It’s time for the Dodgers to take their frustration out on the other guys

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So they’re getting a tad prickly, are they?

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Could be a very good thing.

What the Dodgers believe is, they’re better than this. Better than they’ve been the last seven times they played an American League club.

‘What do you want? Andre Ethier snapped Sunday.

This after the Dodgers were swept out of Boston and Ethier had completed an 0-for-16 streak.

Frustration builds when a team underperforms. When a team used to winning loses a fourth consecutive game, its seventh straight interleague game and its seventh out of nine overall.

‘What do you want?’

Not attitude displayed at the media, but on the field. And certainly not unhappiness aimed at one another, but toward the opponent.

A little edginess is not necessarily a bad thing, when properly directed. The Dodgers just have to be careful to avoid pointing fingers. It would be silly right now, anyway, since fingers could fly in all directions.

Frustration can bring a keener focus but also eat away at confidence.

The Dodgers were a team without swagger in getting swept in three-game sets by the Angels and Red Sox. Losing can make a team look that way, of course, but even when the Dodgers were winning they hardly seemed ready to strut. Their winning lacked rhythm, lacked a pattern.

Good teams can win in different ways, but right now the Dodgers are lost. It happens during a 162-game season. Right now, that frustration needs to be honed into renewed focus.

The Angels are up again, which the Dodgers have to make a good thing. They need to return the favor. Need to dig in and start over Tuesday.

It’s what they should want.

-- Steve Dilbeck