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LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers are having trouble getting on a roll and the culprit, surprisingly, has been herky-jerky starting pitching.

Clayton Kershaw dominated Sunday. Ted Lilly stunk up the place Monday. Hyun-Jin Ryu dealt Tuesday. Josh Beckett looked like he didn't want to throw the ball Wednesday evening, setting a discordant tone in the Dodgers' 7-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Beckett seemed frozen in amber for the early innings, launching the game on a glacial pace and putting Dodgers' defenders on their heels. The team showed some fight, but never really recovered.

The first three innings were drawn out over nearly two hours, much of that time Beckett simply staring in at catcher A.J. Ellis' mitt. He spotted Colorado a 3-0 lead when he allowed the first four batters of the game to reach base (one of them on a routine grounder that clanked off Hanley Ramirez’s glove for an error).

Beckett lasted only four innings, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks.

One month into the season, Beckett (0-4, 5.24 ERA) still is looking for his first win. He has had some good starts, notably that April 14 masterpiece in Arizona, but he has also failed to get through six innings in four of his six starts. The Dodgers are 1-5 when he pitches.

His short outing put some more weight on the Dodgers’ bullpen, which had to soak up six innings in a 12-2 loss Monday and had to mop up for Beckett two days later.

Ramirez was a little slow at times, too, such as when he stood at home plate admiring his opposite-field "home run" in the bottom of the first inning. It wasn’t a home run. The ball landed on the warning track and Ramirez had to kick it into gear to pull into second base standing up.

One encouraging trend has been the rapid return of Ramirez’s hitting. After missing nearly six weeks recovering from thumb surgery, Ramirez has two doubles and a home run and is 5-for-9 in two starts. In the team's other 25 games, all other Dodgers shortstops combined have two extra-base hits.

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have taken this decision about as far as they can go.

It has been five days since Mark Ellis left a game because of a strained right quadriceps and he continues to feel something when he runs. Now that Carl Crawford is also nursing an injury -- a tight right hamstring -- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly says he is increasingly uncomfortable carrying two injured players on the 25-man roster.

It appears Ellis will go on the 15-day disabled list Friday when the Dodgers activate pitcher Clayton Kershaw from the bereavement list to pitch that night in San Francisco. Kershaw has been in Dallas to be with his family after the death of his father.

Crawford was out of the lineup for a second straight day Wednesday, but Mattingly said his injury doesn't appear serious enough to merit a stint on the DL. Ellis (.342) and Crawford (.308) were two of the hotter Dodgers hitters before the injuries.

To try to spark some action at the top of his lineup, Mattingly inserted Hanley Ramirez in the No. 2 spot. Ninety percent of Ramirez's at-bats last season came in the Nos. 3 through 5 spots in the lineup. Mattingly said he doesn't anticipate leaving Ramirez in the second spot permanently.

Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was back in Colorado's lineup after missing two games following a hand injury from an awkward headfirst slide into home plate in Sunday's game.

Here are the rest of Wednesday's lineups:

Colorado
1. Eric Young RF
2. Dexter Fowler CF
3. Carlos Gonzalez LF
4. Troy Tulowitzki SS
5. Michael Cuddyer 1B
6. Wilin Rosario C
7. Nolan Arenado 3B
8. Josh Rutledge 2B
9. Juan Nicasio RHP

Dodgers
1. Nick Punto 2B
2. Hanley Ramirez SS
3. Adrian Gonzalez 1B
4. Matt Kemp CF
5. Andre Ethier RF
6. A.J. Ellis C
7. Skip Schumaker LF
8. Juan Uribe 3B
9. Josh Beckett RHP

LOS ANGELES -- You can't judge a player's value by one good month. You can't say the Los Angeles Dodgers got the better of their trade last August with the Boston Red Sox, because Boston is 16-7 and in first place in the AL East, while the Dodgers have just pulled back to .500.

But for all the flak the Dodgers have taken for their lack of pop from a record payroll, you also can't pin any of the blame so far on that trade. Maybe it was the rare transaction that works out well for both teams, the Red Sox getting a much-needed reboot and the Dodgers buying a new $250 million engine for their sputtering offense.

So far, it certainly looks that way.

Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez have looked rejuvenated with a change of scenery. Crawford got back to swinging a dynamic bat in the leadoff spot Friday and Gonzalez continued to drive everybody in during the Dodgers' 7-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers had the 29th-ranked offense coming into Friday. Imagine where they'd be without these two. Crawford has scored 18 runs. The next-closest Dodger, Mark Ellis, has scored 10 and might be done scoring for a while, as he left Friday's game with what looked like a pretty nasty strained quadriceps.

