It’s that time: Dodgers win, 10-8, to leave magic number at 14

Among other things, the Dodgers can win awkwardly. They can win on those exceedingly rare occasions when ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw is something less than brilliant, can win when closer Kenley Jansen gives up a home run and can win when they almost just seem to hang on.

And as a result, it is probably time to consider something that would have been absolutely unthinkable back on June 22 when the Dodgers were 9 1/2 games back in the National League West –- their magic number.

The Dodgers won their fifth consecutive game Monday, finally overcoming and then hanging on to defeat the Colorado Rockies, 10-8, at Coors Field, dropping their magic number to clinch the NL West to 14, with 25 games to play.

With the Arizona Diamondbacks losing, 4-1, to Toronto on Monday, the Dodgers also pushed their lead to a season-high 12 1/2 games –- their largest lead in 36 years.

Andre Ethier led the offense, enabling the Dodgers to survive an 18-hit attack by the Rockies.

Kershaw survived his worst outing of the season, giving up five runs on 11 hits, both season highs, which bloated his earned-run average to 1.89 -- still the best in baseball.

Kershaw never really seemed on his game Monday, giving up three runs in the first inning and then two more in the fifth. Plus, he came into the game 4-3 with a 4.98 ERA for his career at Coors.

Kershaw helped his own cause with two hits and a pair of runs batted in. Ethier went three for four with three RBIs, and Juan Uribe was three for five with three RBIs to lead a 15-hit attack. Ethier also had two doubles, giving him 30 for the year for the seventh consecutive season, the first to manage that in Dodgers history.

The Dodgers helped thwart the Colorado attack by turning four double plays.

The game also featured the Dodgers’ debut of Michael Young, who pinch-hit in the ninth inning and struck out on three pitches, and another scare from Yasiel Puig.

Puig left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with what the Dodgers called a mild right knee strain. He did run home on a sacrifice fly after seemingly injuring the knee sliding into third base after an Adrian Gonzalez single.

The victory pushed the Dodgers (82-55) to 27 games over .500 for the first time this season. They are now on a 52-13 stretch.

Despite his struggles, Kershaw picked up the victory to raise his record to 14-8. Jansen gave up a solo home run to Wilin Rosario in the ninth inning, but settled down to record his 25th save.