Dodgers sure like to hit the road

Everyone likes a little home cookin'. 

The Dodgers apparently prefer to do their eating away from home.

And so it went on Thursday afternoon, as the Dodgers continued to play some really good baseball on the road in a 6-4 win over the Braves.  They also like to pound on the Braves, taking six of seven games from them this season.

Today's win marked the 40th away from home this season, as they're the first in the majors to do so.  It also increased their lead over the Giants in the NL West to 5 1/2 games.

How are the Dodgers getting it done on the road so well?  Take a look at their rankings in all of baseball:

They're first in... hits, triples, and OBP.

They're second in... runs, RBI, and pitching shutouts and strikeouts.

They're third in... total bases, AVG, and OPS.

Not bad.

Seriously, those are all very impressive and encouraging numbers for a team that looks destined for the playoffs.  Considering that went 1-4 on the road last postseason, including a horrendous loss in St. Louis to end the season, this year's squad looks like it can win anywhere.

If you're a big follower of the team like me, then you'll notice how they just look so much more relaxed on the road.  And that leads to more timely hitting to support their excellent starting pitching.  Heck, they're hitting .265 on the road and .252 at home, which is a pretty big difference at this point of the season.

Every team wants to have home field advantage in the playoffs for as long as possible.  Right now, the Dodgers are two up on the Nationals for the #1 seed, with the Brewers lurking right behind at 2 1/2 back.  Oh by the way, the Brew Crew visits LA for three this weekend.  That should be fun.

While the Dodgers would gladly take all those home games, it's good to know that they're the most dangerous road team in baseball right now.  That means if there's a big closeout game or elimination game they're facing on the road, they're more than capable of playing well to win.

The Dodgers have 15 games remaining on the road against the Diamondbacks (2), Padres (3), Giants (3), Rockies (3), and Cubs (4).  In other words, not many big challenges.  I fully expect that road record to stay hot, if not improve.