Dodgers Walk a Tightrope

By Jason Reid

Sept. 25, 2004 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO — Forget about everything that led to this point for the Dodgers because they have.

The National League West leaders are living in the present and feeling good about it after winning the opener of a division showdown Friday night against the San Francisco Giants, 3-2, in front of a sellout crowd of 42,528 at SBC Park.

The Dodgers enhanced their improving situation behind an ace-like eight-inning performance from Odalis Perez and timely home runs from Shawn Green and Jose Hernandez in a three-run fourth.

Despite three walks, including an intentional one to Barry Bonds, closer Eric Gagne escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, retiring Yorvit Torrealba for the final out. The victory reduced the Dodgers’ magic number to seven to win their first division title in nine years.

The Dodgers (88-65) moved 2 1/2 games ahead the Giants (86-68) in the NL West and helped the Chicago Cubs in the process. The Giants now trail the Cubs by 1 1/2 games for the league’s wild-card berth.

Perez (7-6) earned his first victory in eight starts since Aug. 13, Green and Hernandez hit homers No. 28 and 13, respectively, and Gagne recorded his 44th save in 46 opportunities. Giant starter Kirk Rueter (8-12) gave up eight hits and three runs in six innings.

After an unsettling experience in San Diego, the Dodgers are assured of leaving San Francisco with at least a half-game lead in the division, but they want much more. It’s about the here and now.

“We’ve had some tough times on the trip and we haven’t played as well as we can, but that’s all in the past,” said Green, who pulled the Dodgers even at 2-2 in the fourth with a two-run blast to center.

“In the position we’re in now, we just have to stay focused on the games we’re playing each day. We can accomplish everything we want to if we just win. It’s really that simple for us now.”

Perez put a frustrating season behind him and focused on a prize now tantalizingly close for him and his teammates, shutting down the league’s second-highest-scoring team after giving up two solo home runs in the second inning, including Bonds’ 44th of the season and 702nd of his record-setting career.

“It’s 2 1/2 games now and we’re more comfortable,” Perez said. “Our team needed that from me. It was one of those nights where everything fell together.”

The left-hander provided a major boost for a rotation in shambles, retiring 19 of 21 at one point and facing one batter over the minimum in his final six innings of work.

“It was far and away the best game Odalis has pitched in a while,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “His body movement and tempo reminded me of 2002. He was that good. Just a spectacular game.”

It was just the type of effort the Dodgers had hoped for from Perez to accomplish a rare feat recently: giving the ball straight from a starter to their dominant closer.

After having pitched two innings Thursday in saving a victory over the Padres, Gagne quickly got two groundouts in the ninth, one on a nifty play by shortstop Cesar Izturis, but he then experienced command problems.

Gagne walked Pedro Feliz on four pitches with Bonds on deck, so the Dodgers intentionally walked the future Hall of Famer, putting the tying run in scoring position. Then the drama intensified as Gagne walked pinch-hitter J.T. Snow on four pitches to load the bases.

With the crowd chanting “Beat L.A.” Gagne got Torrealba on a line drive to left and Jayson Werth squeezed it, triggering a celebration among the relieved Dodgers.

“Our closer did a spectacular job,” Tracy said. “And the Bonds factor entered into play.”

Gagne expressed relief.

“I felt great, I just wasn’t throwing strikes,” Gagne said. “But we won somehow.”