While it is obviously not time to panic by any stretch of the imagination, the Dodgers’ offense is absolutely anemic. They have scored a horrendous 2 runs their last 28 innings. Last weekend’s home series versus the Arizona Diamondbacks, one that saw the Dodgers drop 2 of 3 games, was a testament to their struggles at the plate.

I was either fortunate enough, or unfortunate enough, to attend the Saturday afternoon game that was nationally televised on Fox Saturday Baseball. The Dodgers allowed rookie pitcher Josh Collmenter to beat them 1-0, while Chad Billingsley and company only allowed one hit the entire game to the opposition. The Dodger offense couldn’t plate even one run. This lack of offensive generation that was on display during this tight and urgent margin was a microcosm of what the Dodgers have been suffering from during the past two weeks.

Manager Don Mattingly, along with obvious consent from General Manager Ned Colletti, brought up AAA star Jerry Sands to the big club approximately three weeks ago. Since then Sands has started 5 out of 6 games a week in left field, as the coaches and management are certainly testing what this young right-handed, opposite-field minded batter has to offer.

The fact that Mattingly pinch-hit for Sands late in the Saturday loss, with a runner on 3rd and one out, down one run, only speaks to the transparent inexperience and distrust of Mattingly in his rookie campaign as the Dodger skipper.

To substitute the mentally-growing Sands in favor of a back-up catcher, Dioner Navarro (who ended up striking out on four pitches), simply because he was a left-handed bat against a right-handed pitcher, is absolutely ridiculous and is the polar opposite of what you are trying to accomplish within your progression of Sands.

Why pinch-hit for Sands in that situation, a scene that is his optimum learning and improving situation, when it is clear you brought him up to put him through these rigorous types of tests to really see what the kid can do? You just defeated your whole purpose with the kid in one substitution, “Donnie Baseball.”

Your place as manager goes beyond statistical probability, and has everything to do with what you are trying to gain as a young captain in a year that demands gain in positivity outside of the box score.  Your only gain has everything to do with an acquisition of quintessential trust within your players.  The move displayed was a defiant step in the wrong direction.

The lack of intelligent organizational protocol such as is what scares me about Mattingly as the Dodger manager, and is why I had my doubts when the Dodgers hired him with absolutely no top-level managerial experience.  Yes, he was a great ball-player, but so were countless others.  Being able to hit a baseball doesn’t mean you know how to manage men.  So far in this at-bat, Mattingly, you are behind in the count.

Instead of letting your young, up-and-coming outfielder, that you invested over 50 at-bats in during the past three weeks, bat in that situation, you grasped and flailed with the snap-trigger desperation that is the very antithesis of successful baseball managing.

If you bring a kid up like this and are testing him for future benefits, you let him hit in this clutch, run-scoring situation. What do you have to lose?  You only have something to gain.  That’s what you brought the kid up for, situations like this? How else is he going to learn how to thrive as a big-league pro?  By being substituted for, confidence ruined?  This was without a doubt a rookie manager move.  Its May, not September, Donnie winter-ball manager.

Aside from Mattingly’s Saturday evening blatant blunder, the overall tragedy that has lead to more losses than wins thus far, has to be the fact that the Dodgers have been losing 2-1 and 1-0 games since May began. Its not like they are getting blown out 7-0 and 10-1 in their losses over and over. All it takes to turn it around is one key move or one clutch hit, and its just not happening. The chemistry is not allowing it to.  This speaks to the lack of savvy and experienced managing that is ahead of the curve, the lack of knowing what your team needs.

The starting pitchers are pitching more than well enough to win, and they have been pitching this way not just since May began, but since opening day. Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp hit a hot streak to end April, but since then they have had average performances at best. And when the one-two punch of Ethier and Kemp cool down, and the rest of the supporting cast features only perpetual 19/80, .238-hitting baseball vagabonds, you are going to struggle to score runs, and struggle mightily.

The return of Rafael Furcal and Casey Blake will definitely boost the offense if even in the slightest bit, as Aaron Miles will finally ride some pine and Jaime Carroll can bob between second base and left field.  This will allow the revolving pop-up that is Juan Uribe and rookie Jerry Sands to platoon at a two-thirds level, 3 players at 2 positions, which will keep them fresh and tip-top for the sake of an aging veteran and a rookie.  Let’s hope Mattingly realizes this and substitutes as much.

A lineup of: Furcal, Carroll, Ethier, Kemp, Loney, Uribe, Barajas and Blake; will definitely will pump out more that what is currently being seen from the Dodger offensive attack.

