Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-Present)

Historical Moments:
1958: The Dodgers play their first game in Los Angeles on April 18th, defeating the newly the also relocated San Francisco Giants 6-5 before 78,672 fans at the LA Memorial Coliseum (a converted football stadium). However the Dodgers first season in LA would end up in a 7th place disappointment with a 71-83 record.

1959: With the reawakened bats of Duke Snider and Gil Hodges, and the fiery pitching of Don Drysdale, the Dodgers are in the thick of the Pennant Race all season long. The late-season pitching heroics of Roger Craig would help the dodgers in key games down the stretch as the Dodgers ended up with an 86-68 record good enough to earn a 1st Place tie with Milwaukee Braves. . The Dodgers won the first playoff game in Milwaukee and captured big league baseball's their first West Coast pennant at home two days later, in the 12th inning. In the World Series the Dodgers are matched up with Chicago White Sox. After being white washed 11-0 in Game 1 the Dodgers faced a 0-2 series deficit down 2-1 in the 7th Inning of Game 2. The Dodgers would rally thanks to homers from Chuck Essegian, and Charlie Neal to take a lead. Larry Sherry would come on hold the lead to send the series tied 1 apiece heading to LA. In Game 3 a record crowd of 92,394 was in attendance at the Coliseum, as the Dodgers won 3-1. The Dodgers would win Game 4 in front of another large crowd with an 8th Inning HR by Gil Hodges. Trying to close things out at home Sandy Koufax was out dueled 1-0. With the series returning to Chicago the Dodgers would not be denied winning 9-3, as Larry Sherry was named World Series MVP.

1960: The Dodgers follow up their first California Championship with a 4th Place finish and an 82-72 record, leaving them 13 games out of the top spot.

1961: The Dodgers fall just 4 games short of the NL Pennant with a solid 89-65 record.

1962: Jackie Robinson makes history again becoming the first black player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Walter O'Malley finally had the stadium he had been seeking for so many years. After four seasons at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Dodgers moved into their new home, Dodger Stadium. The 56,000-seat stadium opened on April 10th against the Cincinnati Reds. The sparkling new venue did wonders for the Dodgers led by Maury Wills MVP season, and Cy Young Don Drysdale. Wills became the first player of the 20th century to steal 100 bases in a season. The Dodgers won 102 games and tied the San Francisco Giants for 1st Place forcing a playoff for the pennant. The playoff must have reminded fans of 1951. As they had then, the Giants and Dodgers split the first two games, and the Dodgers once again brought a 4-2 lead into the ninth inning of Game 3. This time, though, it was not a home run that undid them, but a bases-loaded walk, as the Giants advanced to thee World Series.

1963: The Dodgers won the National League pennant by 6 games helped out by winning 19 games in the final month of the season to post a 99-63 record. Sandy Koufax was the key to the Dodgers championship year. The overpowering left-hander, who was later named Player of the Decade, was 25-5 with a 1.88 ERA and 306 strikeouts. He was selected Most Valuable Player and Cy Young winner, while also garnering World Series MVP honors and was named to the All-Star team. Once again the Dodgers had to face the mighty New York Yankees in the World Series. This time it was no contest as the boys in blue swept the Bronx Bombers, e holding the potent Yankee offense to just 4 runs in 4 games.

1964: Sandy Koufax tosses a No Hitter for the 3rd season in a row, but the Dodgers struggled all season, and finished with a disappointing 80-82, which landed them in a tie for 6th Place.

