And so it comes to this. The Dodgers may not deserve to be still alive for a playoff spot, and it’s only because Bud Selig pushed through the second wild card that it’s even a concern, but here we are: six games left, three games out, and Clayton Kershaw on the mound. By the time the first pitch is thrown, Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals will be about six innings into the start of their series against Edwin Jackson and the Nationals, though it remains to be seen what Washington’s effort level will be this weekend as their playoff spot is all but sewn up.

That being the case, you really don’t have a lot of time left to mess around, and so it’s interesting to see that Don Mattingly has Andre Ethier & Shane Victorino down at 6 and 7 in the lineup tonight. There’s good reasons for both, of course, since Ethier’s troubles against lefties (Colorado throws Jeff Francis tonight) are well-known, and Victorino has been terrible even when he’s not dealing with a sore wrist. That puts Mark Ellis back at the top of the lineup and Luis Cruz hitting second for just the fourth time. With A.J. Ellis‘ recent struggles derailing any drumbeat to move him up higher, this is pretty much the best lineup you could hope for given the players available, so good on Mattingly for that.

In other news, the Dodgers finalized the Victorino trade by sending minor league infielder Stefan Jarrin to the Phillies. Jarrin is a 22-year-old second baseman who was a 40th round pick in the 2011 draft and has hit .211 in 175 rookie league plate appearances over the last two seasons, though he’s of course far better known as the grandson of Dodger Spanish announcer Jaime Jarrin. The thought that it took three players to get the awful Victorino is somewhat disturbing; then again, Jarrin’s not anywhere close to a real prospect. If anything, I’m surprised the Phillies even wanted him.