Dodgers nearly pull it off but lose to Detroit, 7-5

Back when the Dodgers were still the Dodgers, their 7-5 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday would have been acceptable.

They had won the first two games of the three-game series at Dodger Stadium.

They had won their previous three games.

And they displayed resiliency Wednesday, fighting back against a superior American League team to come within a few feet of extending the game into extra innings, if not winning it.

But these aren’t the Dodgers of Sandy Koufax, Steve Garvey, Kirk Gibson, or even Manny Ramirez. These Dodgers have already lost too many games to have the luxury of taking comfort in moral victories.

When backtracking center fielder Austin Jackson caught Dioner Navarro’s line drive to end the game with the bases loaded, the Dodgers found themselves back at eight games under .500.

Matt Kemp, who was charging home from second base when Jackson deprived the Dodgers of a rare moment of glory, threw his helmet in the direction of the vacant owner’s box. As the Tigers celebrated on the field, Kemp retreated to the dugout with his hands on his head.

Later in the clubhouse, he declined to field any questions.

“I’m good, dude,” he said, walking toward the showers.

The Dodgers will take a day off Thursday and resume play Friday with the first of nine more interleague games, six against the Angels and three against the Minnesota Twins.

For the Dodgers to meet Manager Don Mattingly’s goal of reaching the .500 mark by the All-Star break, they will have to win 12 of their next 16 games.

Mattingly said he thought the Dodgers were about to secure one of those victories Wednesday.

With the Dodgers trailing by two runs, Andre Ethier reached base on a one-out single to right field. Kemp walked and James Loney singled to load the bases.

Casey Blake pinch-hit for Dee Gordon, but struck out to bring up Navarro, who hit a two-strike rocket against closer Jose Valverde.

“I thought it was over his head,” Mattingly said, referring to Jackson.

Loney, who was on the first base, said he also thought the ball would clear Jackson’s head. So did Navarro.

“I saw the replay,” Navarro said. “He took a great jump.”

The sequence illustrated the Dodgers’ lack of depth. The Dodgers didn’t have a legitimate left-handed-hitting threat to pinch-hit for Gordon and were forced to send up the right-handed Blake.

Depth wasn’t a problem for the Tigers. They held Jackson out of the lineup, starting Casper Wells in his place. Wells led off the game with a home run. Jackson entered the game as a ninth-inning defensive replacement.

The Dodgers were forced to play from behind because of their inability to keep the ball in the park. After not giving up a home run in their previous seven games, they served up four Wednesday, including three by starter Ted Lilly.

Lilly also gave up home runs to Magglio Ordonez and Miguel Cabrera. Lilly lasted only 42/3 innings, giving up six runs and six hits.

“I have to look myself in the mirror,” Lilly said. “I need to get better.”

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com