Valdes Confines Cub Hitters to Wrigley : Baseball: A day after eight homers are hit in Chicago, Dodger pitches his first shutout, winning, 6-0.

Dodger pitcher Ismael Valdes didn’t notice the beautiful ivy on the outfield wall. He didn’t see the old-fashioned scoreboard atop the center-field bleachers. He never even heard the bleacher bums.

The friendly confines of Wrigley Field, however, grabbed his attention. The outfield walls in the power alleys were so close, 368 feet, he thought he was going to hyperventilate.

Valdes gulped, gripped the ball so hard he thought the stuffing was going to pop out, then pitched the first nine-inning shutout of his life Sunday, a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in front of a paid crowd of 32,631.

“I was so nervous,” Valdes said. “I was scared. Everybody just kept saying, ‘Keep the ball down, and you’ll be fine.’ ”

Valdes’ five-hit shutout was the first against the Cubs in 104 games, ending their third-longest streak of the 20th century, and was the first shutout by a Dodger at Wrigley since Ramon Martinez on May 29, 1992.

And to think it wasn’t even the highlight of his trip to Chicago.

“I went to [Cub TV announcer] Harry Caray’s restaurant [Saturday],” Valdes said, “and I even got to meet him. He told me, ‘Good luck. I hope you pitch good, but I hope you lose, 1-0.’ I hope he’s not mad.”

Valdes, 21, who was pitching in Mexico City only two years ago, really didn’t grasp the significance of his achievement. Come on, this is Wrigley Field. This is where eight home runs were hit Saturday. This ballpark has ruined pitchers’ careers.

You just don’t pitch shutouts at Wrigley Field, let alone the first one in your major league career. Valdes’ only other professional shutout was in 1993 against the Campeche Pirates of the Mexican League, in a game that lasted seven innings.

“I was just glad to win, it didn’t matter where,” said Valdes, a native of Victoria Tamaulipas, Mexico. “I was lucky today. And I had God with me. Don’t forget that.”

Valdes, 4-2 with a 2.23 earned-run average, also has extraordinary ability. He has won his last four starts, pitching three complete games with a 1.85 ERA, and is emerging as one of the finest young right-handers in the league.

“He’s the closest thing we’ve had to Orel Hershiser,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “He’s been extremely impressive.”

It’s almost absurd to think that Valdes didn’t even have a permanent job in the rotation until a month ago. If Chan Ho Park had pitched better during spring training, Valdes might still be pitching middle relief.

“This is one of my dreams, to be one of the guys in the rotation,” said Valdes, who constantly seeks pitching tips from teammate Hideo Nomo. “This is the first time I really felt confident.”

He should be brazen. The only National League pitcher with a lower ERA is three-time Cy Young winner Greg Maddux. Valdes is tied for the league lead with three complete games. And the .206 batting average he’s yielding ranks sixth.

“I know it’s early,” Dodger catcher Mike Piazza said, “and I don’t want to get carried away, but there’s absolutely no reason he can’t keep it up.”

The only feasible deterrent at the moment is his recurring blister problem. It caused two nails to break this season and was so painful Sunday that he had difficulty getting dressed after the game.

Pitching with a 6-0 lead in the seventh inning, thanks in part to first baseman Eric Karros’ three-run, first-inning homer, Valdes grimaced. Pitching Coach Dave Wallace and trainer Charlie Strasser rushed to the mound. Valdes told them that not only did his blister hurt, his hand was bruised after his at-bat in the sixth inning.

Oh, so they tried to take you out?

“No,” Valdes said, “They just told me, ‘Keep it going. Beat those guys.’ I said, ‘OK.’ ”

Valdes, who didn’t allow a hit to the last 17 batters, nearly lost his shutout in the ninth when rookie second baseman Chad Fonville committed a double error. It left Valdes with runners on second and third with one out. No problem. Pinch-hitter Kevin Roberson hit an infield pop-up, and Brian McRae lined out, ending the game.

“I tipped my hat up to God when that happened,” Fonville said. “[Valdes] pitched a great game. I didn’t want a shutout ruined like that.”