The path to a winning month wasn’t the same as March/April, but the wins still came for the Dodgers in May.

May contained multitudes for the Dodgers, who had their longest winning streak of the season (seven games) and their longest losing streak (five games) during the month. The net result was quite positive, winning 17 out of 27 games.

The Dodgers outscored their opponents by 41 runs through the end of April, and outscored foes by 38 runs in May. But how they got there was a little bit different.

After ranking third in the majors in runs scored per game and ninth in runs allowed per game in the first month, the Dodgers in May was second-best in runs allowed and 11th in runs scored.

May results

17-10 record
120 runs scored (4.44 per game, 11th in MLB)
82 runs allowed (3.04 per game, 2nd in MLB)
.667 pythagorean win percentage (18-9)

Year-to-date results

36-23 record
289 runs scored (4.90 per game, 6th in MLB)
210 runs allowed (3.56 per game, 2nd in MLB)
.642 pythagorean win percentage (38-21)

National League West standing: first place, up 5½ games on San Diego (lead was 4 games over San Francisco at the end of April)

Shohei Ohtani hit .312/.385/.591 during the month, led the National League in wRC+ (179) and tied for the league lead with seven home runs.

Ohtani was also fifth in the majors with eight stolen bases in May. This was after Mookie Betts stole eight bases in April. This year is the first time the Dodgers had someone steal that many bases in one month since Chris Taylor swiped nine bases in June 2017.

Despite Ohtani’s strong month, the Dodgers offense was subpar in May, ranking just 11th in the majors by scoring 4.44 runs per game, down 16 percent from March/April. They were held to three or fewer runs 12 times in 27 games in May, after only seven such times in the first 32 games of the season.

Losing Max Muncy mid-month to an oblique strain hurt, though the return of Jason Heyward (.764 OPS in 32 PA) plus Miguel Vargas (.901 OPS in 14 PA) getting called up helped offset some of that with their solid production in limited duty. But after Muncy last played, on May 15, the Dodgers averaged just 3.71 runs in the final 14 games of the month.

Mookie Betts was still above average for May with a 116 wRC+, but that was a huge drop off after a 215 wRC+ during his otherworldly April that saw him win National League player of the month.

In all, the big three of Betts, Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman hit .284/.358/.482 in May, after a .336/.433/.562 April. Every other Dodgers hitter outside the big three hit .212/.280/.395 in May, after .238/.308/.374 in April.

Miguel Rojas continued to impress at the plate (.746 OPS, 115 wRC+ in May) in a part-time role while playing all over the infield.

Andy Pages struggled in May as pitchers adjusted to him, with a .570 OPS and 63 wRC+ during the month after a 138 wRC+ in April. James Outman was optioned on May 17 after going 2-for-28 with a 43 wRC+ this month.

Veterans Kiké Hernández (58 wRC+ in 59 PA) and Chris Taylor (63 wRC+ in 28 PA) have continued to struggle. Gavin Lux has been perfectly fine defensively at second base and improved in improved offensively in May (.247/.295/.384, 96 wRC+), but he is still below average at the plate with a sub-.300 on-base percentage.

What a relief

Before May was even a week old, the Dodgers lost closer Evan Phillips and right-hander Joe Kelly, after losing Ryan Brasier in the final days of April. But even without those high-leverage relievers, the LA bullpen still managed to post a 2.40 ERA, third-best in the majors during the month.

During the month, Dodgers relievers had the 15th-best strikeout rate (23.4 percent), up a bit from only 21.5 percent in March and April, which ranked 21st in MLB.

Blake Treinen, Daniel Hudson, and Alex Vesia combined to allow three runs (two earned) in 26 innings, with 34 strikeouts against only six walks. All 16 appearances by Treinen and Hudson came in the eighth inning or later.

Michael Grove also tied for the bullpen lead with 14 strikeouts in May to go with his 3.48 ERA.

Everything zen

The Dodgers rotation wasn’t too shabby either, with a 3.23 ERA for the month, averaging 5.78 innings per start. Gavin Stone was the standout in May, allowing only seven runs in his five starts, including four starts allowing zero or one run while lasting at least six innings every time out.

Stone isn’t striking many hitters out this season — his 17.6-percent strikeout rate ranks 89th among major league pitchers with at least 50 innings — but he’s still been effective, including throwing 68 percent of his pitches for strikes during May and a called-strike-plus-whiff rate of 26.7 percent for the month. His improving fastball has helped greatly.

Stone only walked five batters and during the month allowed only five extra-base hits, with opponents batting just .227/.258/.319 to go with his 1.97 ERA and 3.38 FIP in May. He finished out the month by striking out a career-high seven while pitching seven scoreless innings to beat the Mets.

Welcome back

Treinen came back on May 5 after missing all of 2022 and most of the previous two seasons with shoulder injuries, and he has yet to give up a run in his nine appearances, with a 40 percent strikeout rate. His save on May 28 was his first since September 28, 2021.

One day after Treinen’s return, Walker Buehler was back on the mound after his second Tommy John surgery and flexor tendon repair, to pitch in his first game in nearly 23 months. The first two starts were bumpy, which was to be expected, but Buehler ended the month by allowing seven runs (six earned) in 17⅔ innings over his final three starts of the month, with 18 strikeouts and five walks during that time.

The month ahead

After only playing two interleague series in the season’s first two months, the Dodgers have five series and 14 games against American League teams in June, including nine in a row from June 7-16 at the Yankees then at home against the Rangers and Royals. The Dodgers in June have 12 games and four series against National League teams.