Dodgers’ struggling offense a growing concern

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It’s about the pitching. That’s what they keep telling us, and it’s not like I’m here to argue the point.

Pitching is what turned the Dodgers around from their dismal April start. Both starting and relief pitching found their form, found health, found a bit of luck.

And whatever hope the Dodgers have of entering the postseason and then advancing will largely rest with the quality of their pitching.

But not solely.

The best pitching in the world still requires some offense for a team to be successful.

Great pitching and great offense wins championships. But great pitching and good offense can still get it done.

But right now the Dodgers aren’t even a good offensive club. At this moment, they’re probably not even an average offensive club.

Their two young stars, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, are both lost at the plate. They barely resemble the players who started the season.

Ethier at least has an excuse, playing with a broken pinky. But pinky or no, he and the Dodgers elected for him to come back after being out only 16 days.

His return has been just shy of a disaster. No one expected him to keep up the amazing triple-crown pace he was on when he fractured the finger, but no one could have foretold such a dramatic drop-off.

He was hitting .392 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 33 games when he injured the finger.

He’s hit .197 with one home run and five RBI in the 19 games since he returned.

Kemp’s tumble is more troubling because of its length and lack of explanation. He started the year like he was going to use his breakout 2009 season as a springboard.

By April 21, he was on fire. He was hitting .333 with seven home runs and 20 RBI in just 60 at-bats.

Since then, he’s hit .237 with four home runs and 17 RBIs in 219 at-bats. He had more RBIs and almost twice as many home runs in the first 14 games than his next 55 games.

With the Dodgers already dealing with Manny-Lite Ramirez, their power game has now taken a severe hit.

Russell Martin has to be a real concern. He’s hitting .253 with just 16 RBI in 225 at-bats. His confidence seems to have lagged.

This is not a team that excels at the little things, at small ball, at situational hitting. It needs the heart of its lineup performing.

Even if it gets great pitching, like from Hiroki Kuroda on Sunday, if the offense isn’t producing, it won’t be enough.

There are 93 games yet to go, a long season still to play. Time to get it right, but time to be concerned.

-- Steve Dilbeck