1965: Cy Young Award winner Sandy Koufax won 26 games, including a then record breaking 4th No Hitter that was also a Perfect Game. With Don Drysdale winning 23 games of his own the Dodgers found themselves in a tight 4-team race that saw them fall behind the San Francisco Giants in early September. However, The Dodgers would take the lead for good h with 13-game winning streak, as the Dodgers won their 3rd Pennant in LA with a 97-65 record. The Dodgers faced the upstart Minnesota Twins in the World Series. After losing the first 2 in Minnesota, the Dodgers returned home for Game 3 desperately needing a win. Claude Osteen provided the boost the Dodgers needed by pitching a complete game shut out. The Dodgers would than go on to win the next two in Dodgers Stadium to head back to Minnesota with a 3-2 lead. However the Dodgers were stunned again in Game 6 by Mudcat Grant's superior pitching, and 3 run Homer that forced a 7th Game. The Dodgers would send Sandy Koufax to the mound for Game 7. Koufax pitched one of the best games of his career pitching a Complete game 3 hit shut out while Striking out 10, as the Dodgers won their 2nd World Championship in 3 years.

1966: The pennant race was just as close as the year before, with 3 teams switching leads throughout the season. However it was the Dodgers again who emerged victorious, putting together winning streaks of 5 and 7 in September to move to the top of the league with a 95-67 record. Sandy Koufax, who won his 3rd Cy Young, clinched the pennant on the final day with his 27th victory. The Dodgers would than go on to face the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. The Dodgers would score a run in the 2nd and the 3rd of Game 1, but managed to lose the game 5-2. The Dodgers would not score another run in the series, encompassing 33 innings of frustration, while losing the final 3 games for the sweep. The Dodgers would be stunned again a few weeks later when 30-year-old Sandy Koufax retired because of early stage arthritis in his pitching elbow.

1967: Without Sandy Koufax the Dodgers struggled all year, and finish in 8th Place with a disappointing 73-89 record.

1968: In a year of spectacular pitching all throughout baseball, Don Drysdale pitches 58 and two-thirds consecutive scoreless innings establishing a new record that would stand for 20 years. However, the Dodgers can only mage a 76-86 season that lands them in a 7th Place tie. Following the season Drysdale, would follow Sandy Koufax's footsteps, by retiring in the prime of his career.

1969: With 2B Ted Sizemore earning Rookie of the Year honors the Dodgers show significant improvement, finishing in 4th Place in the newly formed NL West with an 85-77 record.

1970: The Dodgers finish a distant 2nd to the Cincinnati Reds while posting a solid 87-74 record.

1971: The Dodgers battle the hated San Francisco Giants down to the bitter end of the season before falling 1 game short of the division championship with an 89-73 record.

1972: The Dodgers continue to battle for the NL West but fall 10 and half games short while landing in 3rd place with a record of 85-70.

1973: The Dodgers battle the powerful Cincinnati Reds all season for the top spot in the NL West, but finish in 2nd Place with a solid 95-66 record, that is 13 games better then the Champions in the Eastern Division, who end up battling to Game 7 of the World Series.

1974: The Dodgers, battle the Cincinnati Reds again for the top spot, this time emerging victorious, by 4 games with a 102-60 record. The Dodgers are led by newly acquired veteran OF Jimmy Wynn and 1B Steve Garvey, who in his first full Major League season, led the club offensively winning the NL MVP. Meanwhile, pitcher Mike Marshall set a modern major league record with 106 appearances (which earned him the Cy Young Award) in relief of a staff that was the league's best bullpen. The Dodgers would get past the Pittsburgh Pirates in 4 games of the NLCS to earn their 5th World Series appearance since moving to Los Angeles. In the World Series the Dodgers were the only thing standing in the way of a 3rd Straight World Championship for the Oakland Athletics. After losing Game 1 the Dodgers won Game 2 on a Joe Ferguson's 2-run 6th Inning HR. However, once the series got to Oakland the Dodgers were swept in the final 3 games losing the series in 5 games to dominant A's team.

1975: The Dodgers finish in 2nd Place with an 88-74 record, but finish a full 20 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.

1976: After 23 years at helm, Manager Walter Alston retires with 4 games remaining in the season. He would be replaced by Tommy Lasorda, who himself would manager the Dodgers for 20 seasons. The Dodgers would finish a distant 2nd again with a 92-70 record.

