Sorry, but the best is not in the West

Thank goodness for the Dodgers. The Giants are merely a half-game off the lead the National League West because they’ve gotten fat on division foes, particularly the Dodgers, who are in last place despite the biggest payroll outside the Bronx.

The Giants are 15-6 in their division with series sweeps against the four other teams — a Bay Area trend considering the A’s are 13-3 when playing American League West teams, including 5-1 against the Angels, the same record the Giants have against the Dodgers.

Either these teams were at their best in intradivision play or the two Wests aren’t as deep as advertised. Bruce Bochy and Bob Melvin have talked up their respective divisions, but with all due respect, the best in the game through five weeks is the old standby, the AL East.

And that’s with the trendy pick to win the division, the Blue Jays, in last place.

The Red Sox own the majors’ top record, the Orioles the best record among second-place teams, the Yankees the best among third-place teams. The Rays are a darned scary fourthplace entry, and the Blue Jays aren’t a pushover, no matter how buried they might be in the cellar.

The Yankees and Red Sox, for the longest time baseball’s baddest bullies, were supposed to go away this year. The season opened with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson on the disabled list, Mariano Rivera a questionable asset at 43 after a lost 2012 and Travis Hafner, Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay part of a thrown-together offense.

Well, Hafner, Wells and Overbay are reasons the Yankees win. Similarly, newcomers Mike Napoli, Stephen Drew and Shane Victorino are contributing in Boston, where Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are a combined 10-0. Buchholz is so good (1.60) that he’s being accused of cheating, nothing but a compliment. Good for “our f— city,” in David Ortiz’s words, that the Red Sox are 13-8 since the marathon bombings.

The East was supposed to come down to Rays vs. Jays, but the standings show Red Sox, Orioles and Yankees, 1, 2 and 3. As for the Dodgers and Angels, their dynasties are on hold.