In a game that ended at 2:15 am West Coast time [I actually went to bed when the game was just starting at 11:15 pm] the Giants beat the Dodgers, increasing the Phils 1.1 lead over SF to 1.5 games.
Probably not getting much discussion on the East Coast but this was the Dodgers 11th straight loss, and 16 of their last 17, an unprecedented stat for team that was doing so well...which leads me to the topic of team chemistry.
While we have all marveled at the Dodgers depth and strength in numbers, its also true that the more good players you have, the more good players are sitting, and the more they sit the more unhappy they become.
Simply put, the additions of Granderson and Darvish, as well as all the relievers the Dodgers picked up in late July, seemingly added top talent to an already deep club. But it also sent to the bench players who had been contributing all year, and in some cases, said players were either released or sent down.
This has caused a ripple affect with the team, one that has caused what was a very tight clubhouse to become somewhat divided. Ironically, whats happening is that with all the additions to their roster, and with all their formerly injured guys back in action [Kershaw, Hill, Gonzalez, Ethier] there are some very good players who helped the team get to 91-36 who are now on the bench, and they are unhappy with this situation.
Will it ultimately derail them? Hard to say but the Nats look strong, the Cubs are still the Cubs, and both the D'backs and Rockies feel that right now they are BOTH better teams than the Dodgers.
It is a tale worth noting in the future when top teams decide they must almost overflow with talent. Looks good on paper, but not so much in the clubhouse.