1977: In Tommy Lasorda's first full year at helm, the Dodgers make history when four members of the team hit 30 or more home runs: Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), Ron Cey (30) and Dusty Baker (30). This would spur the Dodgers 98 wins and the Division title. The Dodgers would then go on to beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 4 games of the NLCS to earn a trip to the World Series. In the World Series the Dodgers met up with a failure foe in the New York Yankees. Down 3 games to 1 and facing elimination at home the Dodgers roughed up the Yankees for a 10-4 win to send the series back to New York. However, the Dodgers would fall to Reggie Jackson and the Yanks in Game 6, as Mr. October blasted 3 HRs on 3 pitches off 3 pitchers.

1978: The Dodgers become the first team ever to draw 3 million fans for a season, and would once again win the division with a 95-67 record. In the NLCS the Dodgers would beat the Philadelphia Phillies again in 4 games to earn a trip to the World Series. In the World Series the Dodgers continued the trend of repeat performances by facing the New York Yankees. The Dodgers won the first 2 games highlighted by Rookie Bob Welch's 9th inning strike out of Reggie Jackson in Game 2. In Game 3 the Dodgers hammered the ball al day off Yankee ace Ron Guidry however most of the balls were hit in the direction of 3B Craig Nettles, who brought the Yankees back into the series with his glove. In Game 4 the Dodgers held a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning, but the Yankees would comeback thanks to a controversial play in which a ball that would have been a sure Double Play hit Reggie Jackson in the backside, and allowed the Yankees to pull with in 1 run. The Yankees would later tie the game and win in 10 innings. From there the Yanks would not look back they would go on to take the next two and once again the Dodgers lost in 6 games.

1979: The Dodgers suffer through a disappointing season finishing in 3rd Place with a 79-83 record. Despite the struggles, pitcher Rick Sutcliffe earns Rookie of the Year honors.

1980: With Reliever Steve Howe, becoming the second straight Dodger to capture Rookie of the Year honors, the Dodgers, battle the Houston Astros all season for the NL West Title. The two teams went, back-and-forth battle, before ending the season tied for first with a 92-70 record. This was the 5th 1st place tie for the Dodgers, 3 more than any other club. In the playoff, which was now just one game the Dodgers, were blown out by the Astros at Dodger Stadium.

1981: On Opening Day, Rookie pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is forced to start because of an injury to Jerry Reuss; the Mexican import would shut out the Houston Astros 2-0 and sparked the craze known as "Fernandomania", which would take the baseball world by storm. The exciting young left-hander won both Cy Young and Rookie of the Year honors. One June 15th a player's strike hit while the Dodgers were in first place. After the 2-month strike ended it was determined that the team in first place before the strike would face the team in the division with best record after the strike in a special 5 game playoff at the end of the season. In that playoff the Dodgers would overcome a 2-0 deficit to beat the Houston Astros in 5 games. The Dodgers would then go on to the NLCS to face the Montreal Expos. The Dodgers were staring death in the face again after falling behind 2 games to 1. The Dodgers would win Game 4 to force a 5th in deciding game north of the border. The game would be delayed one day because of rain and would wind up becoming a pitcher's duel between Valenzuela, and Montreal's ray Burris. With the score tied 1-1 in the 9th Inning, Steve Rogers was brought in to pitch for the Expos. After Rogers retired the first 2 Rick Monday would step to the plate and put the Dodgers up for good with a HR. The Dodgers would face the New York Yankees again in the World Series, the 3rd time in 5 years and 11th time since 1941. The Dodgers had only won twice in the previous 10 series, and it looked no different, as the Yankees won the first 2 games, and held a 4-3 lead in the 5th inning of game 3. The Dodgers would comeback scoring two runs in the 5th inning off Reliever George Frazier. The Yankees would take a 6-3 lead in Game 4 but the Dodgers would comeback again off Frazier to knot the series at 2 games apiece. Game 5 would be a classic pitcher's duel between Jerry Reuss and the Yankees Ron Guidry. The Dodgers were trailing 1-0 in the 7th, but won the game with back-to-back homers by Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. The Dodgers would than go on to win the series in 6 games hanging another loss on Frazier thanks to Guerrero's 5 RBI performance to win the World Series. The Dodgers who had battled back all year made history by having 3 players (Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero, and Steve Yeager) named tri-MVP of the series.

