Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: Dodgers skidding, but still number one

By Joshua Sadlock

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers holds his head in this hand shortly after leaving the game in the fourth inning during the MLB game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 07: Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers holds his head in this hand shortly after leaving the game in the fourth inning during the MLB game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 04: Robbie Ray #38 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches agaist the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 04: Robbie Ray #38 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches agaist the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
4

Arizona Diamondbacks 82-58

Last week: 10-0
Last rank: 5

Winners of 12 in a row heading into Wednesday night’s game in Los Angeles, the Diamondbacks are shaping up to be the team that no one in the National League wants to run into in the playoffs. Their winning streak includes five straight wins over the Dodgers and a sweep of the Rockies at Coors Field last weekend where they were never seriously challenged.

Arizona is the proverbial “hot team” heading into their Wild Card Game, and they got great news on Tuesday when Paul Goldschmidt’s MRI revealed no structural damage to his elbow. The Diamondbacks have the likely MVP in Goldy, a dominant rotation led by Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray, a slugger homering almost as often as Giancarlo Stanton in J.D. Martinez and a nasty reliever in Archie Bradley.

3

Washington Nationals 86-54

Last week: 7-3
Last rank: 2

Since returning from the DL on August 19, Stephen Strasburg is 2-1 with a 0.67 ERA. The right-hander has allowed two runs and 19 hits with 31 strikeouts in 27 innings of work, including a complete-game shutout of the Marlins. Strasburg has been phenomenal since July, and may have been a contender for the Cy Young were it not for his injury. He has a 1.17 ERA in his last eight starts overall.

Bryce Harper or not, the Nationals have a trio at the top of their rotation that can match up against any team in the league. In a year where Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer have both missed chunks of time with injuries, Gio Gonzalez has emerged as a fringe contender for the Cy Young in the National League. The front office made the right moves at the trade deadline, and the Nationals now have to be viewed as a legitimate World Series contender.

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