Cody Snavely
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been reeling over the last month, having their nine-game lead evaporate in the National League West, making it a much tighter race in the final stretch of the regular season.
They had another opportunity to claim the top record in the National League but failed to muster anything in their three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, dropping two of three after being swept at Citizens Bank Park before the break.
However, this recent series loss hits much more than when the top two National League teams clashed in Philly for three reasons. One, you let a team come to your ballpark, a stadium where you have had plenty of success this season, and get dominated all but one game.
Two, you let a team not only win the season series since the Phillies have now beaten the Dodgers in five of the six games played but also gave them fire after Nick Castellanos was hit by a pitch, which promoted the Phillies to hit second baseman Gavin Lux in retaliation.
Third, despite Dave Roberts getting ejected for the first time in 2024 on a terrible obstruction call by third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt on Miguel Rojas in the sixth inning, which didn’t light a single flame in the hearts of any of these players, minus Rojas.
While the team does have superstar players and perennial MVP chasers in Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani, along with great teammates in Teoscar Hernández, Will Smith, and others, what the team truly lacks is players who will not only hold themselves and the team accountable but also defend their teammates in a situation similar to what transpired in the 8th inning last night.
Long gone are the days when the Dodgers from 2013-2019 had numerous players such as Chase Utley, David Freese, Adrián González, Clayton Kershaw (before his dad era), and even young fiery players like Alex Verdugo, who would take exception by that hip by pitch.
For context, during yesterday’s game, right-handed pitcher Michael Grove, making his first appearance since mid-June after being activated off the 15-day injured list prior to the game, went up and in on Castellanos. Given the situation being a 1-2 count, it was nowhere near intentional, but Castellanos took grievance to it, and so did the Phillies, as later in the game, they would hit Gavin Lux with an up-and-in pitch.
Lux and Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm would stare down each other, but nothing else would come up, as no one in the Dodgers dugout had anything to say.
While I could be blowing things out of proportion, I am not alone in this thinking. Dodger Talk host David Vassegh shared these thoughts as well, going as far as to say that Grove, in the 9th inning, should have hit Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, who was already three-for-three on the night with six RBIs.
The Dodgers have the day off on Thursday, but with a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates up next and a seven-game road trip against the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals, the players have to step up for themselves, each other, and the team. While only clinging on to a three-game lead in the division, the players have to step up for themselves, each other, and the team.
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