1982: Secondbaseman Steve Sax becomes the 4th consecutive Dodger to walk away with the NL Rookie of the Year. It would also be the 11th Dodger (Over-all between Brooklyn, and LA) to win the award since Jackie Robinson first won the first award in 1947. The Dodgers quest for a repeat ended on the final day of the season as the Dodgers finished 1 game out of 1st with an 88-74 record.

1983: Without long-time Dodgers Steve Garvey and Ron Cey, who both left for free agent deals, a younger Dodger team won the division, posting a strong 91-71 record. However the Dodgers would go on to lose the NLCS in 4 games to the Philadelphia Phillies, a team they beat 11 out of 12 times during the regular season.

1984: The Dodgers struggle most of the season, and finish with a disappointing 4th Place 79-83 record.

1985: On April 25th, Fernando Valenzuela set a major league record for consecutive innings at the start of the season without allowing an earned run with 41 before the San Diego Padres ended the streak. The Dodgers would go on to win 95 games en-route to the division title. In the NLCS the Dodgers would face the St. Louis Cardinals in the first NLCS that would be a best of 7 series. The Dodgers and Cardinals split the first 4 games, with Dodgers winning the first 2 in LA and the Cardinals rebounding to take the next two in St. Louis. In Game 5 the Dodgers would be stunned as Tom Niedenfuer gave up a Walk Off 9th Inning Homer to light hitting SS Ozzie Smith. The Dodgers would seem set to rebound in Game 6 as they lead the Cardinals by a score of 5-4, when Niedenfuer ended up being the goat again giving up a 3-run homer to Jack Clark in the top of the 9th that gave the Cards the lead for good.

1986: The Dodgers struggle with injuries all season long, starting with a knee injury to Pedro Guerrero in Spring Training, and narrowly avoid finishing in last place with a 73-89 record.

1987: The Dodgers struggle again and finish with 73-89 for the second season in a row this time landing in 4th Place. Following the season the Dodgers would make a big splash by signing Free Agent OF Kirk Gibson.

1988: The signing of Kirk Gibson would prove to be key, as the Dodgers were in 1st Place much of the season. Down the stretch the team seemed to get stronger as Pitcher Orel Hershiser broke Don Drysdale's 20-year old record by recording 59 consecutive scoreless innings. The Dodgers would go on to claim the NL West tile with a 95-67 record, as Gibson won the NL MVP, and Hershiser won the Cy Young. In the NLCS the Dodgers would face the New York Mets, who they beat only once during the regular season. Trailing 4-2 in the 9th Inning of Game 4 the Dodgers stared a 3-1 series deficit in the face. However, thanks to a 2-run HR from Mike Scioscia the Dodgers took the game into extra inning where Orel Hershiser nailed down the win after Kirk Gibson hit a game winning HR in the 12th. Gibson would provide more thunder in Game 5 to send the series back to LA with the boys in blue up 3-2. After the Mets won Game 6, Orel Hershiser blanked the Mets 6-0 to win NLCS MVP honors, and send the Dodgers on to the World Series. The Dodgers would face the Oakland Athletics in the World Series, and would be heavy underdogs yet again. If the Dodgers were to win the World Series they were going to have to do it without Kirk Gibson who could barely walk, let alone run. In the 9th Inning of Game 1 the A's held a 4-3 lead with 2 outs and had ace closer Dennis Eckersly on the mound. He would have the Dodgers down to their last out with 1 on, when Kirk Gibson was brought off to bench to hit. Gibson limped, to the plate after he convinced Tommy Lasorda that he could handle the Pinch Hitting. After every painful swing it was clear that Gibson was over matched, and in too much pain to help the Dodgers. After each painful swing he would grimace in pain. Eckersly appeared ready to put him away and give the A's the first game of the series, when the unexpected happened. Gibson was able to get just enough power on his swing to hit the ball over the Right Field wall and give the Dodgers a 5-4 win. In perhaps one of the most dramatic moments Gibson won the game despite playing on 2 bad knees and limped slowly around the bases. It would be Gibson's only World Series at-bat, and he would not be needed again. The Dodgers would use this game and the superior pitching of World Series MVP Orel Hershiser who won 2 games to win the series in 5 games.

