Dodgers 2013 Season Memories: Ethier Benched, Dodgers Defeat Brewers

May 22, 2013

After Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that he wanted a team “that is going to fight, to compete the whole day”, outfielder Andre Ethier found himself out of the lineup in favor of Scott Van Slyke in the Dodgers 9-2 victory.

Up to that point, Ethier was struggling, hitting just .264 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 43 games. Mattingly’s decision to go with Van Slyke came after a meeting with his staff the night before following a 5-2 loss to the Brewers.

The Dodgers scored nine runs for the first time all season and rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched into the eighth inning to earn the win. Van Slyke had two doubles and drove in two runs, while outfielders Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford each added two hits and drove in a combined three runs. Catcher Ramon Hernandez had his first breakout game since joining the Dodgers and went 2-3 with a home run. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez and shortstop Nick Punto added to the scoring with an RBI apiece.

Ryu allowed just two runs in 7.1 innings with four strikeouts to improve to 5-2 on the season. He did allow six hits and two walks, but was able to work himself out of jams to limit the damage. Ryu continued to impress in his rookie season after coming over from South Korea, where he was used to having more time in between starts.

With the win, the Dodgers improved to 19-26 with a chance to take the series the next night. After starting the season 12-12, the Dodgers went on a 6-14 slide before taking the game against the Brewers. Many felt that Mattingly’s words and the benching of Ethier was just an attempt to save his job as he found himself on the hot seat after the slow start.

Here’s highlights from the Dodgers 9-2 win: