Gagne Pitches Well in 6-4 Victory

The determined Dodgers believe they can overcome any challenge, and they certainly have faced many.

They absorbed another major blow Monday with the loss of starter Kevin Brown, then defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-4, before 26,145 at PNC Park.

Eric Gagne (2-4) pitched eight strong innings in his second effective start since rejoining the rotation after a three-week demotion to triple-A Las Vegas, earning his first victory since April 19.

Adrian Beltre’s three-run homer against Pirate starter Joe Beimel (2-4) highlighted a four-run fifth inning and staked Gagne to a 5-1 lead. Beltre, who has eight homers, also had a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the second.

Closer Jeff Shaw gave up a leadoff homer to Aramis Ramirez in the ninth and the Pirates had the potential tying runs on first and second with one out.

But pinch-hitter Rob Mackowiak struck out and Shaw fielded Tike Redman’s grounder and tagged Redman for the final out, recording his 26th save and second in as many days against the Pirates (35-56).

The Dodgers (51-42) remained 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

Brown is expected to be sidelined a month while rehabilitating a torn muscle in his pitching elbow, and starters Andy Ashby and Darren Dreifort had season-ending surgery before the second half began.

To the surprise of many, the Dodgers are still in the playoff mix and plan to stay.

“A lot of people probably wrote us off [after Ashby and Dreifort suffered injuries], and now they’re probably writing us off even more with Brownie down,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “But there’s just something about this team. We keep playing well when we need to.

“It seems like we have guys who pick each other up every day, and that was Eric and Adrian today. To be where we’re at with the injuries we’ve got is unbelievable. It really is. I don’t know how to explain it.

“I think it’s just that we get along so well and that has a lot to do with it. Guys root for everybody else and that’s the way it should be.”

The Dodgers have definitely been rooting for Gagne.

They hope the second-year starter has finally found a groove after a rough first half, especially with Brown going on the disabled list for the third time this season.

Manager Jim Tracy has seen positive signs.

“The big thing that we’re seeing in Eric Gagne that we didn’t see earlier in the season is a very aggressive pitcher,” said Tracy, whose club is 3-2 on the trip.

“He’s going right after hitters. He’s shown some of the things that [pitching coach] Jimmy Colborn has talked to him about.”

Gagne was aggressive from the outset Monday and gave up only four hits--including two home runs--and three runs.

The right-hander had four strikeouts and three walks.

“Right now it’s a little easier,” said Gagne, who pitched six scoreless innings in a no-decision in his last start.

“I’ve been throwing the ball real well the last four weeks, but I have to go out there and do it again and again. When I get into trouble, I just have to make sure I go back to where I need to be and be aggressive.”

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ TERRY ADAMS

(4-3, 5.05 ERA)

vs.

PIRATES’ JIMMY ANDERSON

(5-8, 4.67 ERA)

PNC Park, 4 PDT

TV--Fox Sports Net 2

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330)

Update--Adams is 1-1 with a 4.74 earned-run average in three starts this month. The left-handed Anderson is 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in two appearances against the Dodgers.