Rally Gets Into Ventura

For one night, at least, the Dodgers found the bat man they needed in Robin Ventura.

The infielder temporarily squelched criticism that he was not the acquisition the offensively challenged Dodgers needed when he doubled and scored the tiebreaking run in the seventh inning of a 2-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday before 31,828 at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s nice,” said Ventura, who was two for two with two walks and is hitting .351 since the All-Star break with the Dodgers and New York Yankees. “I’d like to do well here. I haven’t felt pressure to get hits because we have nine guys trying to do it.”

Odalis Perez pitched seven quality innings -- holding the Reds hitless for 5 2/3 -- for his first victory in nearly a month as the Dodgers amassed a three-game winning streak.

The Dodgers are in seventh place in the wild-card standings, 5 1/2 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, but Manager Jim Tracy insists they aren’t ready to concede their aspirations of winning a division title, even though they are 12 1/2 games behind San Francisco.

Pinch-hitter Juan Castro broke up Perez’ no-hit bit in the sixth by smacking a single past diving third baseman Adrian Beltre and into left field. Barry Larkin then doubled leading off the seventh and scored to tie it when Sean Casey golfed a pitch several inches off the ground to right for a single.

The Dodgers got the go-ahead run in their half of the inning when Ventura hit a leadoff double down the right-field line and scored just ahead of the tag from catcher Jason LaRue on Beltre’s single to right-center. Shawn Green had an opportunity to pad the lead when he came up with the bases loaded but grounded to second.

Paul Shuey relieved Perez to start the eighth and immediately pitched himself into a mess by walking Ruben Mateo and watching Mateo scoot to third on pinch-hitter Russell Branyan’s single to right. But relievers Tom Martin and Paul Quantrill averted further damage, Martin striking out pinch-hitter Reggie Taylor and Quantrill getting D’Angelo Jimenez to hit into a double play.

“The job that Martin and Quantrill did in the eighth to get the ball to Eric Gagne was as good as you can do,” Tracy said.

Gagne pitched a perfect ninth, striking out Brandon Larson to end the game, for his 37th save in as many chances and 45th in a row dating to last season. Second baseman Alex Cora provided an assist by making a spectacular stop on Sean Casey’s sharp grounder. Gagne needs one more save to tie Jose Mesa for the longest save streak to start a season.

Perez (7-9) was especially effective because he issued first-pitch strikes to 19 of the 24 batters he faced. The right-hander walked two batters to lead off innings, but one was erased on a fielder’s choice and the other was retired on a double play. Catcher Paul Lo Duca provided additional help by picking off Wily Mo Pena, who reached on the fielder’s choice in the third.

Jeromy Burnitz gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the second when he hit a solo homer that appeared to glance off the glove of right fielder Mateo as he dived into the stands just inside the foul pole. The Dodgers then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Cora popped out to left field and Perez grounded into a 1-2-3 double play.

Cincinnati lost two players to injury, including shortstop Barry Larkin, who had to leave in the seventh after irritating scar tissue surrounding protective mesh inserted two years ago during hernia surgery. Larkin is listed as day-to-day.

Starter Jose Acevedo had to leave after three innings when he sprained his left ankle falling down the dugout steps.