It’s still early in the season, but I have never, in my 32 years on this Earthly plane, seen the Los Angeles Dodgers play like this.

Ever.

I mentioned earlier that the Dodgers needed to transcend their division mates if they wanted to be taken seriously.

After a swing through the east against the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies and the Florida Marlins, the Dodgers came home to sweep the New York Mets, who came into Dodger Stadium riding a hot streak and in first in the National League East.

They now lead Major League Baseball with a 29-13 record and have an 8½ game lead over the second-place San Francisco Giants. Barring a collapse of tragic proportions, the division has been locked up.

Spearheading the attack has been Juan Pierre and a supporting cast that steps up when needed most.

That’s not to say it has been easy or clean. The bullpen is still a mess. Whenever anybody not named Ramón Troncoso enters the game, it’s tense moments and second-guessing.

The Dodgers need to address this before it becomes a serious issue. Tron can’t come out of the pen every day, and Jonathan Broxton has shown signs of his old self, blowing some games and looking quite shaky.

Meanwhile, Andre Ethier is missing. I’m not kidding. This must be a case of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Allied Artists, 1956) because this is not the same Ethier that was living up to expectations early in the season.

Seriously…what is wrong with that guy?

The good thing is that guys who were struggling earlier, such as Russell Martin and Casey Blake, are finally producing and driving in runs when needed. Even Rafael Furcal is finally showing signs of life.

Oh, hey, we gotta give it up for Randy Wolf. The man has silenced the critics. In fact, I am calling for Dodgers fans to begin a new thing by having Wolf Shirt Night. You know what I’m talking about.

C’mon…what’s cooler than showing up to a Dodgers game wearing a wolf shirt, aviators and rocking some muttons chops?

Yeah, it’s silly, but it’s fun. And, if you’ve been paying attention, the Dodgers have been making this really fun. You can tell they’re really enjoying themselves out there, which is very important for a championship contender and the fans.

Up next for the Dodgers is another very tough test that begins with the Freeway Series against the Anaheim Angels.

Yeah, I said it! The Anaheim freakin’ Angels. They left Los Angeles 43 years ago and have no business laying a claim to Los Angeles.

With the Angels finally recovering after the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart, it should be a terrific series and exam for the Dodgers.

Team/Player Photos: San Francisco Giants v Los Angeles Dodgers on Sep 04, 2010

But, remember, there is only one team in Los Angeles

Go Blue.