LOS ANGELES (AP) – Even manager Jim Tracy couldn’t resist taking a shot at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ anemic offense.

“The first half of the season is over, and we know that if one phase of our game would have been a bit better, our record would be a lot better,” said Tracy, who is usually positive when it comes to his players.

On June 21, the Dodgers had a 44-29 record and were tied for the NL West lead with the San Francisco Giants. Then they lost 15 of their last 20 games before the All-Star break to fall 7 games off the pace.

They were also 3 games behind Philadelphia in the wild-card race entering Thursday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, which kicks off an eight-game homestand.

The Dodgers took steps to remedy the situation during the break, acquiring slugging outfielder Jeromy Burnitz from the New York Mets for three minor leaguers. And they signed 44-year-old outfielder Rickey Henderson, a future Hall of Famer who had been playing for Newark of the independent Atlantic League.

The Dodgers (49-44) have a team ERA of 3.06 – almost a half-run lower than any team in the majors. But they’re last in the NL with a .244 batting average and 328 runs scored, and

their 59 homers are the fewest in the majors.

Left fielder Brian Jordan underwent season-ending knee surgery last week, and first baseman Fred McGriff and center fielder Dave Roberts are also on the disabled list.

Things were at their worst during a 10-game span from June 27 to July 7, when the Dodgers scored a total of 15 runs. They allowed three runs or less in six of those games, but won only once – a 2-0 triumph over Arizona behind the pitching of Odalis Perez.

Perez caused quite a commotion after his previous start on June 29, when the Dodgers lost at Anaheim 3-1, taking a verbal shot at the hitters.

The addition of Burnitz and Henderson and the anticipated return of McGriff and Roberts in the near future should mean Tracy won’t be forced to use such unproven players as Wilkin Ruan, Chad Hermansen and Larry Barnes in the starting lineup.

But if Shawn Green, Adrian Beltre, Alex Cora, McGriff and their teammates don’t up their production, it won’t matter.

All-Star Paul Lo Duca, hitting .307 with six homers and 34 RBIs, is the only player on the roster other than Jordan with a batting average above .265. Green, who hit 49 homers and 125 RBIs two years ago and 42 homers and 114 RBIs last year, is hitting just .255 with 10 homers and 45 RBIs.

The offense showed signs of coming alive in the Dodgers’ last six games before the break, accounting for 38 runs. But that resulted in only three wins because the pitchers allowed 32 runs.

Despite the excellent work of the pitching staff, there are concerns regarding the starters.

Darren Dreifort was pitching as well as ever before needing season-ending knee surgery last month.

And Kevin Brown was perhaps baseball’s best starting pitcher before straining his groin June 17 during a 4-1 victory over the Giants. The 38-year-old Brown was 10-1 with a 1.97 ERA following that outing. He lost his next three starts, leaving him 10-4 with a 2.30 ERA, and is on the 15-day disabled list because of a lower abdominal strain.

If it wasn’t for All-Star game loser Eric Gagne, who has 31 saves in as many opportunities and 39 straight dating back to last year, there’s no telling where the Dodgers would be.

Without Dreifort and Brown, the Dodgers have been going with a rotation of Perez, Hideo Nomo, Kazuhisa Ishii, Andy Ashby and Wilson Alvarez. Neither Ashby nor Alvarez have been impressive in limited action.