Rest Means More Than West Title

SAN FRANCISCO â€”  If the Dodgers clinch a postseason berth today, they will scratch scheduled starter Derek Lowe on Sunday and rest most of their regulars, even if the National League West title remains at stake.

“The important thing is to get into the playoffs,� Manager Grady Little said. “When we get in, we’ll start setting ourselves up for the playoffs.�

If the Dodgers clinch today, Little said Lowe would start Game 1 of the division series. As the NL wild-card team, the Dodgers would draw the New York Mets, starting Wednesday in New York. Greg Maddux, who starts here today, could follow on regular rest Thursday.

The Dodgers and San Diego Padres are tied atop the NL West with two games to play. If the teams end the regular season tied and both advance to postseason play, there would be no playoff tiebreaker, and the Padres would be awarded the division title because they won the season series between the teams.

If both teams advance, the NL West champion draws the NL Central champion, probably the St. Louis Cardinals.

The rest could be particularly helpful to first baseman Nomar Garciaparra and second baseman Jeff Kent, both playing with muscle strains, and catcher Russell Martin and shortstop Rafael Furcal. Martin has started every game since Sept. 7 and Furcal has started every game since Aug. 16.

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Brad Penny is expected to throw in the bullpen before today’s game, testing whether the back tightness that forced him out of Thursday’s game has subsided enough to enable him to pitch effectively. If the Dodgers must play a tiebreaker Monday, Penny is the scheduled starter.

Stan Johnston, the Dodgers’ trainer, revealed Friday that Penny was diagnosed with what he called a “slight bulge� in two disks several months ago. After Penny complained of back spasms in April and May, Johnston said the Dodgers sent him for an MRI examination that showed “normal wear and tear that everybody has� and “nothing pressing on any nerves.�

At the time, the Dodgers put Penny on an exercise program to strengthen the back muscles, and Johnston said the discomfort did not return until Penny’s previous two starts.

Although Penny’s earned-run average is 6.25 since the All-Star break and 6.83 this month, Little repeated that Penny would be included in a playoff rotation “if he’s healthy enough to pitch.�

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