Dodgers Make the Hits Count

The Dodgers received a weighty contribution from their lightest-hitting regular Tuesday in their first game since firing hitting coach Jack Clark, parlaying the effort into a 5-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before 37,744 at Dodger Stadium.

Alex Cora hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth inning, and scored another run as the Dodgers backed starter Kevin Brown with more runs than they had in a game since early June.

“That’s plenty of offense,” said Dodger Manager Jim Tracy, whose team has struck for 13 runs over its last two games after scoring 12 over its previous nine. “We don’t need seven runs a night to win.”

Cora was two for three, raising his average to a still-underwhelming .233, and Shawn Green hit a two-run double as the Dodgers completed their first game under the tutelage of interim hitting coach George Hendrick by making the most of their seven hits.

Brown picked up his first victory since June 17 -- a span of seven starts -- after surrendering eight hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings. Brown (11-5) walked one and struck out nine.

Relievers Tom Martin, Paul Quantrill and Eric Gagne shut down Cincinnati the rest of the way, with Gagne pitching a perfect ninth for his 36th save this season in as many chances. The crowd seemed especially enthused to see Gagne pitch at home for the first time since July 22.

“It’s good just to be back in,” Gagne said. “It feels good just to win.”

The Dodgers recorded a second consecutive victory for the first time since July 17. But with the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants and wild-card leading Philadelphia Phillies both winning Tuesday, the Dodgers remained 13 1/2 games behind the Giants and 6 1/2 games behind the Phillies.

Cora tied a game the Dodgers once trailed, 2-0, in the fifth on his solo shot to right. One out later, Dave Roberts and Cesar Izturis walked before scoring on Green’s double to right-center that gave the Dodgers a 4-2 advantage.

“The guy hit [.291] last year,” Tracy said of Cora. “We know he can hit.”

The Dodgers added an insurance run in the seventh when pinch-runner Jason Romano scored from third after Cincinnati catcher Jason LaRue’s throw trying to get Romano on the front end of a double steal sailed into left field.

Martin pitched himself into and out of trouble in the seventh after relieving Brown with runners on first and third and two out.

Martin walked Sean Casey to load the bases before striking out cleanup hitter Adam Dunn and giving out a yell.

Casey had given Cincinnati the lead with a two-run triple in the third that caromed off the left-field wall in foul territory and past outfielder Jeromy Burnitz, who stumbled and lost his glove as the ball scooted past him but was not charged with an error. Brown averted further damage when he struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

The Dodgers closed to within 2-1 in the bottom of the third when Cora doubled to right and scored on Izturis’ double that rolled to the wall in left-center.

“It’s a very good way to start a home stand after going through some tough times during a 10-day period on the road,” Tracy said, referring to the Dodgers’ 2-7 slide away from Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers, who had a season-high four stolen bases, got off to a sloppy start when first baseman Jolbert Cabrera dropped a foul popup and third baseman Robin Ventura booted a routine grounder as the Reds put runners on first and second with one out in the first. But Brown struck out Dunn and retired LaRue on a nice catch in center field by Roberts after a long run.

It was the first meeting between Cincinnati and the Dodgers since the Reds fired General Manager Jim Bowden and Manager Bob Boone and traded third baseman Aaron Boone to the New York Yankees. The Reds are 5-3 under interim Manager Dave Miley.