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NL West: 3 storylines to watch down the stretch

Bob Levey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

With five weeks left to play in the regular season, the National League West still remains up for grabs, the San Diego Padres aren't turning things around any time soon, and the Colorado Rockies continue to flounder since dealing away All-Star Troy Tulowitzki.

Between in-state rivalries, award races, and records of futility, there promises to be plenty of drama out West in September. Here are three storylines to watch down the stretch:

Giant slayers

In an age of expanded playoffs and additional wild cards, winning the division has become of paramount importance. Unless, of course, you're the San Francisco Giants. The defending champs survived the one-game play-in last fall en route to their third title in five years, but with an improved Central and unpredictable East, the Giants want to avoid the sudden-death format this time around. Standing in their way are the high-priced Los Angeles Dodgers, which continue to absorb major injuries to key players in their bid for a third straight division pennant. With just one run separating the two clubs in scoring differential and a thin 3 1/2-game Dodgers lead, the battle for the West will likely come down to their head-to-head matchups. Speaking of which, the first of seven games begins Monday in Los Angeles.

Cy Who?

It's been nearly 20 years since an NL team claimed different back-to-back Cy Young winners, but with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, anything's possible. Except maybe hitting them. Greinke stands as good a chance as any pitcher to unseat his teammate from the throne for one season behind his league-leading 1.61 ERA and 0.85 WHIP. Kershaw, however, has done nothing to prevent himself from becoming the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 2001 to win three consecutive Cy Youngs. The overpowering lefty leads all MLB pitchers in WAR, strikeouts, and FIP while fanning at least 10 batters in an NL-leading 10 games. The closer the battle between the two teammates down the stretch, the more likely the Dodgers will indeed slay the Giant.

Rocky Mountain low

Some of the other storylines to watch for down the stretch include Paul Goldschmidt's bid for a batting title and San Diego's attempt at salvaging a .500 record after its offseason makeover. None, however, will be more compelling than watching the Colorado Rockies fight futility. With just over 30 games remaining, the Rockies are in danger of winning their fewest games during a full season in team history. At 52-76 entering play Monday, the Rockies need 12 wins to match their franchise-worst record of 64-98 set in 2012. Colorado is on pace to narrowly best that mark and equal last year's underwhelming 66-win total, but with more than half of its games left against the Giants, Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates, this race is currently too close to call.

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