Three reasons why the Dodgers won the NL West

Sep 30, 2008 - 10:15 AM The Los Angeles Dodgers have won one playoff game in the past 20 seasons. For such a glamorous place, Los Angeles hasn't seen many of its teams' stars align, but there's reason to believe this time around.

Manager Joe Torre thrived down the stretch in his first season as manager in Los Angeles. His team turned up the heat at the right time and will get the first crack at denying the Chicago Cubs a World Series title for the 100th year in a row in the National League Division Series, which is slated to begin on Wednesday.

The Dodgers rode to the top in the wild, wild NL West for three reasons.

1. "Manny being Manny." Manny Ramirez took his act to Hollywood and became a star - again.

Criticized for lackluster play and the inability to keep up a positive clubhouse attitude, the suddenly unpopular Ramirez was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Dodgers at the non-waiver deadline on July 31.

Thanks to a .396 batting average, 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games, "Manny being Manny" transformed itself into a living, breathing culture change. The Dodgers out-scored opponents, 135-86, in September and used a collapse by the Diamondbacks to claim the NL West title.

Ramirez gives Los Angeles a legitimate power threat - something it lacked despite the on-going success of young hitters Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney.

Since acquiring the enigmatic slugger, the Dodgers have scored 4.8 runs per game - up from 4.2 before July 31.

2. Starting pitching. Los Angeles doesn't possess a true ace in the mold of Tim Lincecum, Jake Peavy or Brandon Webb like other teams in its division, but there's a reason it was the last club standing.

Derek Lowe continued to be one of the most consistent hurlers in all of baseball, going 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA over 34 starts this season, and young fireballer Chad Billingsley flourished in his first full season as a starter. The 24-year-old righthander posted 16 wins and a 3.14 ERA while striking out 201 batters in 200 2/3 innings.

Hiroki Kuroda, a 33-year-old Japanese rookie, is slated to start Game Three of the NLDS and rightfully so. He turned in a 3.73 ERA and surrendered five or more runs just six times in his 31 starts.

Those three pitchers helped ease the pain of losing Brad Penny for all but 17 starts and covered any blemish promising rookie Clayton Kershaw made while going through his growing pains.

The Dodgers led the NL in team ERA (3.68) and WHIP (1.29), and ranked second in batting average against (2.51).

3. Jonathan Broxton. Many assumed the Dodgers were in serious trouble when closer Takashi Saito went down with an elbow injury in July.

In stepped Broxton, the team's most trusted middle reliever. The burly righthander notched 14 saves in just over two months in the closer's role, and struck out 88 in 69 innings during the season.

Los Angeles' record in one-run games (19-24) was better than just three clubs in the NL, and without Broxton it could've been much worse.