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LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers are in rare territory, putting up jaw-dropping numbers while piling up victories and commanding a 7 1/2-game lead in the NL West. Ahead or behind, against NL or AL teams, the Dodgers are rolling merrily along, owning an eight-game winning streak and undefeated in their last 16 series. They open a seven-game road trip at Philadelphia on Friday, when theyll try to equal the clubs longest winning streak since winning nine in a row from May 9-18, 2010. "Were coming in with great attitude and a little bit of swag," utility player Nick Punto said. That wasnt the case nearly two months ago for a team whose $215 million opening day payroll carried huge expectations. They were 30-42 on June 22 and manager Don Mattingly was on the hot seat. Since that date, the Dodgers own the majors best record at 40-8. Its the franchises best 48-game run in the modern era and the tops in the majors since the 1942 Cardinals went 41-7 from Aug. 11-Oct. 1. Los Angeles is 70-50 overall. "It doesnt matter who theyre throwing or what lineups Donnie has made," catcher A.J. Ellis said. "We have confidence." It shows, especially in one-run games. The Dodgers have won a franchise-record 12 in a row, going 19-11 in such contests this season. They havent lost a one-run game since June 10 against Arizona. The team rallied from a four-run deficit to beat the Mets 5-4 on Wednesday. A franchise that has missed the playoffs for the last three years and hasnt been in the World Series since winning it in 1988 has been installed by Las Vegas bookmakers as the favourite to win it all. "Theyre playing great defence, theyre pitching like crazy and theyre coming up with big hits," said Mets manager Terry Collins, whose team got swept on Wednesday. "And you dont have to play much better if youre doing all those things." Five reasons the Dodgers have turned themselves into a first-place team: 1. PUIG AND RAMIREZ: The teams improbable run began about three weeks after outfielder Yasiel Puig got called up in early June. He leads the club with a .368 batting average, and has 11 homers and 27 RBIs. The 22-year-old Cuban defector has imbued the Dodgers with a passion, on and off the field, that they sorely lacked to start the season. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez is close behind, hitting .360 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs. He returned Wednesday for the first time since hurting his shoulder against the Cubs on Aug. 4. 2. PITCHING: Ace Clayton Kershaw and veteran Zack Greinke are leading the rotation, with South Korean Hyun-Jin Ryu putting up solid numbers, too. Kershaws 11-7 record is merely average due to a lack of run support (the team has scored just 10 runs in those losses), but his stellar ERA of 1.88 leads the majors. Greinke is 7-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 10 starts since June 22, when the Dodgers tied for the fourth-worst record in baseball. Ryu is quietly making a bid for rookie of the year, with the left-hander ranking among the NL leaders in wins (12), winning percentage (12-3, .800) and ERA (2.91). 3. DEEP BENCH: The bench includes veterans who have played on championship teams but now dont get to play every day. Punto filled in for Ramirez and hit .450. Jerry Hairston Jr., Skip Schumaker and Juan Uribe serve as reliable pinch hitters or double switch candidates. Their voices have gotten louder in the clubhouse as theyve grown comfortable in their roles, even if its just providing comic relief at times. "Theres a lot of characters in this clubhouse," Punto said. "Theres a lot of ribbing going on all day long." 4. BULLPEN: Closer Kenley Jansen has stabilized the bullpen, converting 12 consecutive save chances although he allowed a run Tuesday against the Mets for the first time since July 23. The reliever corps is 11-1 with 18 saves in 19 opportunities since June 22. Ronald Belisario, Brandon League, new Dodger Carlos Marmol and Paco Rodriguez have all played key roles in setting up Jansen. 5. WAITING IN THE WINGS: The Dodgers have extra firepower just waiting to join them. Newly signed reliever Brian Wilson should be with the club by the weekend after rehabbing in the minors. Slugger Matt Kemp could be back by the end of the month from a sprained left ankle. Hes played in just 11 games during the Dodgers historic run, and only one since the All-Star break because of injuries that have resulted in three stints on the disabled list.Patrick Kerney Seahawks Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. http://www.seahawksfansofficial.com/phil-haynes-jersey/ . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Cody Barton Seahawks Jersey . It might not have mattered. While the Dodgers are preparing for the playoffs, the Padres showed their future has promise behind two rookies. Chris Carson Jersey . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.Shortly after Michael Bisping agreed to defend his unlikely middleweight title in a rematch with Dan Henderson, he sat down with his wife to watch the fighters first bout seven years ago at UFC 100.It doesnt take much to get Bisping riled up, and that defeat still does the trick.Its embarrassing as hell when I watch that first fight, Bisping said. Im skinny as hell. Im so skittish. Im mentally, physically beaten in that fight. I was just, `Oh God, turn this off. I wanted to watch it, but it didnt resemble me at all. Thats not how I fight. I was disgusted with my performance. I was embarrassed. It was horrible. But we all have it. We all have bad nights at the office. It was a good night for Dan, and it was a bad night for me.He didnt even have to mention the ending: Henderson literally knocked out Bisping with one spectacular right hand, and he punctuated it with a flying elbow onto Bispings defenseless face on the ground. Its one of the most memorable stoppages in UFC history, and its the main reason Bisping eagerly agreed when the UFC offered him a chance to make it right.Bisping (30-7) is back in his native northern England to take on the 46-year-old Henderson (32-14) in the main event of UFC 204 this weekend, making his first defense of the belt that he won at UFC 199 in June with a stunning victory as a late replacement opponent for fearsome Luke Rockhold.Dana White called me, and I was still hung over from that fight, Bisping said. They were thinking Dan Henderson. I said, `Absolutely. Line him up. Ill knock him down. ... He knocked me out. I want revenge. He was on steroids, and now I get to shut him up.The 37-year-old Bisping grew into a successful broadcaster and actor even before he upset Rockhold to claim the belt, but he remains one of mixed martial arts most polarizing fighters. Many fans love his trash talk and humor in his broad Lancashire accent, whhile others despise his bravado and cockiness.ddddddddddddNobody can argue about Bispings fight promotion skills, and he has aggressively sold this seeming mismatch with Henderson, who has lost six of his last nine fights and has claimed hell retire after this one.Bisping and Henderson have needled each other for weeks, with Bisping coming down hard on Hendersons sanctioned use of testosterone replacement therapy before their first bout. Bisping also refers to Henderson as Captain Caveman, Fred Flintstone. Whatever you want to call him, you can see he is a throwback to the Neanderthal man.I dont even see this fight as a rematch, to be honest with you, because the two versions of ourselves are so completely different, Bisping added. Im much better. Ive improved mentally and physically. Dan Henderson, hes the opposite. Hes not on the steroids. Hes older. Look at the muscle mass he had in that first fight compared to now. Its like two different fighters.Bisping expects to have the English crowd behind him when he fights early Sunday morning -- the UFC schedules its pay-per-view fights to run in the U.S. markets prime Saturday night viewing hours. After a night of carousing and cheering, the fans will be more than ready for Bisping, who now lives in Orange County, California.The card from 21,000-seat Manchester Arena, which sold out almost immediately, also features veteran Vitor Belfort against Gegard Mousasi, along with bouts for light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux and heavyweight Stefan Struve.I just think there will be more fights in the crowd than there will be in the octagon, Bisping said. But Ill be prepared. Fighting in your hometown brings massive pressure. I dont just want to be one-and-done. Fortunately, I thrive under pressure. ' ' '