Gonzalez has driven in 17 runs. The next-closest Dodger, Matt Kemp, has pushed across 10.

"I've seen both those guys play enough to where that's what I'm accustomed to them doing," Josh Beckett said. "Carl Crawford hands down is one of the toughest guys I ever competed against, and I've told you guys that. I think he's just getting back to the things he does well."

The other two guys from that trade, Beckett and Nick Punto, are also adding some value. Beckett has pitched well at times, though he's five starts into his 2013 season and he has yet to win a game. Punto is hitting .346 and has played skillful defense wherever the Dodgers have played him. If Ellis goes on the disabled list, Punto could be in for a larger share of playing time.

Friday, Crawford and Gonzalez brought an AL East kind of look to Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers applied relentless offensive pressure for one of the few times this season.

Crawford crushed a couple of balls on the Dodgers' last homestand, but they both died at the warning track in the cool, damp, breezy conditions that prevail at Dodger Stadium at night. He finally got one over the fence here with his fifth-inning home run to center field.

"I heard how the ball really doesn't travel here too much at night, but golly, I hit a couple of those balls hard and thought they had a chance," Crawford said. "It was nice to see one get out tonight."

Andre Ethier hasn’t exactly killed left-handed pitching this season, but he is showing signs of improving the area of his game that has always been the weak spot.

Ethier came up with a clutch RBI single off lefty Scott Rice in the eighth inning of a 3-2 Dodgers win over the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday. That saved the Dodgers the embarrassment of what was a brutal offensive performance for most of the game.

Ethier is batting .264 against lefties this season and .211 against righties.

A two-run eighth sent the Dodgers home after a 3-3 road trip to Baltimore and New York, but it came too late to get lefty Ryu Hyun-Jin his third win. Ryu pitched seven strong innings, allowing just three hits and striking out eight batters.

“He really used his changeup very effectively. His slider is very good," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Ryu when speaking to reporters afterward. "We had a couple of opportunities and we couldn’t push anything over.”

The Dodgers struggled against one of the toughest pitchers in the league, Matt Harvey, on Wednesday and followed that up with an anemic performance against one of the league’s worst-performing pitchers Thursday. In his first four games, Mets starter Jeremy Hefner, 27, had a 1.786 WHIP and had allowed a league-high seven home runs. He entered Thursday with a 5.35 career ERA.

Only two Dodgers made any headway against Hefner. Juan Uribe had three walks and Matt Kemp had two of the Dodgers’ three hits off him.

Kemp has had more hits on this six-game road trip than he had in the first 15 games of the Dodgers’ season. His rebirth started slowly, with some soft hits in Baltimore, but he seems to have regained his stroke. He homered for the first time Wednesday and was 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI Thursday.

Kemp made a poor base running decision in the seventh inning, when he attempted to tag up and advance on Ethier’s fly ball to right field. Marlon Byrd threw Kemp out by about six feet.

With Brandon League struggling, Kenley Jansen’s performance will raise the question of who should be the Dodgers’ closer. Jansen allowed the first two batters to reach base in the eighth inning, but got out of the jam. He struck out Byrd with a letter-high 95-mph fastball to end it.

League blew his first save Wednesday and allowed a solo home run to Ike Davis leading off the ninth Thursday. He got through the inning without further trouble while picking up his sixth save.

It's amazing how many -- and what a wide variety -- of baseball analysts refuse to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers as World Series contenders despite their record spending.

ESPN's Buster Olney came out with his predictions and has the Dodgers missing the playoffs entirely, with the Arizona Diamondbacks winning the NL West and the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants taking the wild cards.

Grantland's Jonah Keri clearly isn't buying the Dodgers' M.O. one bit.

The word you hear repeatedly about the Dodgers is "questions." For a team that will enter 2013 with a $230 million payroll, people seem to expect more certainties. Of course, one could argue that life, fragile as it is, is almost devoid of certainties.

Baseball has even fewer. If the majority of the following questions are answered with a simple, "no," the Dodgers will be able to take a break from pouring champagne in October to note that many people doubted them:

Matt Kemp: Will his October shoulder surgery sap his power?

It certainly appeared to for the man who likely will bat behind Kemp in the Dodgers' lineup. In 2010, playing in San Diego -- hardly a hitter's park -- Adrian Gonzalez slugged 31 home runs. He got his front (right) shoulder worked on the following October. It took him until June -- of 2012 -- to hit his next 31 home runs.

Clayton Kershaw: Will injuries slow him down?

