It’s time for Dodgers to make a run

Russell Martin says he has no illusions about why the Dodgers are entering the second half of the season only one game behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

“Our pitching has kept us together,” Martin said.

Despite losing big-money free-agent signee Jason Schmidt for the season to shoulder surgery, the Dodgers’ staff has posted an earned-run average of 3.83, which ranks second in the NL and fourth in the majors. Brad Penny, Randy Wolf and Derek Lowe have combined to win 27 games, making them the winningest 1-2-3 combination in the league.

The bullpen has a 3.39 ERA, also second-best in the NL.

But the Dodgers have failed to gain any separation from their division rivals in part because they’ve failed to produce runs on a regular basis.

Asked to grade the offense, Manager Grady Little said, “It’d be hard to put a consistent grade on it because we’ve been kind of inconsistent.” Little later said the offense deserved a B-minus or C-plus.

The offense has shown signs of improvement under Bill Mueller, who took over as hitting coach June 15. Since then, the Dodgers have batted .299 with an on-base percentage of .340, both second-best in the NL over that span.

But as the offensive production has improved, the pitching staff has taken a hit from injuries.

The key to the second half, Little said, would be to get the team pitching and hitting well at the same time. To do that, the Dodgers might have to make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline.

Biggest first-half surprises: At 39 years old, free-agent signee Luis Gonzalez has offset the loss of J.D. Drew on offense. Gonzalez, who hit 15 home runs last season, already has 10 this season, and his .294 average is his highest since 2003. Second-year catcher Martin has turned into a bona fide All-Star, driving in 60 runs to lead all NL catchers. Takashi Saito, in his second season with the Dodgers, is among the league’s top closers.

Biggest first-half disappointments: Nomar Garciaparra isn’t the same player he was in the first half of 2006, when he batted .358 with 11 home runs. In the season’s worth of games he has played since, he’s batting .257. Brett Tomko couldn’t hold the fifth spot in the rotation and has become a serious liability coming out of the bullpen. Rafael Furcal is still bothered by an ankle sprain he suffered in spring training.

Defining moment: Lowe pitched a four-hitter against Toronto on June 9 -- and lost, 1-0. Lowe’s 3.12 ERA ranks eighth in the NL, but he enters the second half with an 8-8 record. Herein lies the Dodgers’ problem: When they pitch well, they tend not to score, and when they score, they tend not to pitch well.

At this pace: The Dodgers are second in the NL with a .271 average and 76 steals. But, as was the case a season ago, there’s a shortage of power. The Dodgers’ 63 home runs rank 15th in the NL and 28th in the majors. Only one Dodger is on pace to hit 20 home runs -- Martin, who has 11. With the bases loaded, the Dodgers are batting .218, worst in baseball.

Reasons to be excited: Martin isn’t the only young Dodger who has been producing. James Loney has made himself the everyday first baseman, pushing Garciaparra to third base. Loney has hit .383 with three home runs and 16 RBIs since being recalled June 10. Matt Kemp has batted .343 with three home runs and 10 RBIs since his call-up June 8. Chad Billingsley had a promising outing July 1, blanking the Padres over seven innings and not walking a batter for the first time in a start.

Reasons to be concerned: The Dodgers’ pitching depth has been tapped out. In addition to Schmidt’s injury and Tomko’s struggles, Wolf is recovering from a strained shoulder and Hong-Chih Kuo has been sidelined because of elbow problems. Penny already has 10 wins, but the Dodgers can’t afford to see him fade in the second half as he did last season. There are many questions about the last three spots in the rotation, with Billingsley looking for consistency, Wolf on the disabled list and Mark Hendrickson trying to prove that he’s better than he showed earlier this season.

Moves to ponder: General Manager Ned Colletti isn’t limiting his search for reinforcements, saying he’s in the market for arms and bats. But Colletti has made it clear he won’t deal for the sake of dealing. For him to part with one of the Dodgers’ young players, he said, he would need to be presented with the “absolute right deal.” That said, Colletti could be forced to compromise his stance if his rotation or bullpen falls apart because of injuries. Colletti also may have to decide what to do with Tomko if his presence on the mound continues to equate to automatic runs for the opposition. If they released Tomko, the Dodgers would eat about $3 million.

See you in September: If the Dodgers can remain healthy and solidify the back end of their rotation, they should be competing for the NL West title until the very end with San Diego and Arizona. The Padres have the league’s best pitching, and recently acquired outfielder Milton Bradley could energize their offense. The Diamondbacks lost eight of their last nine games heading into the break but are within striking distance. The Dodgers will face the Padres only six more times this season, including three times at the start of a 10-game trip that will take them from San Diego to Chicago to San Francisco in early September. The Dodgers will end the season with six games at home against the Rockies and Giants, who should be out of contention. San Diego will play its last seven games on the road, the last four at Milwaukee.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

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Half and half

Since putting up All-Star numbers in the first half of 2006, Nomar Garciaparra has struggled. From the 2006 All-Star break to the 2007 break, he batted .257 with only 31 extra-base hits:

*--* TIME PERIOD AB H R 2B 3B HR RBI AVG 2006 pre-All-Star break 268 96 55 24 1 11 53 358 2006 post-All-star break 201 46 27 7 1 9 40 229 2007 pre-All-Star break 308 85 27 12 0 2 42 276 Since 2006 All-Star break 509 131 54 19 1 11 82 257

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Los Angeles Times