Command Performance

Dodger pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii has spent much of his first major league season extricating himself from trouble while his teammates provided enough run support to offset his control problems. Sunday night, the left-hander returned the favor, getting the Dodgers out of a jam.

With his team in danger of getting swept in a four-game series by National League West rival Arizona, Ishii came through with a clutch performance, blanking the Diamondbacks on two hits for 7 2/3 innings to lead the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory before 46,140 in Dodger Stadium.

Dodger reliever Guillermo Mota retired Greg Colbrunn on an infield fly with two on in the eighth, and closer Eric Gagne survived Matt Williams’ ninth-inning home run to record his major league-leading 33rd save as the Dodgers salvaged the final game of the series and moved back into first place, a half-game ahead of Arizona.

“That game was extra-huge, a must-win game, for respect and for our confidence,” Dodger left fielder Brian Jordan said. “You don’t want to get swept by your enemy and lose what you fought so hard for in the first half. Everyone is feeling good again.”

Ishii (12-5) walked five, raising his NL-leading total to 69, but he was in control throughout, striking out five and allowing one runner to reach second base. Arizona’s only hits off him were Junior Spivey’s leadoff single in the first and Luis Gonzalez’s leadoff single in the fourth.

“That’s the first game I can remember when he wasn’t in trouble,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “He’s usually good for that two or three times a game.”

This seemed like a different Ishii, though, a more focused and well-rested Ishii, a pitcher who used the All-Star break to both study videotape from the first half and to escape the game for a few days.

Ishii pitched more aggressively Sunday night and recorded several first-pitch outs. He retired a batter in the eighth inning for the first time this season. He was never in trouble during a step-up performance that further enhanced a reputation that was built while leading the Yakult Swallows to five Japan Series championships.

“We heard when we acquired Kazuhisa as a free agent that he was involved in a lot of big games in Japan and that he rises to the occasion in big-game situations,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “A couple of pitches got away, but that was 7 2/3 innings of command. He was in control of that game from the start.”

Ishii was well aware of what was at stake Sunday night, and he relished the opportunity to end the Dodgers’ four-game losing streak.

“I’ve had the experience of pitching in five world championships in Japan, and I wanted to pitch with that importance in my mind today,” Ishii said through an interpreter. “I like the pressure.”

So does Gagne, and the Dodger closer felt some in the ninth. After striking out Gonzalez with a 97-mph fastball, Williams sent a 96-mph fastball over the wall in left to pull the Diamondbacks within 2-1. Pinch-hitter Steve Finley grounded back to the mound, and Tony Womack followed with a grounder to the shortstop hole.

But Alex Cora ranged to his right to back-hand the ball and made a strong off-balance, one-hop throw to Karros to get the speedy Womack and end the game.

The Dodgers, who held a lead for only a half-inning of the previous three games, took a 1-0 advantage in the fourth inning when Shawn Green singled to center off Arizona starter Miguel Batista, Jordan walked and Karros singled off Batista’s glove to load the bases with none out.

Adrian Beltre followed with a fly ball to shallow center, where Quinton McCracken raced in and made a sliding catch. When McCracken hit the ground, it allowed Green to tag up and score easily.

The rally died when Mark Grudzielanek bounced into a 5-4-3 double play, but the Dodgers struck again in the fifth when Dave Roberts walked with two out, stole second and scored on Paul Lo Duca’s broken-bat bloop single to shallow right-center for a 2-0 lead--only Lo Duca’s second hit in 20 at-bats. The Dodgers held on to improve to 16-9 in one-run games, after losing two of the first three games to Arizona by one run.

“We needed to get back into the win column, and it was important to give them a loss,” Green said. “Maybe we can send them into a little bit of a downturn, and we’ll start going up.”

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

*--* The NL West W L GB Dodgers 55 37 -- Arizona 54 37 1/2 San Francisco 52 39 2 1/2

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*--* Series Glance Tale of the tape for the series between the division leaders: Dodgers Arizona 1-3 Record 3-1 12 Runs 15 26 Hits 31 205 Batting Avg 231 26 Left on Base 24 21 Strikeouts 23 11 Walks 14 3 Errors 2 2 Stolen Bases 5 3.81 Starter’s ERA 3.67 2.70 Bullpen ERA 0.00

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