If he's healthy, the Dodgers have nothing to worry about at the top of their rotation. He's not only one of the two most talented pitchers in the National League, he might not hit his prime for a few more years. Sandy Koufax comparisons become more fair every year he pitches. But he admitted he was bothered at times last year by plantar fasciitis in his left foot and nobody has really explained what was wrong with his hip at the end of last season.

Zack Greinke: Is his elbow going to become a lingering problem?

The Dodgers can easily absorb Greinke missing the first month of the season while he lets inflammation in his right elbow subside. They are uniquely situated in starting pitching depth. But they'd hardly be viewed as World Series threats if they go through 2013 with Josh Beckett as their No. 2 starter.

Gonzalez: Has he simply lost his power?

It's a mistake to view Gonzalez as a power hitter. He is a good hitter, with power. There's a difference. But even the second sentence is increasingly open to doubt. In 2009, he hit 40 home runs. Looks like an anomaly. A bunch of line drives happened to clear the fence. Fine. But then it certainly looks like a pattern forming. He hit nine fewer home runs in 2010, four fewer in 2011 and just 18 last year, his lowest total since he was a 23-year-old struggling to get at-bats in Texas.

Hanley Ramirez: Will his focus stray?

There may not be 10 players alive with more ability. He's big, fast and once had a great approach at the plate. But Don Mattingly has said this spring that he'd like Ramirez to cut down his swing. And the fact he has been playing third base in the World Baseball Classic raises the issue of how serious he is about improving as a shortstop. If he fully commits to squeezing the most out of his ability, the Dodgers could be loaded.

Andre Ethier: Will lefties continue to baffle him?

It's not hopeless. In 2007, his first full season, he batted .279 against lefties, essentially the same as he did against righties. But since then, it has been straight downhill, with yawning splits every season. Mattingly says he won't platoon him, but he's going to find it hard to play him in big games against lefties if Ethier doesn't make some serious strides.

Brandon League: Is he a setup man masquerading as a closer?

When the Dodgers signed him to a contract that will guarantee him $22.5 million over the next three seasons, you kind of knew they were going to call him the closer. But he's going into his ninth season and he has been a closer for a year and a half. Part of his problem is the mirror image of Ethier's. Left-handed batters have hit .277 against him, compared to .222 versus righties.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have a lot invested in their bench.

Between Juan Uribe ($7 million), Jerry Hairston Jr. ($3.75 million), Nick Punto ($1.5 million) and Skip Schumaker ($1.5 million), the Dodgers are laying out nearly $14 million this season for an assortment of guys who often play overlapping positions and, on any given day, might only get two at-bats between them.

They also owe $25 million to three pitchers -- Ted Lilly, Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang -- who are not likely to have prominent roles with the team (barring injury to others).

Nonetheless, there will be times when fringe players will play important roles this season. Let’s take a look at the likeliest candidates to fill important needs for the Dodgers in 2013, in order of expected impact.

Schumaker

When the Dodgers traded young shortstop Jake Lemmerman to the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals for Schumaker this winter, it was buried by the rest of the noise the team made from November through January. Now, it’s looking like one of the shrewder moves Ned Colletti made.

In the quite likely event that Carl Crawford is not ready on Opening Day, Schumaker figures to be the left-handed side of a platoon with Hairston in left field while Crawford is out.

In the two seasons in which Schumaker got more than 500 at-bats (2008 and 2009), he hit .302 and .303, respectively. He’s adept at getting on base (.345 lifetime OBP) and can handle four positions (if you don’t count the inning he pitched last year).

Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa seemed to have more use for Schumaker than Mike Matheny, and last season he had his fewest plate appearances in five years. The other concern is that he’s been more of a second baseman than an outfielder the past few years, but his background is in the outfield. In 2008, he ranked fourth in the National League in total zone runs as a left fielder.

The Dodgers would be in a lot worse shape this spring if they didn’t have Schumaker.

Hairston

After 15 seasons with nine different organizations, there aren’t a lot of situations that are going to catch Hairston off guard. Once a slick-fielding second baseman, he’s settled nicely into a bench career. He handled left-field duties fine and his ability to cover second and third gives the Dodgers versatility if they decide to move Uribe.

He’s also a meaningful presence in the clubhouse -- a vocal guy who’s not afraid to speak up in team settings.

On the other hand, Hairston turns 37 in May and is coming off of hip surgery, so you wonder how many days a week he’ll be able to play. He also has never been the most dynamic offensive player, with a .259 lifetime average and .327 lifetime OBP. He had a strong season, batting .273, last year, but a .292 BABIP suggests some good luck could have been part of the reason.