1989: Orel Hershiser, whose 15-15 record belied another strong season on the mound, led a Dodgers pitching staff that yielded the fewest runs in the majors; but with an offense last among major league clubs in scoring runs, the Dodgers could finish no better than fourth in the West with a 77-83 record.

1990: Orel Hershiser's season ended almost as soon as it began when he underwent shoulder surgery in late April, but young Ramon Martinez took up the slack, winning 20 games. With a revived offense that topped the NL West in runs scored, the Dodgers bounded back from a slow first half to draw within 3.5 games of the Cincinnati Reds in late September. The Dodgers would finish second, 5 games out with an 86-76 record. "Fernandomania" also had one last hurrah as Fernando Valenzuela pitched his first career no-hitter on June 29th vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, just hours after Oakland A's ace Dave Stewart No Hit the Toronto Blue Jays this was the first time in the 20th Century two No Hitter were thrown on the same day.

1991: From early May to late August, the Dodgers occupied first place in the NL West, paced by the majors' stingiest pitching staff and the hot bats of free-agent acquisitions Brett Butler and Darryl Strawberry. However, the team never enjoyed more than a 6-game lead, and with 7 straight losses after the All-Star break; the Dodgers began their descent. From August 21st through season's end the Dodgers and Atlanta Braves stayed within 2 games of each other. With 4 games to go, Los Angeles held a one-game lead, but after they lost their next 3 games, the Dodgers had to settle for 2nd Place with a 93-69 record.

1992: Unable to parry the twin blows of injury and inexperience, the Dodgers stumbled to the worst record in the majors with 99 loses and finished last for the first time in 87 years. A loan bright spot for the Dodgers was Eric Karros, who won the Rookie of the Year beginning a 5-year-run of Dodger rookies receiving the award.

1993: Mike Piazza, a 62nd round pick in 1988, set multitudes of new Dodger records in his rookie year as he batted .318, with 35 HR and 112 RBI. His 35 home runs were the most ever by a rookie catcher in the major leagues, breaking the old mark of Matt Nokes. As a tribute to how dynamic his rookie season was, the NL voted him player of the week three times, which led the NL. He became the fourth rookie catcher to be named to an All-Star Game, and his last two home runs disintegrated the Dodgers' arch rival San Francisco Giants' hopes of winning the National League West. Meanwhile, with Piazza winning Rookie of the Year the Dodgers finished in 4th Place with an 81-81 record.

1994: Raul Mondesi became the 3rd straight Dodger to win the Rookie of the Year by batting .306 with 63 runs, 16 home runs, 56 RBI, and a 16 outfield assists that led the majors. He also led the team with 27 doubles, 224 total bases, and 133 hits. The Dodgers struggled to keep their record above .500, but their 58-56 record, while only the league's fifth best, was good enough for a 3.5 game lead over runner-up San Francisco in the weakened NL West when the strike ended the season August 12th.

1995: The Dodgers 4th straight rookie of the year was Japanese sensation Hideo Nomo. Nicknamed "The Tornado", Nomo paced the NL with 236 strikeouts and led the Dodgers to the NL West division title by just one game over the power-hitting Colorado Rockies with a 78-66 record. However, in the NLDS, the Dodgers are swept by the Cincinnati Reds in 3 straight games.

