Mattingly trying to stay on top with makeshift roster

The dog days of summer have arrived and the first place Los Angeles Dodgers are limping into the final six weeks of the season.

Hyun-Jin Ryu is on the DL with a hip strain, Josh Beckett has something called a hip impingement and Zack Greinke could miss a start this week with a tender elbow.

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez is on the DL with an oblique strain and third sacker Juan Uribe is down with a hamstring strain.

The Dodgers have brought in veteran starters Kevin Correia from the Twins and Roberto Hernandez from the Phillies to shore up the depleted pitching staff, promoted infielders Miguel Rojas and Erisel Arruebarrena and acquired veteran Darwin Barney to help out in the infield. Justin Turner came off the bench to spell Uribe at third.

It is, at best, a makeshift roster.

Correia got his second start for the Dodgers last night and was shaky, giving up eight hits and four runs through five innings in an 8-6 Dodger victory. Correia surrendered a three-run homer to Jedd Gyorko in the first inning.

Thankfully for Correia, San Diego pitchers were having a harder time of it with starter Ian Kennedy giving up six runs on seven hits through five frames.

The Dodgers put up two runs in the second inning when Carl Crawford singled, Turner doubled to center and Arruebarrena singled him home.

Los Angeles built a 5-3 lead with three runs in the fourth inning when Matt Kemp slashed a double to left, Crawford walked and Turner doubled off the glove of center fielder Abraham Almonte. A.J. Ellis brought home Crawford with a sac fly to right and Turner scored on a throwing error by first baseman Jake Goebbert, trying to force Turner at third.

The Dodgers added a run in the fifth when Kemp doubled off the glove of left fielder Seth Smith on a catchable fly at the wall and Crawford cashed him in with a single to center.

Crawford, who went three-for-three, provided some insurance in the seventh when he powered a two-run homer to right field, bringing in Yasiel Puig, who got on base with an infield single.

San Diego scored once in the eighth and once in the ninth to draw close but the Dodgers ended the game when Adrian Gonzalez intercepted a Puig throw to the plate and gunned down Almonte, who had rounded third and was caught off the bag.

Dodger relievers Jamey Wright, J.P. Howell, Brandon League and Kenley Jansen gave up two runs on six hits over the final four innings but managed to hang on for the win.

In Chicago, the Giants dropped a rain-shortened 2-0 decision to the Cubs that featured a 20-minute downpour and a 4:34 rain delay before the game was eventually called due to poor field conditions.

Chicago’s grounds crew had problems with the tarp and efforts to get the field in playing condition were unsuccessful. As a result, the Giants had to take a 2-0 loss and the Dodgers increased their lead in the NL West to 4.5 games.

This Bud’s for you – Chicago grounds crew.