This week was very different than almost every other week this season. The teams in first and last didn't move in the standings despite having weeks that don't reflect their records, while the other three teams switched spots in the standings way to many times to count.
TEAM RECAPS:
Diamondbacks: Arizona was 2-3 this week. The DBacks won their first two games over the Reds before dropping the series finale. The Diamondbacks then flew to Washington D.C. where they lost the first two games of a three game series against the Nationals.
Arizona averaged 4.8 runs per game this past week thanks in part to an 11-5 victory over Cincinnati on June 21. The fact that the DBacks were 2-3 and averaged more runs per game (4.8) than they gave up (4.4) is surprising. But if you don't include that 11-5 victory, the Diamondbacks averaged 3.3 runs per game while allowing on average 4.3 runs per game.
Rockies: Colorado was 2-4 this week. The Rockies had a win/loss sandwich this week. They lost their first two games to the Nationals before winning the final two games of the four game series. Colorado then traveled to Boston where they lost both games.
The Rockies are now 11-13 this month due to inconsistent pitching and hitting. This past week, Colorado scored only a single run in each of the their first two games before scoring seven runs in each of their next two games. In Boston, the Rockies scored four runs in the first game and three in the second.
Giants: San Francisco was 1-6 this week. The Giants nearly got swept by the Marlins, losing games 1,2, and 4 of their four game series. San Fran then traveled to LA where they were swept by the Dodgers.
This week was not good at all for the Giants' offense. They averaged just 2.3 runs per game while the pitching staff gave up an average of 4.1 runs per game. San Francisco scored either one or two runs five times this week. The poor offensive performance pushed the Giants below .500 and from second to fourth place in the division.
Padres: San Diego was 3-4 this week. The Padres won their first two games of the week before dropping two in a row to the Dodgers. SD then won the first game of a three game series with Philadelphia before dropping the last two. The Padres had a shot at finishing 4-3 this week when they were up 5-3 in eighth over the Phillies on June 26, but San Diego blew the lead and eventually lost in the 13th inning.
San Diego's pitching staff had an interesting week due to Clayton Richard. The lefty was pulled from the team's game against the Dodgers on June 22 after just two pitches. As a result, Bud Black had to go to the bullpen for nine innings. This wore them out for the next couple days, and put a little added pressure on the team's starters.
Dodgers: Los Angeles was 5-2 this week. The Dodgers lost their first two games this week to the Padres before winning the final two games of the four game series. LA then came home and swept San Francisco. The Dodgers were the only team in the NL West to have a winning record over the last seven games.
Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig both had monster weeks. Ramirez hit .400 this week with three home runs and seven RBIs while Puig hit .357 with two home runs and three RBIs. Puig's offensive performance on June 24 helped LA defeat SF a day before Ramirez's 2.97 seconds homer off the left field foul pole helped the Dodgers beat the Giants.
WHAT'S IN STORE FOR THESE TEAMS NEXT WEEK?
Diamondbacks: One game against the Nationals, three games against the Braves, three games against the Mets
Rockies: One game against the Mets (make up from 4/17), three games against the Giants, two games against the Dodgers
Giants: Three games against the Rockies, three games against the Reds
Padres: Four games against the Marlins, two games against the Red Sox
Dodgers: Four games against the Phillies, two games against the Rockies
OVERALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK GOES:
Dodgers' infielder Hanley Ramirez:
The infielder hit .400 with three home runs and seven RBI. Ramirez also scored five times, walked three times, and struck out just twice. Over LA's current five game winning streak, Ramirez is hitting .369 with three home runs and six RBIs. The infielder also had an RBI in every game this week except on Thursday June 20.
BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE GOES TO:
Dodgers' pitcher Zack Greinke:
The righty pitched eight innings on June 23 and gave up just one run on four hits. Greinke also struck out eight batters, a season high, while allowing only one walk. It was Greinke's longest outing of the season and started the Dodgers' current five game win streak. In the start before this one, Greinke lasted just five innings after giving up five runs on eight hits.
OVERALL TEAM OF THE WEEK GOES TO:
The Dodgers. Los Angeles was a division best 5-2 this week and swept San Francisco at home after splitting a four game series with San Diego. Just like the Padres last week, the Dodgers' pitching and hitting balance helped them succeed. The offense averaged 3.9 runs per game while the pitching staff allowed on average 3.0 runs per game. The pitching staff also held the Padres and Giants to just a single run on Saturday (June 22), Sunday (June 23) and Monday (June 24).
WORST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK:
Diamondbacks' pitcher Trevor Cahill:
On Tuesday against the Nationals, Cahill gave six runs on eight hits over five innings. This was surprisingly/arguably his second worst start of the season (he allowed eight runs in 3⅔ innings earlier this month). In this particular start, the righty struck out five, walked two, and increased his ERA from 3.92 to 4.29. His ERA was 2.91 at the end of May.