Dodgers Are Good to Last Expo Drop

Things are going well for the Dodgers, both on the field and in the wild-card standings, and their surprising ride took another dramatic turn Thursday in a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos at Dodger Stadium.

Cesar Izturis became the newest late-inning Dodger star, driving in the game-winner -- after earlier having knocked in the tying run -- with a two-out double in the eighth against Montreal starter Zach Day.

Dave Roberts scored from first on Izturis’ double into the right-field corner, crossing the plate as catcher Brian Schneider bobbled, then dropped the ball that had beaten the runner.

“We’ve been on the short end of a lot of breaks, so for something like that to go our way is a good sign,” said Roberts, who’d also scored the Dodgers’ first run on Izturis’ two-out double in the sixth. “It’s about time. We’re due some breaks.”

Odalis Perez overcame a shaky start in a gutsy eight-inning outing before a crowd of 33,319, and closer Eric Gagne reinforced the perception he could pitch every day if needed.

Not even 24 hours after working two innings and getting the win Wednesday night, Gagne returned to the mound. The right-hander had two strikeouts while recording his 42nd save, extending his major league record for saves to start a season.

Gagne also moved within one save of tying Tom Gordon’s record of 43 in a row in one season. He completed the fourth victory in as many starts for Perez (10-9) as the Dodgers took two of three from Montreal (66-62), one of their many competitors for the National League wild-card berth.

With their fourth victory in five games, the Dodgers (66-60) pulled to within three games of slumping Philadelphia in the wild-card chase. Despite long stretches of ineptitude on offense and numerous squandered opportunities, the Dodgers are in the playoff hunt and their optimism increases daily.

“No matter what this team went through earlier in the year, no matter what we’ve been through individually, this is a team with character,” second baseman Alex Cora said. “We haven’t worried about who else is winning or losing, we’re just focusing on our thing. When you do that, and when you have guys who believe in each other, good things are going to happen.”

Vladimir Guerrero gave the Expos a 1-0 lead in the third with a prodigious solo blast into the left-field pavilion that was estimated at 454 feet. The home run moved Guerrero into first place on the club’s all-time list with 226, one more than Andre Dawson.

The Expos had nine hits in the first five innings against Perez, who struggled adjusting to the noon starting time.

The left-hander repeatedly pitched out of trouble, though, and the Expos stranded seven runners.

Former Dodger Todd Zeile, recently signed as a free agent after being released by the New York Yankees, flied out to end the first with runners on first and second, and struck out to end the fifth with two on.

“When you wake up that early and you don’t feel that good ... you have to make adjustments,” said Perez, who was 3-3 with a 6.15 earned-run average in seven previous daytime starts. “When I needed to throw good pitches, I made good pitches.”

Day did as well. The 25-year-old right-hander did not allow a baserunner until Adrian Beltre singled to start the fifth and then he retired the next four batters. Day (7-5) gave up a one-out single to Perez in the sixth, and Roberts hit into a fielder’s choice. With Izturis at the plate, Roberts got his team-leading 32nd stolen base.

That became important because Izturis sent a drive over the head of right fielder Guerrero, onto the synthetic warning track and into the stands for a ground-rule double that enabled Roberts to score the tying run.

Day got the first two outs of the eighth on grounders, and Roberts bunted for a hit. The switch-hitting Izturis, batting only .232 left-handed, had his second consecutive outstanding at-bat from that side of the plate, driving the ball into the corner.

“I saw the ball real good against him,” Izturis said. “At that moment right there, I got the hit.”

Guerrero, with one of the best arms in the majors, retrieved the ball after it caromed off the wall and threw it to second baseman Henry Mateo as third-base coach Glenn Hoffman sent Roberts.

Mateo delivered a one-hop throw to Schneider in front of the plate toward the first-base line, and Schneider had trouble getting a handle on the ball as he moved into position to block the plate.

“When I was coming around third base, I saw that I might have been dead to rights,” Roberts said. “But I commend Hoffy for being aggressive and sending me and forcing them to make a play.”

Said Schneider: “I tried to pick it, but I never had control of it. He would have been out. I just didn’t have it.”

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NL Wild Card

*--* W L GB DR Philadelphia 69 57 -- 2 Florida 69 58 1/2 3 Arizona 67 60 2 1/2 2 Dodgers 66 60 3 3 St. Louis 66 61 3 1/2 2 Chicago 65 61 4 3 Montreal 66 62 4 4 DR-Division ranking

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