 keys to the Dodgers' recent stretch of success ahead of Padres series

Since losing 13-0 to the Cubs on April 21 and falling to 10-11 on the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been on an absolute tear. LA finished off that series by outscoring the Cubs 16-7 over the final two games, and won the first game of the following series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The offense then went cold for a stretch of two games, losing 8-1 and 6-2 to the Pirates. But since then, LA hasn't lost a game. The Dodgers' five-game winning streak was in danger against the Phillies on Wednesday after going down 5-0 early, but they rallied and came back to win 10-6 on a Max Muncy walk-off grand slam.

That being said, even with the two losses in Pittsburgh, the Dodgers are now 9-2 in their last 11 games and carry a six-game winning streak into a divisional clash against the San Diego Padres this weekend. No better time to be this hot.

So what's brought it all together for the Dodgers over the last week and a half?

The Dodgers have played more small ball

Despite ranking 13th in MLB with 21 stolen bases on the season through 32 games, the Dodgers have hit their stride when it comes to base-stealing during the last 10 games. Before the start of Wednesday's games, the Dodgers had stolen 12 bases in 10 games, a far cry from their six stolen bases in the first 21 games of the season. Those 12 stolen bases ranked third in MLB, only behind the Rays (14) and Pirates (21). The Dodgers added more to that tally on Wednesday, when David Peralta, Chris Taylor and Miguel Vargas all stole a base against the Phillies.

The big issue with the Dodgers' offense at the beginning of the season was that it was too home run dependent. When the Dodgers couldn't hit the long ball, they would struggle to win, but things have changed. Besides just stealing more bases, the Dodgers have made contact in the right situations. One game that personified the Dodgers' ability to put the ball in play at the right time was Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Cardinals. The Dodgers scored six runs in that game, but only one run scored as a result of a hit, which was a Chris Taylor RBI double. Three runs scored via RBI groundouts or fielder's choices, one run scored on a wild pitch, and the final run scored via sacrifice fly.

Gotta diversify the scoring portfolio!

The Dodgers' offense has been more consistent

The inconsistency in the Dodgers' lineup was a big issue at the start of the season. In the past few games, though? Not so much. Prior to the last 11 games, the Dodgers had scored nine or more runs three times. In the games immediately after the nine-run performances, the Dodgers averaged 2.0 runs per game and lost two of those three games. But during this span of 11 games, things have changed. Instead of scoring many runs one night and then struggling the next, the Dodgers have carried it over from game to game.

In the last 11 games, the Dodgers have scored nine or more runs four times. In the games immediately following those performances, the Dodgers are averaging 10.0 runs per game. The let-down performance after a big night at the plate just hasn't been there, and it has allowed the streak to keep going. Overall, the Dodgers averaged 6.7 runs per game in their last 10 entering Wednesday, only trailing the Texas Rangers (6.8 runs per game), and that was before the LA put up 10 runs in the series finale against the Phillies. This consistency mainly comes from balanced contributions, which brings us home ...

The Dodgers' lineup depth has shown up

There are so many names to bring up when talking about the Dodgers lineup and its improved depth since the start of the season. The name that stands out the most, however, is Jason Heyward, who was hitting .159 with a .695 OPS to start the season. He had been hitting the ball hard all season and had some unlucky results, but in the final game of the series against Pittsburgh, something clicked for Heyward. He had two hits in that game and hasn't looked back since. Even including an 0-for-3 performance against the Phillies, Heyward has seven hits and three walks in his last 17 plate appearances, including three doubles and a home run.

But it isn't just Heyward. Miguel Vargas had a four-hit game against the Phillies, and followed that up by hitting a two-run home run to cut the Dodgers' deficit from 5-1 to 5-3 on Wednesday. Chris Taylor went hitless in three straight games after his breakout series in Pittsburgh, but Taylor has six hits, three doubles and two stolen bases in three starts since that hitless streak.

While at the beginning of the season it seemed like there were many holes in the Dodgers' lineup for opposing pitchers to target, this recent stretch has proven otherwise. Even Austin Barnes has an RBI in three straight games, including a crucial go-ahead two-run single on Wednesday.

Long story short, if the Dodgers' hitters at the bottom of the order can keep this up, the holes in the lineup will disappear, and they will once again have one of the most feared lineups in all of baseball.