Last season, he played six positions, if you count designated hitter. In limited doses, particularly against left-handed pitchers, he’s among the most valuable reserves in their clubhouse.

Punto

It became a running joke this spring. Manager Don Mattingly would be asked how much he would miss the players participating in the World Baseball Classic and he would remark that he didn't expect to miss Punto for very long.

Well, lo and behold, the Italian team advanced to the second round.

Punto, at age 35, is a known quantity at this point of his career.

He's scrappy -- the kind of guy who dives head-first into first base -- and he's a reliable glove at most infield positions. Beyond that, you don't get much for the money. He's a .249 lifetime hitter whose career high for home runs is four. He used to play almost every day for the Minnesota Twins, but his days as a super utility player appear to be over.

It's not that he can't plug some holes for you, but if Mark Ellis proves healthy, you wonder how more much he can accomplish than someone else who could do as well or better.

Uribe

Colletti might never live this contract down, but cut him a little slack. The market was drying up for Uribe a few years ago and Colletti, handcuffed financially, saw the signing as a way to get some relatively inexpensive pop.

Three years and $21 million really isn’t all that outrageous these days, especially for a middle infielder with a history of hitting 20 home runs.

If he’d only known then what he knows now. In two seasons as a Dodger, Uribe has batted .199 with a .262 OBP and .289 slugging percentage.

If the Dodgers see no role for him -- and that was pretty much the case at the end of last season -- you wonder why he’s still around. It would be one thing if neither Hairston nor Luis Cruz could play shortstop, but the Dodgers have capable replacements in case something happens to Hanley Ramirez.

Alex Castellanos

On a bench of grizzled veterans, Castellanos, 26, could provide a little energy and a bit more durability.

When he was first traded from the Cardinals' organization, it looked like the path to the major leagues would be a bit clearer for Castellanos. Then, the Dodgers went out and got both Crawford and Schumaker, and now he’s fighting to make the team.

Castellanos is showing surprising power, with a team-leading three home runs this spring, but his chances hinge on a lot of things outside his control. In the unlikely event that Yasiel Puig makes the team, there’s virtually no chance Castellanos will be on the Opening Day roster. He does have a leg up on the non-roster contenders for bench roles like Alfredo Amezaga, Jeremy Moore and Tony Gwynn Jr. because the Dodgers wouldn’t be forced to make a roster move to squeeze him into their plans.

He’s shown good on-base skills (.365 OBP) and some pop in the minor leagues, so he’ll get a long look this spring.

Nick Punto was engrossed in a ping-pong match between Chad Billingsley and Mark Lowe Friday morning, so he couldn’t hear Jerry Hairston Jr. trying to get his attention from across the room.

“What do I have to do, speak Italian?” Hairston joked.

Actually, Punto knows only a few words and phrases, which he picked up from his paternal grandmother, born in the Tuscan capital of Florence. His grandfather was born in Sicily. That heritage is Punto’s link to Team Italy, which he’ll be part of for the second time in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Punto wishes he knew more about his Italian roots.

“It’s kind of sad. I should know more and I will,” he said. “I’ve just got to let the kids get a little older before we go over there and see some family.”

The Italians face a steep climb, to say the least. They’re in the same pool as the United States, Canada and Mexico, with games beginning in Phoenix March 7. Unlike those teams, Italy has scant major-league talent. Beyond Punto, there is Pittsburgh reliever Jason Grilli, Minnesota catcher Drew Butera, Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and a couple others with major-league time.

Punto said he enjoyed the experience in 2009, particularly the Italians' upset of Canada in Toronto, and he has higher hopes for this tournament.

“I hope we knock off Canada and Mexico and the U.S.,” Punto said. “It’s baseball. Anything can happen in baseball.”

The Dodgers lose Punto, Hanley Ramirez (Dominican Republic), Adrian Gonzalez and Luis Cruz of Mexico to their WBC camps beginning Sunday. Manager Don Mattingly apparently isn’t high on Italy’s chances.

“I’m not counting on missing Nick the whole time,” Mattingly said.

 

The Dodgers will feel the crunch of the World Baseball Classic when at least six of their players leave camp early to join their respective national teams.

Major League Baseball announced the provisional rosters of all 16 teams Thursday. Adrian Gonzalez and Luis Cruz will represent Mexico; Hanley Ramirez will play third base for the Dominican Republic; Ronald Belisario will pitch for Venezuela; Nick Punto will be on Italy’s roster; and Paco Rodriguez will be in the bullpen for Spain. No Dodgers are playing for Team USA.

