Today’s math lesson

Yes, the momentum has dramatically shifted in the N.L. West. Yes, the Diamondbacks have won seven of their past eight games. Yes, they have gained 2 1/2 games on the Dodgers in the past six days. But no, the Dodgers are not on the verge of blowing this. That isn’t to say they couldn’t still blow it. They definitely could. But the sky isn’t falling just yet. The fact is, the Dodgers still have a two-game lead with six to go, which means they remain firmly in command of this race. If the Dodgers simply play .500 baseball the rest of the way, which means going 3-3, the Diamondbacks will have to go 6-0 to win the division by Sunday or 5-1 and then win a one-game playoff on Monday at Dodger Stadium (where the Snakes have lost six of nine this year). The Dodgers do have to face Jake Peavy and Tim Lincecum. But it’s still going to take one of the biggest collapses of all-time for this to get away.