Dodgers line up the firepower to get it done

What a difference a Manny can make.

With Manny Ramirez batting third for the Dodgers, Russell Martin no longer has to concern himself about being the big bat in the lineup. Neither does Andre Ethier.

And like that, the Dodgers, who were maddeningly inconsistent when it came to producing runs last season, suddenly have what might be one of the best lineups in the National League.

"We're starting the season with a better offensive club than we had last year," Manager Joe Torre said. "You go one through eight with us, we don't have a soft spot."

How potent can these Dodgers be?

Consider this: Third baseman Casey Blake, who has averaged 21 home runs over the last six seasons, probably will be the No. 8 hitter in their season opener today in San Diego.

"Casey Blake, me, Russ, Matt [Kemp], any of us can hit eighth," said Ethier, who is scheduled to bat cleanup on most days. "Our lineup can be as good as it looks on paper, I think."

The increased firepower might be necessary for the Dodgers to be competitive. Their pitching might be that bad, threatening to turn them into this season's version of the Texas Rangers or Detroit Tigers.

The same hitters who were the subjects of private complaints by pitchers last season could, ironically, find themselves wondering this year whether the pitchers will do their jobs.

"A work in progress," General Manager Ned Colletti called the pitching staff.

The off-season departure of Derek Lowe left the Dodgers without a clear-cut ace. They're also short on quality arms, evidenced by how they scrapped plans of starting the season with James McDonald in the bullpen because they had no one else to be their fifth starter.

But the rotation appears stable compared with the bullpen.

The Dodgers don't have a long reliever such as Chan Ho Park, who kept them in numerous games last season when the starters faltered. What they do have are two pitchers who live on the edge of the disabled list -- left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo and right-hander Cory Wade -- setting up for an inexperienced closer in Jonathan Broxton.

The composition of this team breaks from the tradition of the Dodgers, who won their long-ago World Series titles on the strength of their pitching.

Fielding the kind of lineup that can compensate for substandard pitching isn't only new to franchise, it's also new to Torre, who has made it clear he would prefer to avoid venturing into the chaotic world of high-scoring games and blown leads.