Perez Is Making a Good Deal Better

CHICAGO — When Dodger General Manager Dan Evans began talking to Atlanta GM John Schuerholz about trading Gary Sheffield for Brian Jordan and a pitcher in January, the Braves kept pushing right-handers Kevin Millwood and Jason Marquis.

Don Welke, the Dodgers’ senior scouting advisor, and Jeff Schugel, a special assistant to the GM, kept pushing for left-hander Odalis Perez, a 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic who showed promise with several fine starts but was inconsistent, falling apart in several others.

When push came to shove, Evans listened to those closest to him. Evans held out for Perez, acquiring the pitcher and Jordan for Sheffield, a trade that was criticized by many who thought Jordan for Sheffield, one of baseball’s most feared right-handed sluggers, was not a fair offensive exchange.

Jordan has been solid, hitting .289 with 10 runs batted in, but if Perez keeps pitching as he has, he’s going to make Jordan look like a throw-in to the deal. Perez was dominant Friday, throwing a one-hit shutout in a 10-0 victory over the Cubs.

“I’m really happy for Welke and Schugel because throughout the thought process with the Braves, they continued to push for Perez,” Evans said.

“They had seen him multiple times, and they helped me hold my ground. I don’t think we got the best of the deal; it was good for both sides.”

Perez (3-1, 1.64 earned-run average) is not overpowering, but his fastball had a little extra movement Friday. The Cubs had so much trouble with Perez’s slider and changeup, they rarely hit the ball hard. Perez’s control was so good, only two Cubs worked three-ball counts.

That made for an extremely relaxing and enjoyable day for Jim Colborn, the Dodgers’ pitching coach.

“I was a good pitching coach today,” Colborn said. “When Odalis came into the dugout, I patted him with my left hand and said, ‘Thataboy.’ When he went out to the mound, I patted him with my right hand and said, ‘Go get ‘em.’”

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Perez’s performance overshadowed the Dodgers’ best offensive game of the season so far, an afternoon in which they scored three runs in the fifth inning and broke open the game with six runs in the sixth.

Leadoff batter Dave Roberts reached base five times with a double and four walks, and he scored three runs. No. 2 hitter Cesar Izturis had three hits, including two doubles, and scored twice.

Shawn Green, who entered with a .220 average, smacked a two-run single in the fifth and a run-scoring double in the sixth. Paul Lo Duca and Eric Karros each had two hits, and Adrian Beltre had a two-run double and a sacrifice fly.

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Perez’s one-hitter Friday was the first complete game thrown against the Cubs since then-St. Louis right-hander Pat Hentgen’s in September 2000.... It has been 37 years since a pitcher threw a no-hitter against the Cubs. The last? Dodger left-hander Sandy Koufax, who threw a perfect game against Chicago on Sept. 9, 1965. The last no-hitter in Wrigley Field was by the Cubs’ Milt Pappas in 1972.

TODAY

DODGERS’

ANDY ASHBY

(1-2, 3.91 ERA)

vs.

CUBS’

JUAN CRUZ

(0-4, 2.14 ERA)

Wrigley Field, Chicago, 11:15 a.m.

TV--Channel 13.

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

Update--The Dodgers will get their first look at Cruz, a rookie right-hander from the Dominican Republic. The Dodgers have a recent history of being shut down by opponents they’re facing for the first time, pitchers such as Pittsburgh’s Jimmy Anderson, San Diego’s Brian Lawrence, Colorado’s Shawn Chacon and Jason Jennings and former Cub Ruben Quevedo. Ashby suffered losses in his last two starts, giving up a combined eight runs and 15 hits in 11 innings against the Rockies and Padres.