When the Dodgers acquired 34-year-old Franklin Gutierrez and 28-year-old Brett Eibner during the off-season, they did so with one specific goal in mind – to give their heavy left-handed-hitting lineup a couple of right-handed bats. In fact, when Gutierrez showed up at the Dodgers spring training facility at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was almost giddy over having his former San Diego Padre teammate on his 40-man roster.

“We acquired Franklin to hit left-handed pitching, which he does well.” Roberts told reporters at the time.

Dodger manager Dave Roberts was viably excited when his former teammate Franklin Gutierrez showed up for spring training camp. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

On Monday night, the Dodgers opened a three-game series against the NL East-leading Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium – a game which the Dodgers eventually lost by a score of 4-2. Dodger fans who had spent their hard-earned money hoping to see rookie phenom Cody Bellinger, four-time Gold Glove first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and “The Man” – veteran second baseman Chase Utley – basically got ripped off. Not only did these three key components of the Dodgers success thus far this season (especially Bellinger) not start, they didn’t even appear in the game until the bottom of the ninth inning.

Why, you ask?

Because Roberts elected to put his B-Team on the field instead of his very effective, heavy left-handed-hitting A-Team against Nationals left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez.

But wait, there’s more!

The B-Team Dodgers managed a grand total of six hits in Monday night’s game, four off of Gio Gonzalez, one off of left-handed reliever Enny Romero, one off of journeyman right-handed reliever Matt Albers and none off of veteran left-handed reliever Oliver Perez, who faced exactly one batter to collect the save. Of those six hits, three were by left-handed-hitting 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager – one of only two A-Team Dodgers in the lineup (along with blazing hot utility infielder / outfielder Chris Taylor, a right-handed hitter). Two of Seager’s hits – both singles – were off of left-hander Gio Gonzalez and the third – a double – off of left-hander Enny Romero.

The Dodgers had five hits against left-handed pitching on Monday night, four by left-handed Dodger hitters, including three by Corey Seager. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But wait, there’s even more!

With the Dodgers down to the final strike of the game in the bottom of the ninth, A-Team Dodger pinch-hitter Cody Bellinger (pity those who left early) slugged a two-out double off of right-hander Matt Albers. Unfortunately, the guy who many had come specifically to see was left stranded on second base when switch-hitting pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal (batting right-handed – his weaker side) struck out looking at one of Perez’s signature looping slow curve balls to end the game.

In other words, five of the Dodgers six hits on Monday night were off of left-handed pitching, with three of them by a left-handed hitter. The other three were a one out single by back-up A-Team catcher Austin Barnes in the second inning, an RBI double by A-Teamer Chris Taylor in the sixth inning, and the third a pinch-hit two-out double in the bottom of the ninth by A-Team star Cody Bellinger, although it was off a right-hander

Do you see a pattern here?

Although the argument that Bellinger, AGon, Utley and Grandal need an occasional day off is certainly a valid one, the Dodgers have both Thursday and Monday as scheduled off days. And with the Dodgers squaring off against the team with the best record in the National League, it seems that benching your A-Team couldn’t have occurred at a more inopportune time.

But what the heck do we know, right?