Dodgers Like What’s Happening

ST. LOUIS —  The Dodgers’ first half was a head-spinning blend of abrupt endings and promising beginnings. Veterans broke down like rusted farm equipment. Rookies broke through like summer crops.

Predictably, the results were mixed, a team in transition searching for an identity while trying to stay in a pennant race.

Even the All-Star game was revealing. Brad Penny proved he can reach back for 99 mph on a big stage and Nomar Garciaparra remained classy after watching from the bench while one National League player after another with a batting average lower than his flailed away.

Now it’s back to the grind. Although the Dodgers’ identity is still in flux, at least the general manager knows the manager, the manager knows the players, and the players know one another. None of that was true in February.

“The familiarity we all have with one another has increased by the day,” Manager Grady Little said. “Everybody is on the same page. I feel good about the direction we are headed.”

Although there is finality about the status of closer Eric Gagne and third baseman Bill Mueller -- they are out for the season -- questions persist about the health of second baseman Jeff Kent and center fielder Kenny Lofton.

The trading deadline looms, and everyone in the clubhouse knows what the most welcome addition would be. Pitching, and more pitching.

Biggest first-half surprise: Nomar Garciaparra’s torrid hitting shouldn’t astonish people -- he’s a .322 lifetime hitter healthy for the first time in years. The most unexpected offensive contribution came from rookie outfielder Andre Ethier, who entered the All-Star break batting .352 after earning NL player-of-the-week honors. Among pitchers, 36-year-old Japanese rookie reliever Takashi Saito’s ability to step into the gaping closer void left by the injured Gagne and Aaron Sele’s consistent starts were totally unforeseen.

Biggest first-half disappointment: Frustration over the litany of physical problems that ended Gagne’s season at two appearances was compounded by the erratic work of former Tampa Bay closer Danys Baez, who has been merely a serviceable setup reliever. Shortstop and leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal hasn’t lived up to his $13-million-a-year contract, but he’s beginning to heat up.

Defining moment: Rookie Russell Martin took over at catcher for the injured Dioner Navarro and the Dodgers promptly ended a five-game losing streak, won five in a row and are 34-18 with Martin behind the plate. They are 12-24 in games he hasn’t caught, but those should be few and far between for years to come. Martin is a good all-around offensive player, handles the pitchers well and has thrown out a respectable 28% of base stealers.

At this pace: The Dodgers lead the NL in batting yet don’t show much power. They hold a sizable advantage with a .284 batting average and .357 on-base percentage and are among league leaders with 71 stolen bases and 334 walks, but are last with 76 home runs. No Dodger is on pace to hit 20 homers, and two hitters projected to provide much of the power -- Kent and J.D. Drew -- each have only nine.

Reason to be excited: The rookies who made such a substantial impact in the first half should only get better. Martin, Ethier and relievers Saito and Jonathan Broxton are here to stay. The Dodgers hope outfielder Matt Kemp and starting pitcher Chad Billingsley overcome growing pains and don’t need more minor league seasoning. Third baseman Andy LaRoche could be the next youngster to come up.

Reason to be concerned: The Dodgers are 12 games over .500 when Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and Sele start and eight games below .500 when they don’t. Acquiring a reliable starter is the top priority before the trading deadline, but if Cesar Izturis is traded to get one, third base could become a problem. Losing veteran Mueller to a season-ending knee injury in mid-May was a severe blow.

Moves to ponder: Trading Izturis for a starting pitcher and promoting LaRoche is a scenario favored by some in the organization. However, General Manager Ned Colletti doesn’t like to put a rookie in a sink-or-swim situation, and that’s what he would be doing with LaRoche, who has played only a handful of games at triple A. Instead of trading Izturis, Colletti might finally part with one or more prospects. Power-hitting Joel Guzman and switch-hitting infielder Willy Aybar could become trade bait.

See you in September: Barring a rash of injuries, the Dodgers should be in the thick of an NL West race that could include all five teams. The first-place San Diego Padres have been hot, but the youthful Colorado Rockies and veteran San Francisco Giants can’t be counted out, either. The Arizona Diamondbacks have pulled back after leading the division much of the first half.

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How they stand

*--* NL WEST W-L PCT. GB San Diego 48-40 545 -- DODGERS 46-42 523 2 San Francisco 45-44 506 3 1/2

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* WHERE THEY RANK (16 NL TEAMS)

*--* Batting Avg. 1st 284 On-base pct. 1st 357 Runs 2nd 471 Home runs 16th 76 ERA 5th 4.35

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* NEXT SERIES AT ST. LOUIS (Times PDT)

Today: C. Billingsley vs. J. Marquis, 5 p.m.

Friday: D. Lowe vs. C. Carpenter, 5 p.m.

Saturday: M. Hendrickson vs. J. Suppan, 10:15 a.m.

Sunday: B. Penny vs. A. Reyes, 11:15 a.m.