Brewers 2 9 1

WP- Ryu (5-2)

LP- Peralta (3-5)

HR- Hernandez (1), Braun (9)

With rumors swirling of Don Mattingly‘s paper thin leash in the recent days, apparently the Dodgers are beginning to think out of desperation. Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times tweeted this on Wednesday morning pre-game:

#Dodgers have discussed calling up Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson, according to Don Mattingly.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) May 22, 2013

The entirety of the blame is seemingly being put on the players by Ned Colletti and Don Mattingly:

Andre Ethier is not hurt. Mattingly said he is sitting because he wants to field team that will compete the best.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) May 22, 2013

Andre Ethier was ejected during yesterday’s game after arguing then staring down the home plate umpire. Mattingly has been sitting Ethier more often in recent days. Although Ethier did have a great game the other day hitting a triple and a homerun. Ethier’s discontent is a common occurrence over the years, and he’s sometimes gets in a tizzy fit. Yet that’s one of the reasons that I like him. He gets fired up, and he would be one of the first players to show the signs of frustration within the team which may be more rampant than we think.

Don Mattingly’s job is in jeopardy, but he’s blaming the players and specifically Andre Ethier. Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

This series finale is probably one of Don Mattingly’s most important games in his career.

Wily Peralta will do his best to clinch the series for the Brewers Wednesday morning at Miller Park. Carl Crawford swings the first pitch and singles into left field. With Mark Ellis at the plate, Crawford steals his ninth base of the season. Crawford takes third on a groundout by MEllis. Adrian Gonzalez lines out softly to Rickie Weeks at second. Matt Kemp‘s long single to right field cashes in Crawford! 1-0 Dodgers. Scott Van Slyke, who is in instead of Ethier, grounds out to short to end the first frame.

Hyun-jin Ryu takes the mound for the Dodgers in the home half of the first. The annoying lead-off man Norichika Aoki slaps a single down the third base line. Jean Segura hits in to a force out. Ryu throws two straight breaking balls which miss, and Ryan Braun is aboard with a walk. Ryu escapes the jam after Jonathan Lucre hits into an inning ending 4-5-3 double play. Nice turn by Nick Punto.

The Dodgers bring up 11 batters in the second inning, and they plate five runs off a struggling Wiley Peralta. Nick Punto leads off with a

Hyun-jin Ryu picks up his fifth win after going deep into the game for the Dodgers. Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

single to left, Uribe singles, and then the rarest of rares occurs… Ramon Hernandez singles off Peralta’s glove for the third consecutive Dodger single! With the bases loaded, Ryu strikes out. The Brewers then proceed to make two big defensive blunders. Crawford singles past Rickie Weeks who makes a bumbled play. Two runs score as the ball goes into right field. Mark Ellis follows with yet another single to load up the bases again. Gonzalez reaches on an error by Jean Segura. Hernandez scores on the play and brings in the Dodgers third run of the inning. Matt Kemp strikes out swinging. Scott Van Slyke has a good at bat, and Peralta walks him to bring in the fourth Dodger run of the inning. Nick Punto is also walked by Peralta to bring in another run! That’s going to be all for Peralta. Alfredo Figaro comes in to get the last out, and he quickly induces a fly out from Uribe to end the inning.

Wiley Peralta only made it through 1 2/3 innings allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks on 55 pitches.

In the bottom of the second, the Brewers runs themselves right out of the inning. They start with consecutive singles from Carlos Gomez and Yuniesky Betancourt. Gomez gets greedy, and he tries to take third on the Betancourt single. Matt Kemp guns the ball to third base to throw him out! Matt Kemp’s throw was a beauty. Weeks and Jeff Bianchi both ground out to end the inning.

Wiley Peralta couldn’t make it out of the second inning after allowing 6 runs. Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Ramon Hernandez leads off the third with a solo homerun to right field! That’s his first homerun as a Dodgers and his first of the season. The Dodgers take a commanding 7-0 lead. Ryu strikes out, and Crawford and MEllis both are retired thereafter by Figaro.

Figaro will bat in the bottom of the third. Ryu strikes him out looking. Nick Punto bobbles a grounder hit by Aoki to draw an error. Ryu strikes out Segura. Braun ends the inning with a ground out to second.

Scott Van Slyke doubles off the left field wall with two outs in the fourth against Alfredo Figaro, but Matt Kemp strikes out and Gonzo and Punto ground out.

Nick Punto makes a fine play at short in the bottom of the fourth. He dives to stop a grounder hit by Lucroy, and he throws him out from his knees. Carlos Gomez and Weeks strike out, and that’s Ryu’s third and fourth whiff of the game.

Ramon Hernandez is now 2-for-2 with a single, homerun, and a walk in the top of the fifth. Carl Crawford also draws a walk to put two runners on with 2 outs against Figaro. Mark Ellis strikes out to end the inning. Figaro made 60 pitches over 3 1/3 innings and allowed one run-the homerun to Hernandez.

