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Podcast: Inside the Dodgers amazing comeback with Yasmani Grandal

This is The StewPod, our baseball podcast with a dash of pop culture. If you dig the show, please subscribe and review us on iTunes.

When Clayton Kershaw went on the disabled list in late June, the Los Angeles Dodgers season was supposed to get a lot more stressful. Sure, the team had a slim grasp on the top National League wild card spot at the time, but that lead could easily crumble without the best pitcher in baseball.

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Instead of faltering, Los Angeles has played it’s best baseball of the season. The team went 15-9 during July, posting a season-high .625 winning percentage for the month. That success has continued in August, pushing the club to the top of the NL West. After trailing the San Francisco Giants by six games at the start of July, the Dodgers now lead the division by three games.

They’ve done this without Kershaw and demoted outfielder Yasiel Puig. They’ve also done it despite tying the major-league record by placing 27 different players on the DL in a single season. It seems as if two-thirds of those players have been starting pitchers.

Yasmani Grandal isn't letting the Dodgers' injuries get to him. (Getty Images/Kirk Irwin)
Yasmani Grandal isn’t letting the Dodgers’ injuries get to him. (Getty Images/Kirk Irwin)

How have the Dodgers been able to succeed despite the injury gods smiting them every day? Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is here to sort that out. Grandal joined this week’s StewPod to discuss what’s been driving the Dodgers the past few weeks, and whether the injuries have been a mental drain on the clubhouse.

On top of that, Chris and Mike banter about the A.J. Ellis trade, and try to sort out what happened in the Billy Butler/Danny Valencia fight. As always, Bad News Ramen joins the program for his popular Three Strikes segment.

Here’s a full rundown of this week’s show:
• Intro: A.J. Ellis is gone and the Dodgers are sad
• Yasmani Grandal talks about the injuries and the Dodgers’ recent surge
• Bad News Ramen gives his Three Strikes
• Who is at fault in the A’s clubhouse fight?
• Important questions: Which BLS member do you want to punch?

[Music: “It’s Been a Long Time” by Rakim]

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik