Dee Gordon has had his ups and downs this season, but the Dodgers appear to be behind him sink or swim.
"I think Dee in the end is going to be a great player, and the experience he is getting now just happens to be in a pennant race, and that's the way it is," manager Don Mattingly said.
The Dodgers saw both ends of the spectrum over the weekend against the Angels.
Gordon was 0-for-5 on Friday night to extend his slump to 0-for-17. But he responded with two hits Saturday, including a triple, and he scored two runs. He added two hits and an RBI on Sunday in the Dodgers' 5-3 loss, and he stole a base for the second consecutive game.
"Sometimes my weapons don't work," Gordon said. "I've been hitting the ball well but just having tough luck. But it's a grown man's league, and I'm a grown man, so I just have to take it for what it is."
On the season, Gordon is hitting .228 with a .274 on-base percentage. However, he has improved slightly to hitting .260 with a .316 on-base percentage in 32 games since getting benched for three games in May, a period Gordon referred to as his detention.
Mattingly thinks Gordon's struggles will help him in the long term, if not this year as well.
"He just wants to be good. I love that, because I know he'll keep working," Mattingly said. "As long we can keep him in this perspective and not let him get down on himself, we're going to get a great player."
NOTES, QUOTES
Ethier tees off on Angels
--RF Andre Ethier went 2-for-3 with a walk Sunday, completing a productive series against the Angels. Ethier hit .160 (12-for-75) in the first 20 games after CF Matt Kemp went back on the disabled list May 31, but over three games in Anaheim, Ethier hit .545 (6-for-11) with two doubles. "He's going to hit. Andre's not my worry, trust me," manager Don Mattingly said.
--CF Matt Kemp was sore Saturday, but he continued to progress in his comeback from a left hamstring injury. Still, there is no scheduled timetable for his return or even minor league rehab games. The Dodgers are being cautious, not wanting to rush Kemp back a second time. "It's still kind of wait and see. They are adding stuff for him to do, having him do more. It's a reaction to how he reacts to that," manager Don Mattingly said.
--RHP Aaron Harang allowed three runs in six innings Sunday, and he wasn't involved in the decision against the Angels. Harang also had no strikeouts, the first time in his last 125 starts that he didn't fan a single batter. His last start with zero strikeouts came on July 28, 2007, against the Cubs, when Harang was with the Reds.
--1B James Loney went 0-for-3 Sunday, extending his slump to 0-for-15. Loney, hitting just .248 with two home runs and a .338 slugging percentage in 70 games this season, has seen his playing time diminish, as he's started just 14 of the past 23 games.
--RHP Josh Lindblom allowed a pair of two-out RBI singles to the Angels on Sunday, taking his second loss in four days. After putting up a 2.12 ERA in his first 31 appearances this season, Lindblom has allowed five runs in his past two outings while recording just two outs. "The last two games, I really just beat myself," he said.
--RHP Blake Hawksworth (arthroscopic right elbow surgeries in January 2012 and February 2012) pitched a scoreless inning Sunday for Class A Rancho Cucamonga in his second rehab appearance. His rehab assignment likely will be lengthy, as manager Don Mattingly said he would like to see Hawksworth pitch in back-to-back games and also get stretched out to be able to throw multiple innings in an appearance.
BY THE NUMBERS: 6 -- Consecutive series lost by the Dodgers to the Angels, dating back to 2010, after the Dodgers lost two of three games over the weekend in Anaheim.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think Dee in the end is going to be a great player, and the experience he is getting now just happens to be in a pennant race, and that's the way it is." -- Manager Don Mattingly, on struggling SS Dee Gordon, who rebounded with two good games against the Angels.