All distant-future events considered, hopefully the bats wake up tonight in game 2 of the current home series versus the Brewers, because you know a consistently accurate arm like Hiroki Kuroda will keep the defense behind him on their collective toes.

If the Blue doesn’t get a “W,” it should snap a thread and reek as a completely unacceptable 5-games below .500 display at this quarter-season juncture. If this happens, something then needs to be tossed. Chemistry needs to be shaken up. A leader needs to break a few things in the clubhouse, or a coach needs to throw over the post-game table-spread in contention that the offense doesn’t deserve to eat.

Just average is not acceptable. Don’t fall into the lull of the mundane and the tolerant in May. If you do, June will look like 30-40 and July will end you up looking at a record of 40-55.

Even with the McCourt circus, this direction that is beginning to transpire shouldn’t be tolerated by any of the Dodger faithful.  Stay true and expect greatness everyday, even if your expectations are in the realm overachieving.  Any attitude less will only lead to underachievement.

Stay steadfast in wanting to consistently bounce the below-average norm that we are currently seeing. Clayton Kershaw’s bobble-head that is being given out tonight whole-heartedly agrees.

As a Dodger rally was unfolding during the 1st inning, a rally in which three runs were plated, Sands hit a 2-out double the other way down the Right field line that advanced James Loney from 1st base to 3rd base.

In his next at-bat during the 3rd inning, he came up with runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Amidst the “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” chants from the blue-faithful, Sands, executed another superb inside-out swing, and hit a towering fly ball to deep right field that scored the runner from 3rd base and advanced the complimentary runner from 2nd to 3rd.

As the next half-inning was unfolding, Sands made a great half-leaning, half-sliding catch while fighting the lights in left field. As he flipped the ball back into the infield with ease after the catch, the chants began again, “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”

In the 6th inning, with the Dodgers ahead 4-0, Tim Hudson threw the first pitch of Sands’ third at-bat to the person sitting directly behind Sands in the first row behind home plate. The location of Hudson’s pitch definitely had a purpose. Matt Kemp took exception to the deliberate scare tactic as he retaliated with a bark in Hudson’s direction from the top step of the dugout.

With Sands putting the ball in play easily in his last two plate appearances to the opposite field, Hudson didn’t want him feeling so comfortable leaning out over the plate. Sands ended up chasing a 3-2 slider off the edge of the outside corner for a swinging strikeout.

The following half-inning, with two outs and no one on base, Dodger pitcher Ted Lilly threw his first offering to Nate McLouth behind his back, in a display of protection for his rookie left fielder making his major league debut.  The home plate umpire warned Lilly as well as both dugouts.  I love old-school baseball unwritten rules and justice such as this.

For Sands’ fourth and final at bat in the 8th, he faced reliever Jario Ascencio. After taking a fastball off the plate, Sands fouled one straight back to the screen, a sign that you are right on the pitcher and aren’t being fooled. Ball two was a hook that missed. Strike two was a hook that was fouled off at the plate. Sands was then ultimately fooled on a low slider for a swinging strike three.  This was his second strikeout on a slider off the outside corner.  Take notes and know the slider will now be thrown to you with two strikes.  Make the adjustment in the future, rookie.

Yes, it was an anti-climactic finish to Sands’ debut, but finishing the night 1-3 with a double, a sacrifice fly and a run batted in is much more than most can say they accomplished on day one in the big leagues.

Most importantly, and for the sake of overall team chemistry, Sands did get to execute the jumping “body high-five” with fellow outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier when the final out was recorded in a 4-2 victory.  This is a staple of Dodger outfielders after a win.

In a post game interview, the innocent and boy-ish-looking Sands said about his debut, “It was awesome, and I’m ready to come back to work tomorrow.”

When questioned about Hudson throwing behind him, he genuinely insured, “its good to know that even in my first game my teammates have my back, and I want them to know that I have theirs too.”

During a post-game interview in the clubhouse, Dodger manager Don Mattingly said, “we hope he continues having good at-bats and playing solid defense in left field.”

While not entirely ringing, this was undoubtedly a solid endorsement.

Sands had been a substitute teacher in the previous off-seasons of his minor-league career, but after 5 home runs in the first 10 games of his triple A season in Las Vegas, he was sent up to the majors, replacing Xavier Paul, that was subsequently sent down to triple A after Sands’ arrival.

Well done tonight Jerry, you contributed to a win in a very significant and professional way. Appreciate the wholesome love from the fans and keep it up kid. If you do, I’m sure you will never have to go back to negotiating recess disagreements and lunch-time food-fights.