For the players, the travel will be relatively light. They are either in Pool C, which opens play in Puerto Rico, or Pool D, which plays its games in Phoenix, 15 minutes from the Dodgers’ spring training home. The other first-round games are in Taiwan and Japan.

The Dodgers could have lost more players to the WBC, but Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw were not on Team USA -– presumably because they are rehabilitating from late-season injuries –- and Kenley Jansen, who underwent a heart procedure in November, was not listed on the roster for the Netherlands. Hyun-jin Ryu pitched for Korea in 2009, but he was not on that country's roster released Thursday.

Teams have until Feb. 28 to set their final 28-man rosters.

Dodgers minor leaguer Felipe Burin will play on the Panamanian team, and reliever Peter Moylan, who MLB.com reports is close to signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers, will pitch for Australia. Ex-Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela is a coach once again on the Mexican team.

Gonzalez and Cruz will play against their teammates March 2 when the Dodgers play Team Mexico in an exhibition game in Glendale, Ariz.

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are adding a hint of intrigue to what appeared to be a dull playoff picture in the National League.

They won their fourth straight game, shutting out the Colorado Rockies 3-0 Saturday night, to pull to within two games of the St. Louis Cardinals for the final wild-card spot with four games left.

The Dodgers will enter their final series -- against the rival San Francisco Giants -- with a post-season pulse. The Cardinals' magic number remains three, meaning the Dodgers can't be eliminated until Monday, at the earliest.

The Good:

Good wood. Matt Kemp got a hanging curveball from Tyler Chatwood in the fourth inning and he did what he should do with those. He hit it so hard, it clanged off the bleachers about five rows from clearing the left-field pavilion. The Dodgers estimate it traveled 461 feet -- why the 1? -- but here are some numbers that are more impressive: Kemp reached 20 home runs for the fourth straight season. That's notable because only one other Dodger has ever done that (Eric Karros, six straight years) and because Kemp missed more than 50 games because of injuries this year. He also hit a towering shot to right field in the eighth.

Blank-ton. Joe Blanton has pitched well lately. In Cincinnati he got into the sixth inning, allowing just one run and striking out six. But Saturday's outing was Blanton's best as a Dodger and, maybe, his best since a complete game against the Minnesota Twins back in mid-June, when he was with the Phillies. Granted, the Rockies aren't exactly rolling out a championship-caliber lineup these days, but the Dodgers have some good things happening on the pitching front and Blanton's part of the story.

Blanket relief. The starting pitchers have been good. The key relievers have been virtually untouchable. Since Kenley Jansen came back, he has pitched 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and pushed his way into the setup role. That has allowed the Dodgers to slot Ronald Belisario in the seventh inning. Brandon League is doing nothing to cede the closer's role back to Jansen. If these three keep it up, the Dodgers won't have to worry about close leads in these final few games.

The Bad:

The jinx. Before Saturday's game, somebody -- ahem -- asked Don Mattingly whether Luis Cruz had done enough to hold onto his everyday job next spring. Mattingly said, essentially, yes -- presuming something doesn't change between now and February. Of course, Cruz went out and had only his third hitless game in two weeks, including a strikeout. Later, he left the game because of a headache.

Timing. Watching the Dodgers hit the past few games left you wondering how they could have such a brutal offensive month before that. If you had those thoughts, you're not alone. "If it could have happened a little bit earlier, it would have been nice," Mattingly said before the game. Had the Dodgers snapped out of this funk just a week earlier, they probably would be protecting a lead going into Wednesday. Now, they're stuck in scramble mode, with any misstep probably knocking them out.

Consistency. Does Andre Ethier do anything in half steps, either good or bad? He snapped out of a six-game stretch in which he batted .160 to pick up three hits and score three runs Friday night -- with a left-hander, Jeff Francis -- starting for Colorado. Saturday, he had another rough night -- 0-for-4 with a double play and two strikeouts. Overall, the trend has been positive. He's batting .308 in his last 33 games. But it would be nice if he could even it out a bit.

Maybe the Dodgers have finally snapped out of the maddening, month-long hitting slump that virtually swallowed up their season. Now, they have one last homestand to prove it matters.

The Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 8-4 on the road Thursday to keep hope alive. The Dodgers have six games left, all at home against the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants, and trail the St. Louis Cardinals by three games for the final wild-card playoff spot.

With Thursday's win, the earliest the Dodgers can be eliminated is Saturday night.

The Good:

Cruuuuuuuz. Who is this guy? For a while, it was a pleasant little story -- the 28-year-old longtime minor leaguer finally getting a shot and running with it. Now, Luis Cruz just looks like one of the Dodgers' best hitters. He certainly has been on this trip, where he has hit .402. Cruz created virtually all the Dodgers' offense to get things started. There aren't many people who are blameless for the disappointing way this team has played in September, but Cruz is.

