Defense is the biggest difference in the Dodgers this season

What’s the biggest difference in the Dodgers this year over last? I mean, besides that army in the front office.

Home runs? Lack of speed? Juan Uribe’s missed wardrobe?

Try defense.

Not the sexiest subject, but more often than not, a key one for winning teams.

The Dodgers have gone from being a poor defensive team, to one of baseball’s best. That’s a pretty impressive turnaround in one season.

That change is most obvious up the middle, and was on display again Saturday in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Angels. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins and second baseman Howie Kendrick are vast defensive upgrades over Hanley Ramirez and Dee Gordon.

In the second inning, with Albert Pujols at first after a leadoff single, Erick Aybar sent a hard bouncer up the middle. Kendrick made a sprawling, diving stop, and then while spread out on the infield, flipped the ball to Rollins covering second. Rollins almost turned it into a double play.

“I knew I had it,” Kendrick said. “Sometimes during the day [here], it’s tough to see the ball off the bat. You have to wait a little bit. But I made a good play on it and just kind of flipped it to Jimmy. I just wanted to make sure we got one. That was my whole goal, and we almost got two out of it.”

Carlos Perez then hit another bouncer in the hole, this time Rollins making the diving stop and firing to get the force at second on Aybar.

“Good plays, absolutely,” said Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. “Always welcomed.”

The Dodgers finished last season ranked 23^rd in fielding percentage and 27^th in errors. This year they’re ranked second in both categories.

Rollins and Kendrick, plus the superb defensive play of Joc Pederson in center, have made a major difference.

“We’ve been playing really good [defensive] baseball this year,” Kendrick said. “Hopefully we can continue to do that. That’s what it’s about. Making the outs, making the routine plays. You’re going to make spectacular plays here and there, but you want to try and make all the routine plays.”

Rollins, Kendrick and Pederson are not only doing both of those, but they’re covering more ground than the Dodgers were accustomed. Yasiel Puig also got into the act Saturday, after getting a late jump in the afternoon sun on a Mike Trout drive, making a diving, one-handed catch. Even Kershaw joined the fun, catching an Andrew Heaney bunt attempt in the air and swiftly firing to a covering Kendrick at first for a double play.

“I knew that’s what they wanted to do this year -- improve the defense,” Kendrick said. “That was one of the biggest things.”

And 104 games into the season, it appears a mission accomplished. The Dodgers seldom beat themselves, and sometimes like Saturday, they can even come up with the spectacular.

MORE ON THE DODGERS:

Clayton Kershaw extends scoreless streak to 37 innings in 3-1 win

Joc Pederson out of Dodgers lineup for second consecutive day

Zack Greinke still in top form, leads Dodgers to 5-3 win over Angels