This is going to hurt for a while

The ball bounced under Matt Kemp’s glove and rolled toward the right-field wall, a shiny white mistake in an embarrassing sea of green.

Groans.

The ball flew off Matt Kemp’s bat and drifted over the center-field fence, a shiny white souvenir in a triumphant sky of blue.

Cheers.

In a span of about six minutes Tuesday, the Dodgers gave their fans a snapshot of the next six weeks, and the picture is clear.

If you want to cheer, you must first groan.

If you want to enjoy, you must first endure.

If you want to eventually celebrate the successes of the best collection of young Dodgers talent in the last decade, you must first watch them go splat.

There’s a reason they don’t call it growing joys.

The pains are here, people, with a dozen wins in 34 games, with four hits in 85 at-bats with runners in scoring position, with double-digit scoreless streaks and middle-digit fan gestures and humiliation everywhere.

The pains are here, and you know something?

They’re necessary. They’re worth it. Just watch.

If countless men dressed in Panama hats and chomping cigar butts are correct, a year from now, Kemp makes a better catch, Andre Ethier makes a better throw, James Loney takes a better swing, Chad Billingsley stays in the game and Jonathan Broxton closes one.

A year from now, if Frank McCourt’s pockets are as wide as his patience, the Dodgers will have added the veteran piece or two to turn this team into a consistent championship contender.

Celebrate then. Suck it up now.

I know, I know, I have seemingly made a career out of bashing the Dodgers when they have not made late-season trades to push them toward the postseason.

And, yes, judging from recent e-mail, you are angrier than ever at the disintegration of a team that has stuck its hands in its pockets while falling out of playoff contention.

But this season is different. This team is different. For once, the Milton Bradley Memorial Water Bottle is actually half full.

Not since the days of Piazza and Karros have they had so much good young talent. Not since the fall of 2004, before Paul DePodesta broke up a division champion, have they had the opportunity to build such consistency.

I still contend they did the right thing by doing nothing.

At some point, they have to see whether these kids can play. With injuries to starting pitchers turning things hopeless a month ago, that point is now.

Dave Wallace, former Dodgers pitching guru and executive who is now the pitching coach for the Houston Astros, wandered over near the Dodgers dugout Tuesday to admire the view.

“Looks like they’ve built it back up,” he said.

Are you going to argue with the guy who moved Eric Gagne to the bullpen?

I’ll bash the Dodgers this winter if they don’t add to the young nucleus by chasing an Alex Rodriguez or Torii Hunter. I’ll bash Ned Colletti if he doesn’t fix the Jason Schmidt mistake by finding another arm.

But, for the rest of this lost season, I’ll only bash them if they don’t play the kids more.

Tuesday night was another ugly 7-4 loss to the Astros at Dodger Stadium, but a good step toward an important fall lineup.

Andre Ethier in left field, Matt Kemp in right field, Luis Gonzalez on the bench.

You’ll be seeing more of that for the next six weeks.

Russell Martin behind the plate and James Loney at first base.

You’ll be seeing that for several years.

After September recalls, the mix will get even more interesting.

If Andy LaRoche’s back heals as expected, he will replace suddenly disabled Nomar Garciaparra at third base.

If the Dodgers want Rafael Furcal’s season-long ankle injury to heal, they will replace him at shortstop with Chin-Lung Hu.

And when Tony Abreu quits pouting and comes back to Chavez Ravine, why not give him more time at second base?

“We’re not at that point yet,” Manager Grady Little said Tuesday night.

By the frustrated chop of his voice, give him a week.

“If we believe in the kids, we better stay the course,” said Colletti, who had only one legitimate trade possibility last month.

The Dodgers could have had power-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira for three players from a list of Loney, Kemp, Broxton, Ethier and Billingsley. All this, plus top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw.

How loudly would you have howled if Colletti made that deal?

Many of you are understandably howling now. Some of the Dodgers veterans would like to howl with you.

Derek Lowe was careful, but clear.

“To go with a total youth movement is not fair to the veterans, and not fair to the city,” Lowe said. “I am a firm believer that you use the minor league system to help the major league team now. You try to win today, and four years from now, you will probably have a kid just as good as the one you got rid of.”

Oh yeah? Well, this is the 10th anniversary of one of the more memorable times when that didn’t happen.

The Seattle Mariners, desperate for a closer at the trading deadline, dealt two of their best prospects to the Boston Red Sox for reliever Heathcliff Slocumb.

The Mariners won one postseason game that year, and have yet to reach the World Series.

Those two prospects who were traded to a Red Sox team that finished 20 games out of first place?

Future World Series championship players Jason Varitek and, um, er, Derek Lowe.

“Well, yeah,” Lowe said.

Celebrate later. Suck it up now.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/plaschke.