Big boys. Adrian Gonzalez described his swing as "a wreck" recently, but he has produced the third-most RBIs in the majors since the All-Star break (61). He said recently he has finally gotten to a point where he can feel his hands while swinging, a good sign. The Dodgers are seeing the first signs that the middle of their order could be a formidable one as Gonzalez and Matt Kemp are showing signs of getting their swings in order. For the first time since his slump began in August, Kemp had big games on back-to-back nights.

Late life. Coming into Thursday, Chris Capuano had a 5.06 ERA in September, his second-worst month this season (after July). The Dodgers have been getting solid -- if not spectacular -- starting pitching lately and Capuano rejoined the cause Thursday. Seeing this kind of pitching is encouraging -- if not for this year, next year. The Dodgers could start next season with virtually the same rotation they're finishing this season with, plus Ted Lilly and (maybe) Chad Billingsley.

The Bad:

Odd man out. Andre Ethier can be an impressive hitter when he's seeing the ball well. He has good power and lashes line drives into gaps and corners as well as anybody. But it tells you something about a player when -- with the team scrambling to stay alive in the playoff race -- the manager sits him in a key game. Ethier didn't start Wednesday against lefty Clayton Richard. His struggles against lefties and tendency to slump make you wonder if Ethier is the bedrock player many fans hope he is. He went hitless Thursday and has had some crushing at-bats in recent games.

One down. Don't look now, but Hanley Ramirez is batting .212 with no extra-base hits and just four RBIs in the Dodgers' last eight games. It would be a little easier to swallow if Ramirez were a premier -- or even average -- shortstop. But he's an offense-first player and, right now, his primary skill isn't there. Neither is his secondary. Ramirez sailed a throw on what would have been the game-ending double play for yet another error.

Not sharp. Using Ronald Belisario, the Dodgers' primary setup man, in the eighth inning seemed like a questionable idea considering the Dodgers were leading 7-1 at the time and Belisario had worked in two of the team's previous three games. Maybe it was the lack of adrenaline or maybe it was a lack of focus, but Belisario -- throwing as hard as usual -- got hit fairly hard, giving up three eighth-inning runs to make the game more interesting than the Dodgers would have liked.

LOS ANGELES -- At some point, the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to run out of opportunities this plump and ripe for the picking.

They lost for the 10th time in 15 games -- this time 4-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 11 innings Friday night -- and the door closed another inch. Every team ahead of the Dodgers in either the division or wild-card standings lost Friday.

They remain 4 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants and 1 1/2 out in the wild-card race, a jumble of four teams.

Jason Kubel hit the decisive home run off Dodgers reliever Matt Guerrier, and the game ended with Dodgers at first and third when catcher A.J. Ellis popped out to left.

The Good:

Mis-matchup. Andre Ethier was batting .216 against lefties, so it's not surprising Kirk Gibson brought in reliever Mike Zagurski to face him with a runner at third and two outs in the sixth inning. Ethier didn't exactly crush the ball, but he made good enough contact to bloop it over lunging shortstop Jake Elmore to tie the score at 3. It was a redemptive moment for Ethier, who had lost a ball in the twilight in the second inning to let Arizona's first run score.

Bouncing back. You can learn more about a reliever off a bad outing than a good one. Shawn Tolleson probably will have sleepless hours thinking about his previous outing at Coors Field -- four runs allowed without recording an out -- for weeks. But at an important moment for the Dodgers, the young reliever flipped the script. Tolleson pitched two scoreless innings Friday, allowing the Dodgers to build a rally off Trevor Cahill.

Doubling up. The Dodgers, frankly, were more than a bit lucky. Arizona hit plenty of balls hard in key situations that landed in the Dodgers' gloves, and four of them turned into crucial double plays. It was a season high in double plays for the Dodgers. Luck is a big part of them, but the players still have to turn them. Luis Cruz made a diving stop on Chris Johnson's hard shot in the ninth inning, threw to second from his knees and started a key double play.

The Bad:

Softening up. Adrian Gonzalez's Dodgers career started with a loud noise -- his three-run home run in his first at-bat. It's the at-bats since then that have been strangely quiet. Gonzalez is 5-for-28 (.179) with just three RBIs since that swing. It's a small sample size, but then again, so is the amount of time the Dodgers have with Gonzalez in their lineup this year.

