Switch for Lo Duca Goes a Long Way

Bouncing around the batting order last season was a nightmarish experience for Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca.

It might turn out better for him this time.

Out of necessity, Lo Duca was out of his comfort zone again Tuesday night, and the move paid off for the Dodgers in a 5-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks before 30,341 at Dodger Stadium.

Manager Jim Tracy shuffled things with left fielder Brian Jordan out of the starting lineup because he needed a break, dropping Lo Duca from second, his favorite spot, to fifth to provide protection for cleanup hitter Fred McGriff.

Lo Duca filled the role well, going three for three with two run-scoring doubles and a walk, sparking the victory after a disappointing 6-4, 12-inning loss in Monday’s home opener. His second double provided the go-ahead run in the seventh, highlighting a two-run inning against Arizona reliever Miguel Batista (0-2).

“I’ve been saying this since I got here, ‘I don’t care where I hit as long as I’m in the lineup,’ ” Lo Duca said. “I felt better at the plate tonight. The whole team has been a little sluggish, and tonight we came out with some more energy.”

Paul Shuey (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings after relieving starter Kazuhisa Ishii, who rebounded from a poor opening outing, and closer Eric Gagne retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out Steve Finley for his first save.

Tracy plans to keep Lo Duca in the No. 2 spot as much as possible, but it’s good to have options.

“He did a tremendous job at the plate and handling our starter,” Tracy said. “When we get in situations like tonight, where we’re forced to put Lo Duca in the No. 5 hole, we know he’s going to use the whole field and hit line drives. That’s all you can ask for.”

Batista had worked three scoreless innings in relief of rookie starter Oscar Villarreal, preserving a 3-2 lead, but he hit leadoff batter Dave Roberts with a pitch to start the seventh. With Roberts running on the pitch, Cesar Izturis, who moved up from eighth in the revamped batting order, singled through the middle, putting runners on the corners with none out.

Shawn Green’s sacrifice fly pulled the Dodgers even, and Lo Duca went to work after McGriff struck out. He lined a double past third baseman Matt Williams down the left-field line. Left fielder Luis Gonzalez retrieved the ball and threw it back to Williams, whose throw to the plate was too late to nail the sliding Izturis.

The Dodgers scored an insurance run in the eighth on shortstop Craig Counsell’s error.

Ishii, who had neck and shoulder stiffness in the fourth inning, pitched six innings to provide some help for a tired bullpen after 13- and 12-inning games Sunday and Monday.

The left-hander squandered a 2-0 lead and left trailing, 3-2, after giving up a tying two-run home run to Gonzalez in the fourth and a go-ahead shot to Williams in the sixth.

Concerned about the bullpen, the Dodgers added reinforcements, purchasing the contract of left-hander Troy Brohawn from triple-A Las Vegas and optioning infielder/outfielder Jason Romano to Las Vegas.

For at least one game, Ishii made things a little easier on the bullpen.

He gave up the two homers, an infield single off his glove and a bloop single. Ishii walked three, including one intentional, and had seven strikeouts while throwing 67 strikes in 113 pitches.

The Dodgers want Ishii to be more efficient, but he accomplished the main goal.

Jordan didn’t get the whole night off. He pinch-hit for Shuey in the eighth and reached on an error.

Daryle Ward, who filled in for Jordan in left, had a rough night at the plate. He was hitless in four at-bats and hit into a double play, but made a sensational sliding, backhanded catch in the left-center gap in the sixth to rob Gonzalez of an extra-base hit.