1996: In a year that will be remembered as a year of great change Tommy Lasorda retired as Dodger manager after 20 years, after suffering a mild heart attack on June 23rd. Bill Russell took over for the remainder of the season leading the team into the post-season for the second consecutive year, as the NL's Wild Card with a 90-72 record. Meanwhile, Todd Hollandsworth became the unprecedented 5 straight Rookie Of The Year, capping an amazing streak begun in 1992. However, the Dodgers would be swept again in the NLDS this time by the Atlanta Braves.

1997: Mike Piazza continued to rewrite the record books with new career highs in batting average (.362) and home runs (40), both Los Angeles records, while Chan Ho Park emerged as a star winning a then-career high 14 games. The Dodgers and San Francisco Giants battled it out throughout the summer with the Giants edging the Dodgers, who finished with an 88-74 record, for first place by two games. At season's end there would be even more change as the Dodgers would no longer be owned by an O'Malley. Peter O'Malley the son of Walter would sell the team in the off-season to Communications Magnate Rupert Murdoch, whose many holdings include the Fox Network.

1998: Rupert Murdoch did not make many fans in his first season as Dodgers owner trading fan Favorite Mike Piazza along with Todd Zeile were traded to the Florida Marlins for Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Eisenreich and Charles Johnson. Piazza a Free Agent at season's end was begging to appear to be too expensive to keep. To make matters worse for LA Piazza was shipped to the Mets a week later. The trade made the Mets one of the top teams in the NL while the Dodgers were stuck n the middle of the pack despite having one of the highest payrolls. The Dodgers who would fire Bill Russell in the middle of the season would end up in 3rd Place with an 83-79 record.

1999: The Dodgers bring in Davey Johnson to manage the club, and trade for catcher Todd Hundley. Neither deal works out as the Dodgers struggle all season and finish in 3rd Place with a disappointing 77-85 record.

2000: Gary Sheffield put together one of the best offensive performances in Dodger history, batting .325 and leading the Major Leagues in home runs through much of the summer. For the second straight season, Sheffield batted over .300 with at least 30 home runs, 100 runs batted in, 100 walks and 100 runs, becoming the first Dodger ever to do so twice. He established a new Los Angeles team benchmark for home runs in a season and tied Duke Snider's franchise record of 43 home runs, making the All-Star Team for the third time in as many years as a Dodger. However, the Dodgers would finish no better then 2nd Place with an 86-76 record. Following the season Manager Davey Johnson is dismissed, along with Catcher Todd Hundley, who failed miserably in his attempt to replace Mike Piazza. While the season was wrapping up a familiar face was in Sydney, Australia for the Olympics Leading a team of Minor League Prospects, and castoffs, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda wins the Olympic Gold Medal in Baseball, at Olympics in Sydney, Australia. A Gold Medal Game upset over the powerful Cuban National Team highlights the run.

2001: Despite demanding a trade and sulking all season Gary Sheffield has another spectacular season with 36 HR, and 100 RBI. Meanwhile Shawn Green, who struggled in his first season in LA, came up big in year 2 with 49 HR, and 125 RBI. With the power of Sheffield, and Green the Dodgers remain in the race until September before fading and finishing in 3rd Place with an 86-76 record. Following the season the Dodgers would give Sheffield his wish trading him to the Atlanta Braves for OF Brain Jordan, and pitcher Odalis Perez.

2002: Despite early offensive struggles and a various string of injuries to Kevin Brown the Dodgers are in contention all season for both the NL West and Wild Card finishing just 3 games short of the playoffs while finishing in 3rd place with a solid 92-70 record. Along the way Eric Gagne became one of the most dominant closers in baseball while Kazuisha Ishii and Odalis Perez led one of the strongest starting staffs in the NL. Starring on offense was Shawn Green who broke out of an early season slump by smashing 4 HR in a May 23rd games against the Brewers in Milwaukee adding a double and a single to set the single game total bases record of 19.