The Brewers run themselves out of another inning in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch-hitter Alex Gonzalez singles with one out, but the Dodgers turn a 3-6-3 double play on a groundball by Aoki to trap Gonzalez into a pickle between second and first.

Burke Badenhop will come out of the Milwaukee pen for the top of the sixth. Ryan Braun robs Adrian Gonzalez of a sure homerun as he makes a leaping catch over the scoreboard. Matt Kemp singles to shallow center field after a trio of Brewers are unable to catch it. The ball drops in between them. Van Slyke hits into an inning ending double play.

The Brewers get on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Braun hits a solo shot to center field. It’s now 7-1.

Badenhop walks Hernandez in the seventh with two outs. The back-up catcher has walked twice in the game. Ryu, who is still in the game, flies out to left to end the inning.

Hyun-jin Ryu pitches a very nice 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh.

Francisco Rodriguez will pitch the eighth for the Brew Crew, and he sends the Dodgers down in order.

Ryu is back out for the bottom of the eighth. Martin Maldonado quickly flies out on one pitch. Aoki singles on a ball which bounces off Uribe’s glove. That’s going to be all for Ryu. The lefty  went 7 1/3 innings  while allowing 1 run on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks on 108 pitches. Ronald Belisario will comes in to relieve Ryu. Segura promptly singles off Belisario, and Aoki moves over to second. They manage to get Braun to hit into a force out. Punto makes a nice play to get Segura out at second. Lucroy singles to right field, and Aoki brings in the second Milwaukee run of the game. Beli rears back to strike out Gomez for the big third out.

Can Mattingly save his job? Or is he a lame duck? Photo: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Kintzler will pitch the ninth for Milwaukee. Matt Kemp leads off with a walk, and he steals his seventh base of the year with Scott Van Slyke batting. SVS doubles (his second double of the game) to left field, and Matt Kemp brings in the eighth Dodger run. Nick Punto collects his second single. Uribe hits into a double play, but Van Slyke scores on the play, 9-2.

Brandon League will try to hold on to a seven run lead in the bottom of the ninth. Punto botches a play, and Weeks reaches on a single. Pinch-hitter makes the final out on Logan Schafer‘s ground out.

Thanks to Wiley Peralta’s awfulness and the Brewers bad defense, Donnie’s “competitive” lineup gets the win. The Dodgers take the season series against the Brewers 4-2. Will this extend Mattingly’s season as Dodgers skipper? Or is it too little too late? Beating the Brewers is no great feat.

The Dodgers improve to 19-26, and they head back to L.A. to host a tough St. Louis team for a three-game series this weekend. The road trip saw them win two games while losing four. Chris Capuano will counter Lance Lynn Friday at 7:10 p.m.

So far this season Federowicz is hitting .519 with 7 homeruns and 21 RBIs in 14 games. Yet the Dodgers are letting Federowicz play in AAA instead even though they could use a young catcher to handle some of the burden put on A.J. Ellis’s shoulders. I’d even start Federowicz once every three games or so in order give A.J. a rest and allow FedEx some experience. With Hernandez, an expensive place holder on this roster, Federowicz will continue to be third in line.

May 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Tim Federowicz (18) before the game against the Miami Marlins at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Depth at the catcher position is of course important for all ball clubs. I’m sure Ned Colletti has his eye on the amount of catching talent which is currently in the system. It’s pretty difficult to find excellent catching. The Dodgers constant need to have more catching along with the albatross of a contract with Hernandez make it more difficult to cut Hernandez. The argument here is that Ramon Hernandez is only useful for his experience and decent defense. He can no longer hit as well as he used to. Any other time would not make Hernandez’s stay that detrimental, but the Dodgers are deep in the loss column. It’s not a time not to use a hot hitting big league ready position player.

The time is now. The Dodgers will pay Ramon Hernandez $3.2 million for 2013. This was the cost of dumping Aaron Harang on to the Rockies. Since becoming a Dodger on April 6, Hernandez has just one sole hit. He’s hitting .045 in 22 at-bats. Over the course of his 14-year career, Hernandez is a .263 hitter who has collected 166 homeruns in 1,517 games played. During the first years of his career, Hernandez hit well and hit a career-high 23 homeruns in 2006. After playing for 6 different teams, Hernandez seems to be on the tail end of his career. Last season he hit just .217 for the Rockies in 52 games.

Defensively Hernandez is decent, and he has a career 31% caught stealing percentage. So far with the Dodgers this year, the 37-year old has caught 2 potential base stealers and allowed 1 stolen base. Tim Federowicz’s caught stealing percentage so far this season in Albuquerque is 36%. He has yet to have the opportunity to throw out his first base runner of the year. Federowicz could get valuable Major League time against the best base stealers if he was given the opportunity.

Unless the Dodgers are going to do a 180° this season, there’s no reason not to let some of the young kids play. Federowicz has been ready, but the acquisition of Ramon Hernandez has now temporarily blocked him from the team. The Dodgers need to designate Hernandez and reinstate FedEx if they want to fuel this team with a young bat with a chance instead of an old bat with old tricks.