For last-place Dodgers, it was all there to see in 11-3 loss to Brewers

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Anyone still wondering how a team that played for the National League pennant the past two seasons could be mired in last place had only to take in Wednesday’s little endeavor against the Brewers.

Let’s see, where to begin? So many choices. When you lose, 11-3, as the Dodgers did, that tends to happen.

Starting pitching? Chad Billingsley, trying to put together a third consecutive good start, gave up four runs in the first inning. He did not allow another run in his six innings, but the damage was done.

Relief pitching? Two of the bullpen’s mainstays, Ronald Belisario and Ramon Troncoso, were asked to keep a 4-3 deficit close and combined to give up five runs in the eighth. And do I really need to mention what happened when George Sherrill entered the game?

Defense? Their string of six consecutive games without an error came to an end in the seventh when third baseman Casey Blake fielded a grounder from Rickie Weeks, double-pumped and then threw on a bounce to James Loney, who couldn’t make the stab. Blake dropped another grounder for an error in the ninth. There also was a badly botched rundown in the Brewers’ five-run eighth.

Offense? Now here’s where it really gets interesting. The Dodgers got their hits (12), but the run-producing offense that Andre Ethier was igniting over the weekend has slowed to a comparative crawl.

Unless you count getting handled by Milwaukee starters Doug Davis (8.87 earned-run average) and Chris Narveson (6.60) on consecutive nights.

Yeah, they were beaten by guys hanging around the 12-15 Brewers’ rotation. Seriously struggling guys. Guys they should be owning.

If they can’t get to the likes of Davis and Narveson, it doesn’t bode well for the future when the competition will be amped up in the NL West.

For one night, a little of everything that could go wrong did. Just in case anyone was wondering how the Dodgers got to 11-16.

-- Steve Dilbeck