Power shortage. Matt Kemp looked a little frustrated striking out in the eighth inning, when he slammed his bat to the turf. It's not so much that he has been struggling -- when he's healthy -- but he hasn't been driving the ball consistently. Kemp is batting .271 since Aug. 8, but since then, he has struck out 19 times, hasn't homered and has 10 RBIs in 19 games. The Dodgers need Kemp on the field, but they also need him a bit more productive.

Nothing in reserve. Has there ever been a team with a less impressive bench? Don Mattingly had Juan Uribe (.186), Matt Treanor (.176), Nick Punto (2-for-13 as a pinch hitter), Juan Rivera (.240) and Adam Kennedy (one home run) at his disposal Friday night. The Dodgers looked long and hard at pitchers before Friday night's waiver deadline -- an attempt that proved unsuccessful -- but maybe they should have been trying to sniff out some bench help.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- James Loney was surprised, but not shocked to hear last weekend that he and four Los Angeles Dodgers prospects had been traded to the Boston Red Sox for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, pitcher Josh Beckett, outfielder Carl Crawford and infielder Nick Punto.

Suprised the Dodgers and Red Sox could pull off such a huge, complicated team in August, after the non-waiver trade deadline.

Surprised he wasn't going to have a chance to finish this year strong, as he had the previous one.

Surprised that the only major league franchise he'd ever played for had decided to part ways after seven years.

But no, he was not shocked the Dodgers would jump at a chance to make Gonzalez, a four-time All Star, their first baseman for the next six years.

"It's just one of those things that happens sometimes. You get opportunities to get different guys and you've got to make a decision," Loney told ESPNLosAngeles.com before the Red Sox game against the Angels Thursday.

Loney, 28, hit just .254 with four home runs and 33 RBIs this season, far off the pace of his best seasons as a Dodgers in 2008 and 2009 when he hit .289 and .281 respectively and drove in 90 RBIs.

A torrid second half last season convinced the Dodgers to tender him a contract again this season, but their patience quickly waned as his production lagged and manager Don Mattingly started using him in a platoon at first base with Juan Rivera, among others.

"Obviously over the years I've pretty much played full time," said Loney, who had played in 752 games since the start of his first full season in the majors in 2008, tied for sixth in the NL.

"I never really had a down year. I think the lowest average I ever really had in the big leagues was .267 or something. So it's one of those situations where you wanted to finish strong. It's not like I couldn't still have a good year in that league."

Asked if he felt the Dodgers gave up on him, Loney was more blunt, "They were giving me opportunities. They just wanted production and stuff like that. It was more of 'Hey, we've got other guys we want to try and mix and match.' That's what they were trying to do, they were just mixing and matching. I understand what it is. But obviously I want to play."

Including Thursday, Loney has started four of his first five games with the Red Sox. He is 4-for 13 with three RBI in those first four games.

"I've got some RBIs, I've got some hits. I'm playing so to get those things you've got to play," Loney said. "Part of it [the trade for the Red Sox] is to see what I can do this year and then we'll go from there."

As for his time with the Dodgers, Loney says he has no regrets.

"I had a great time there," he said. "I had some great years there. Some great memories."

Here's a look at tonight's lineups:

RED SOX

1. Scott Podsednik LF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
4. James Loney 1B
5. Cody Ross RF
6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia DH
7.Ryan Lavarnway C
8. Mike Aviles SS
9. Pedro Ciriaco 3B
Jon Lester (8-10, 4.98 ERA)

ANGELS

1. Mike Trout CF
2. Torii Hunter RF
3. Albert Pujols DH
4. Mark Trumbo 1B
5. Howie Kendrick 2B
6. Erick Aybar SS
7. Maicer Izturis 3B
8. Vernon Wells LF
9. Chris Iannetta C
Zack Greinke (2-2, 5.22 ERA)

The last time Josh Beckett faced the Colorado Rockies, he struck out nine batters and got the Boston Red Sox off to a fast start in the 2007 World Series with a Game 1 win. The losing pitcher that day was Jeff Francis, the Rockies starter tonight at Coors Field.

There’s not a lot you can take away from that start, obviously, as Beckett is on a new team, the Dodgers, and the Rockies have turned over their roster completely. He's also 32 instead of 27 and has a 5.23 ERA. In 2007, he was the Cy Young runner-up to CC Sabathia.

But how much will Beckett benefit from getting out of the AL East, the land of small ballparks and big sluggers, and coming to the NL West, a pitching-dominated division?

“You’re moving from the AL East, which is the Blue Jays, the Orioles, the Yankees and the Rays, to the NL West. That’s always good for your ERA,” Beckett’s former teammate, Curt Schilling, told ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd this weekend. “He got a reset and he was badly in need of one.”

