June swoon has pelted the Dodgers

Matt Guerrier.  Juan Rivera.  Mark Ellis.  Ted Lilly.  Matt Kemp.  Javy Guerra.  And now, Andre Ethier.

What do they all have in common?  The Dodgers were once able to replace them with someone new at one time or another without skipping a beat.  It worked up until June 17, when they beat the White Sox to improve to 42-25, good for a five-game lead over the Giants in the NL West.

A week-and-a-half later?  Try 43-33, and a deadlock with the Giants thanks to getting swept in San Francisco.  Oh ya, they didn't score one run in three games.  No runs.  Three games.  Yikes.

Folks, the June swoon has it, and boy has it hit hard.

So how exactly have the Dodgers managed to drop seven of eight?  The biggest thing, quite simply, is the offense.  Kemp is irreplaceable, but the Dodgers still found ways to win without him for much of the season.  It looks like his absence has finally caught up to them.

Let's take a look at the culprits, and how they've performed since that win on June 17:

Juan Uribe: 1-for-20 (.050 AVG), 1 2B, 1 RBI, 8 K's.  Ned Colletti brought this guy along last season for his championship experience.  I guess that "championship experience" is showing everyone what not to do.  He has been a colossal disappointment to say the least.  I know he's had trouble staying healthy, but when he is in there, he's awful.  Just plain awful.

James Loney: 0-for-15 (you know the average), 1 BB, 2 K's.  Mr. Groundout to 2nd said earlier this year that he believes he's an everyday player.  Well, if he is, then the Dodgers would be 0-76.  Seriously, I'm insulted that somebody as bad at the plate as him would even have the nerve to say he should play more.  That's just ridiculous.

Elian Herrera: 2-for-31 (.065), 1 R, 1 2B, 9 K's.  Not to mention all of the double plays he's grounded into.  Look, I like Herrera, as he's as versatile as they come.  But it's obvious he's either worn out, or pitchers have caught up to him.  He's as lost as can be at the plate, and it's not getting any better.

Tony Gwynn: 6-for-26 (.231), 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 3 K's, 1 SB.  For a guy who should get on base to use his speed, he has an OBP of .298.  That's really bad.  He's another guy who gives his all on defense, but gives you nothing at the plate.  And that's why he's a career reserve, plain and simple.

Bobby Abreu: 2-for-26 (.077), 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBIs, 2 BB, 8 K's.  Abreu has been a big pickup for the most part, but he's someone else who looks worn down.  There's no way anyone thought he'd be playing this much, but the injuries have made it happen.  And it figures, the one game where he crushed a three-run homer, Chad Billingsley choked away the lead for a loss.

Dee Gordon: 6-for-36 (.167), 2 R, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K's, 3 SB.  Gordon did have three straight games with two hits apiece, but is still not getting on base nearly enough for a leadoff hitter, as evidenced by his .277 OBP.  Plus, his defense is still a work in progress.

If you add up the numbers of these six regulars, they're hitting a combined 17-for-154 for a .110 average.  Holy crap, that's really, really bad.  I mean REALLY bad.  Of course, there's also starting pitchers like Billingsley and Nathan Eovaldi getting pounded recently, but it's hard to blame the pitching when the offense barely backs them up. 

As good as the Dodgers have been (until recently) without Kemp, the bottom line all along was that they needed him if they wanted to make some noise in the playoffs.  Now they need him just to keep from getting shutout every night.  We can only hope he won't rush back to save the day, but it looks like the earliest he'll come back is after the All-Star break.  And no matter what happens, his health comes first, so it's a good decision.

Starting with Thursday night's home game against the Mets, the Dodgers have 11 games left before the break.  And now that Ethier looks like he will miss some time, whether that be long or short, the guys who are in the lineup have to find a way to gain back some respectability.  It won't be easy, as they play the Mets and Reds at home before taking on the Diamondbacks on the road. 

There's a tired, old sports cliche of "take one game at a time" that players say way too much.  Well guess what?  I'm about to say it now, as that's exactly what the focus needs to be.  Maybe the Dodgers will look back at this stretch as their low point, and they start to play ball again.  Or, it could get even worse, and the losses will be too much to overcome.

Either way, the guys mentioned above have to get better if the Dodgers want to start winning again.  If not, then the trade deadline could get a whole lot more interesting.