It’s safe to say that with 36 games remaining in the regular season, the brief six-game homestand that the Dodgers kickoff tonight against the Chicago Cubs and then the San Francisco Giants is crucial for the NL West leaders. But it’s even safer to say that with the Dodgers nursing a 2.5-game lead over those same Giants, the next six games could very well be the most important games of the season for Don Mattingly’s team.

While each of the 162 games that make up the season are important for the Dodgers, the three against the Cubs this weekend followed by the three against the Giants are basically must-win games. Oh sure, the Dodgers will still have 30 games remaining when they head down to San Diego next Thursday, but they could find themselves well ahead of the Giants when they do … or well behind them.

The Cubs limp into Dodger Stadium having lost two of three to the Giants – this after having won six in a row and 15 of their last 20, which has them solidly in second place in the NL Wild Card standings a full 5.5 games ahead of the Giants. As such and with the Cubs playing exceptionally well right now, it is imperative that the Dodgers take at least two of three against them this weekend.

The Good news is that the Dodgers will send defending 2014 NL MVP and Cy Young award-winner Clayton Kershaw (10-6, 2.29 ERA) to the mound in tonight’s series opener opposite Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel (7-5, 3.35 ERA).

The Dodgers split two of four with the Cubs at Wrigley Field in June. They will have to do better than that this weekend at Dodger Stadium. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

The bad news is that they follow with Mat Latos, who has yet to win a game as a Dodger in three tries while carrying a pedestrian 6.75 ERA. He will oppose Cubs left-hander Jon Lester, who is 8-6 with a 3.44 ERA. And then on Sunday Dodgers newcomer Alex Wood, who is 2-2 with a 4.34 ERA since joining the team, will square off against Cubs right-hander and lead dog Jake Arrieta, who has an MLB-best 16-6 record – which is tied with Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner who the Dodgers will most likely face on Tuesday.

And of course every head-to-head game against the Giants is monumentally important in the NL West standings and, again, taking two of three is imperative. In fact, if the Dodgers hope to match their 94-68 record of last year – when they won the NL West a full six games ahead of the Giants – they will have to win two out of three (or three out of four) in each of their remaining 11 series – a difficult task at best.

Are the two series this homestand the two biggest of the season? Maybe, maybe not. But considering that 13 of the Dodgers remaining 36 games are on the road where they are 28-36 on the season and a full eight games under .500, their need to win at home becomes even more important.

It’s crunch time, boys.