2003: The Dodgers had the top pitching staff in all of baseball with an impressive team ERA of 3.16. However at the plate the Dodgers had perhaps the worst hitting team in all of baseball scoring a Major League worse 574 runs on the season. The Dodgers hitting woes would land them quickly in a hole in the NL West, as they were 10 games out of first by the end of April. However the Dodgers would make a run and would catch the San Francisco Giants in time for a3-game series on June 23rd. However the Dodgers would lose 2 out of 3 as the Giants pulled out to a double-digit lead again, as the Dodgers hitting continued to struggle. Among the biggest disappointments was Shawn Green who only had 19 homers. Despite the power outage the Dodgers would stay in the race for the Wild Card until the end of the season as their bullpen led by Eric Gagne who was a perfect 55 for 55 in save opportunities made sure every late inning lead held up. However, the Dodgers would not be able to catch the Florida Marlins for the wild card as they ended the season in second place with an 85-77 record.

2004: Eric Gagne was dominant out of the bullpen again as he continued his save streak into July before blowing a 2-run 9th inning lead against the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 5th totaling 84 straight saves over nearly a 2 year period. Gagne would go on to win the Fireman again with 45 saves in 47 opportunities. July would be a big month for the Dodgers as they won 21 of 28 games to take the lead in the NL West, battling the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres the rest of the way. With the hopes of bolstering the team the Dodgers added Steve Finley at the trade deadline, but in a move that seemed questionable they would deal Paul LoDuca and Juan Encarnacion to the Florida Marlins for Hee Seop Choi and Brad Penny. Benny would suffer an arm injury in just his second start with the Dodgers and would go on to make just one appearance the rest of the way. However the Dodgers were able to stay in the race thanks to Adrian Beltre who finally delivered the numbers the Dodgers expected out of him leading the NL in homers with 48. As September wore on the Padres would fall off and the race would come down between the Dodgers and the Giants. On the next to last week of the season the Dodgers went into San Francisco and took 2 out of 3 and went into the final week holding their own destiny as the Giants need to sweep the Dodgers in Los Angeles just to force a playoff. After losing the first game the Dodgers won the Western Division in dramatic fashion as Steve Finley capped a 7-run 97th inning rally with a Grand Slam to give the Dodgers a 7-3, as the Dodgers posted a solid 93-69 record. In the playoffs the Dodgers would face the St. Louis Cardinals and would get off to a rocky start as they dropped the first two games by identical 8-3 scores continuing their postseason losing streak to 8 games. The Dodgers would finally break through in Game 3 as the series shifted to Los Angeles as Jose Lima blanked the Cardinals 4-0. However it was too little too late as the Cardinals wrapped up the series in 4 games with a 6-2 win. Following the season the Dodgers would go through several changes as they lost Adrian Beltre to Free Agency, while trading away Shawn Green to the Diamondbacks. While signing J.D. Drew, Jeff Kent and Derek Lowe to big Free Agent Deals.

2005: Despite a division championship in 2004 the Dodgers were a radically different team when they took the field in 2005, and it appeared to be a good mix at the start of the season as the Dodgers won 12 of their first 14 games, on the way to a terrific 15-8 record for April. However, as May began the Dodgers began to show cracks as Eric Gagne was lost to an elbow injury, while Duaner Sanchez and Yhency Brazoban filled the closer role solidly. However, the Dodgers offense would begin to sputter as J.D. Drew who had a history of injuries before the Dodgers signed him played in just 72 games, while Jeff Kent was seemingly the Dodgers only source of offense as his 105 RBI was 42 better than Omedo Saenz who had the second highest total on the team, as the Dodgers posted a losing record for the month. In June things only got worse as the Dodgers slipped below .500, and slid down the Western Division standings, leading Dodgers fans to vocally call for the firing of GM Paul DePodesta. After entering the All-Star Break with a 40-48 record the Dodgers continued to struggle in the second half as they lost 4 of their first 5 games as they were never a factor in the chase for the NL Western Division Title despite all 5 teams being below .500 much of the season, The Dodgers would eventually finish the season in 4th Place with a terrible record of 71-91. Following the disappointing season Dodgers fans would get their wish as GM DePodesta was fired and replaced Nick Colleti, while Manager Jim Tracy was also shown the door being replaced by former Boston Red Sox Manager Grady Little.