Beckett hasn’t made a start as a National League pitcher since 2005. In 106 games for the Florida Marlins, he was 41-34 with a 3.46 ERA. In 194 starts as an AL pitcher, Beckett was 89-58 with a 4.17 ERA.

It pays to have a powerful offense behind you. Beckett had a better winning percentage (.617 to .547) in the AL, but an ERA that was more than a half-run higher (courtesy of ESPN Stats and Info).

Picking their poison

When the Dodgers landed left-handed hitting slugger Adrian Gonzalez (and switch-hitting utility man Nick Punto), they didn’t just make their lineup more dangerous, they made it harder to navigate.

The Dodgers have nearly ideal -- and truly rare -- balance. At the top of their lineup, they have switch hitter Shane Victorino, followed most days by right-handed Mark Ellis, then right-handed Matt Kemp, lefty Gonzalez, righty Hanley Ramirez, lefty Andre Ethier and righy Luis Cruz.

That’s switch-right-right-left-right-left-right. A drill sergeant would love it.

“It’s nice to be able to go back and forth,” manager Don Mattingly said. “It really puts the other guy in a bind unless he has -- and wants to burn -- a bunch of lefties and match up.”

Here’s something else that helps: Gonzalez has a better OPS (.831) against lefties than righties (.809).

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn't carry the momentum of Saturday's massive trade to a second straight win.

They lost 6-2 to the Miami Marlins on Sunday, an excruciatingly frustrating day at the plate, especially for shortstop Hanley Ramirez. The Dodgers went 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position, managing to score just two runs on 11 hits.

The Dodgers stranded 16 runners.

The Good:

Traction. The Dodgers hadn't been getting much spark from the top of their lineup. Shane Victorino was in a 2-for-18 slump and he missed Saturday's game due to some back stiffness. Maybe things started turning for Victorino with three hits. The Dodgers have plenty of middle-of-the-order hitters now, but they don't have many premium table setters, so they need Victorino to create chances.

Nick who? You may not know this, but the Dodgers acquired Nick Punto in Saturday's nine-player blockbuster with the Boston Red Sox. Punto even joked about his relative anonymity during Saturday's media conference, answering a question intended for Adrian Gonzalez. He's a local guy, having grown up in Mission Viejo, and he got off to a nice start with the Dodgers, getting on base three times and scoring the first run. He also made two brilliant plays at second base and moved to third in a double switch.

Solid, if unspectacular. With the new hitters they've added, the Dodgers should be in pretty good shape if they can get solid pitching from the back of their rotation. They have nothing to complain about with Aaron Harang. He had been on a bit of a roll coming in -- with quality starts in six of his previous eight outings -- and he gave them a chance Sunday. They just couldn't add on runs for him after the first inning. Harang's only meaningful mistakes were home-run pitches to Giancarlo Stanton (join the club) and Rob Brantly (one-man club).

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LOS ANGELES -- This seems like an opportune time to ask how much better the Los Angeles Dodgers actually got by adding Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto and -- eventually -- Carl Crawford.

You may have heard about the little trade the Dodgers just whipped up with the Boston Red Sox and, if you follow baseball and breathe air, you probably have an opinion.

Did they turn themselves into the favorite to win the NL West? A darkhorse contender for the World Series? The favorite to hoist the trophy with all those little flags this October? Or, did they just set themselves up for a very expensive, very embarrassing flop?

Is there a more futile question you could ask right now?

“We have to play games and see how it goes,” said Matt Kemp, when he had finished describing how excited he was over Saturday’s trade. “I can’t predict the future.”

That’s the thing about baseball. Those last 35 games are coming, piling up on top of one another until it’s over, and nobody knows what’s going to happen between now and Oct. 3, even after the Dodgers made the biggest trade in their history.

We don’t know, but maybe we can shed a little light. Let’s take a closer look at the four players the Dodgers added and ask how much they can help them win a title in the next two seasons.

Adrian Gonzalez

Is he in decline at age 30 because he is hitting fewer home runs every year? It’s a pretty linear pattern and that line isn’t pointing up. Gonzalez hit 40 home runs for the San Diego Padres in 2009, 31 the next year, 27 the year after that. After his second-deck shot off Josh Johnson in the first inning Saturday night, he has 16 so far in 2012.

It's real, but are we missing the point? Gonzalez is not, after all, a swing-from-the-heels slugger. He’s a line-drive hitter with power who has a knack for driving in runs. Even with his power in decline, Gonzalez drove in 86 runs for the Red Sox, largely because he was batting .398 with runners in scoring position.

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