Andre Ethier Benched In Dodgers 9-2 Win Over Brewers

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has recently been placed on the hot seat after his ball club’s slow start, but he made a gutsy decision Wednesday afternoon that seems to have paid off. The skipper decided to bench Andre Ethier to put his “most competitive” lineup on the field and the move must of sparked something, as the Dodgers went on to beat the Brewers 9-2.

Though Ethier is only hitting .264 on the season, he is tied for second on the team with four home runs and has produced in the lineup for years, making Mattingly’s decision a bit questionable, or did it? Scott Van Slyke, a 26-year-old with 27 games of experience coming into this season, replaced Ethier in the lineup on Wednesday and went two-for-four with two RBIs.

The Dodgers broke out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and Hyun-Jin Ryu took care of the rest on the mound. The star rookie from South Korea held the Brewers scoreless until the sixth inning when Ryan Braun hit a solo home run to deep left center.

The Brewers scratched across another run off a Jonathan Lucroy single in the eighth that ended Ryu’s day. The left-hander went 7.1 innings with four strikeouts after giving up two runs on six hits.

He was never truly threatened at any point, and it didn’t hurt when his teammates gave him a six run lead after a huge second inning. The Dodgers went on to add two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth when Van Slyke doubled in Matt Kemp and then scored on a double play.

Brandon League came in and finished off the Brewers in the ninth to take two-of-three games on the road at Miller Park. Mattingly’s decision to bench Ethier paid off after all, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see the slugger back in the lineup when the team goes home to face the Cardinals on Friday.

Do you believe Andre Ethier deserved to be in the Dodgers’ lineup for the rubber match against the Brewers on Wednesday afternoon?

[Image via Creative Commons]