2006: Coming off their disappointing season the Dodgers completely retooled as they focused more on team speed as they signed free agent SS Rafael Furcal away from the Atlanta Braves, while young prospects like Andre Eithier, Matt Kemp and Russell Martin were given plenty of playing time. With Eric Gagne starting the season on the Disabled List the Dodgers experienced an early blow as Yhency Brazoban was lost early to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. Gagne would return in May, but continued elbow pain forced him to the sidelines again after just two games. Meanwhile Danys Baez acquired from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to provide back up for a recovering Gagne struggled blowing 7 of 16 save opportunities with a 4.35 ERA. Despite all the troubles with the pen, and their youthful lineup the Dodgers stayed in the NL West race as they entered the All-Star Break with a 46-42 record. Coming out of the All-Star Break the Dodgers struggled badly losing 13 of 14 games as they landed in last place. However, just as suddenly as the losing streak began the Dodgers reversed course and caught fire as they acquired 300-game winner Greg Maddux from the Chicago Cubs for Cesar Izturis to anchor the starting rotation, winning 11 in a row and 17 of 18 as they climbed from last place all they way to first place in the tightly bunched NL West. The Dodgers would play well the rest of the season partly thanks to Takashi Saito a 36-year old from Japan who in his first season in America notched 24 saves in 26 opportunities with a 2.07 ERA, as Manager Grady Little labeled him a "God Send". The Dodgers would stay in the race for the NL West until the end of the season as they battled the San Diego Padres a team struggled against all season winning just 5 of 19 match ups. However, one September win over the Padres was extra memorable as they trailed 9-5 entering the 9th Inning, when Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson hit four consecutive home runs to tie the game. After the Padres re-took the lead in the 10th Normar Garciaparra the NL Comeback Player of the year won the game 11-10 with a two run homer. The Dodgers would end the season hot winning their last seven games to finish with an 88-74 record, but their 5-14 record against the Padres cost them the division title as they settled for the Wild Card. In the NLDS against the New York Mets the Dodgers stumbled early as Kent and Drew were thrown out at home on the same play, short-circuiting a potential big inning, as the Mets took the opener 6-5. In Game 2 Dodgers bats were silenced by Tom Glavine as the Dodgers managed just four hits in 6 innings, while the Mets bullpen took over and continued to dominate as the Mets won 4-1. Needing a win as the series shifted to LA the Dodgers found themselves in an early hole trailing 4-0 after 3 innings. The Dodgers would erase the deficit on a 5th Inning homer by Jeff Kent, as they rallied to take a 5-4 lead. However it would be a short-lived lead as the Mets offense came roaring back with three runs in the 7th on the way to completing the sweep with a 9-5 win.

2007: Coming off their division championship the Dodgers entered the season hoping they could take a step further in the postseason. For much of the first half things looked good for the Dodgers as they were in first place or near first place much of the first half, while holding the best record in NL at 54-41 on July 18th, having sent three players Brad Penny, Takashi Saito, and Russell Martin to the All-Star Game. However, a weekend in which they lost three of four to the New York Mets seemed to be the turning point of the season as the Dodgers went into a prolonged slump losing 18 of their next 25 games, falling seven games out of first. The Dodgers would rebound as August came to close; crawling back with in a game and half of the top spot, but September would bring more pain as the Dodgers squabbled amongst themselves and fell out of the race landing in fourth place with a mediocre record of 82-80. Following the season the Dodgers would openly court the possibility of a managerial change as they expressed an interest in Joe Torre, who was ending a highly successful tenure with the New York Yankees. Eventually Manager Grady Little would see the writing on the wall and resign, as Torre signed a 3-year contract worth $13 million.