Brooklyn's powerful Dodgers moved into a commanding lead over the closely bunched National League during the past week after a long period in which all eight teams played about .500 ball. With two fifths of the season over, only the Giants and Cardinals have a chance to overtake the Brooks.

Charlie Dressen broke the Dodgers on top with top hitting. Jackie Robinson has just dropped below .400 for the first time. Gil Hodges has hit is homers, Peewee Roose, Duke Snider, and Roy Campanella have hit hard and often. Even Cal Abrams was hitting.

But Abrams dropped into a fearful slump at the end of May, leaving left field as serious a problem as third base where the club has had to fall back on Billy Cox. A slow start by right fielder Carl Furllio has hurt slightly. Don Newoombe and Preacher Roe have carried the main pitching load, with some unexpected relief help by Clyde King. If King and Ralph Branca, who has pitched brilliantly recently, hold up the Dodgers will not be caught.

The New York Giants started terribly, losing 11 straight before they started winning. With Sal Maglie turning in the best pitching in the league, the team hustled up to the .500 mark. It has hovered there since.

Hitting has been the big weakness. Only Alvin Dark and Eddie Stanky have been getting on base regularly. Monte Irvin, a good hitting outfielder, was a defensive failure at first base, and Whitney Lockman has started to learn the position while playing it. Slow starts by Larry Jansen and Jim Hearn have further slowed the team. Young Willie Mays, centerfielder up from Minneapolis, has started to hit within the past week and should help greatly.

St. Louis has come up with the two beat pitching prospects of the year, Joe Presko and Tom Poholsky, and three beneficial purchases, centerfielder Peanuts Lowrey from Chicago, shortstop Stan Rojek from Pittsburgh, and third baseman Bill Johnson from the New York Yankees.

But rookie manager Marty Marion has the same trouble as the Giants: only two regulars are hitting. Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst just have not been able to make up for the sudden failure of Country Slaughter, while first and catcher have not been strong spots in the batting order. And the older pitchers, Brecheen, Lanier, Wilks, Pollet, are over the hill.

Boston has surprised nobody except Boston sports writers. The 1947 Giants were a better and faster team, and they did not finish in the first division. The Braves' quartet from that squad, Cooper, Gordon, Marshall, and Kerr, are all well past their primes. Sam Jethroe has proven himself the worst outfielder in years, and the rest of the club has fielded badly and hit rarely.

Only the top pitching has kept the club in the league. Vern Bickford and Warren Spahn have been winning, but Johnny Saln has been losing. Max Surkont has been the Braves' only pleasant surprise.

Philadelphia won the pennant last year, but you couldn't tell by watching this year's club. Only the three outfielders, Dick Sisler, Richie Ashburn, and Del Ehnis have been playing first division ball. Reliefer Jim Konstanty has been mediocre, and Robin Roberts has just pulled even at five and five.

Chicago is the same story: good outfielding, nothing else. Andy Pafko, Hank Sauer, and Frank Baumholtz are pounding the ball, but the infield has only one even faintly bright spot--Dee Fondy, the rookie first baseman.

Cincinnati has the pitching to make the first division, with Ewell Blackwell, Herman Wehmeler, Howle Fox, and Ken Raffensberger; Frank Smith is the top relief hurler of the year. But only Virgil Stallcup and Johnny Wyrostek have hit well so far. If first baseman Ted Kluszewski starts slugging, the Reds have a good chance at third.

Pittsburgh has devised a very peculiar infield--outfielders Ralph Kiner at first and Wally Westlake at third. Only Kiner and right fielder Gus Bell are hitting around .300. The pitching is dismal. It is hard to imagine who could crowd the Pirates out of eighth place.