I present three facts:

1) Tonight’s lineup, from Inside the Dodgers:

Pierre, LF
Furcal, SS
Hudson, 2B
Ethier, RF
Martin, C
Loney, 1B
Kemp, CF
Blake, 3B
Wolf, P

Note Ethier hitting cleanup, again.

2) Andre Ethier against tonight’s Angel starter, Jered Weaver: 1 single in 14 PA.

3) Andre Ethier against every pitcher over the last two weeks: .109/.215/.127 (.342 OPS).

So why is he still hitting cleanup? I’d said earlier that I wished Ethier would get a few more days off, but with Xavier Paul’s leg apparently melting, I can understand not wanting to put in Jamie Hoffman (I’ll do my best not to point out how useful Delwyn Young would have been right now), but could we at least drop Ethier down in the lineup? Put Kemp 4th. Put Martin there – he may not be swinging for power but at least he’s doing well this month. Hell, put Casey Blake there, because all he does is hit homers. But please, just stop putting Ethier there.

Now that I’ve said this, Andre Ethier will go 2-4 with a double and a homer tonight. Bet on it.