Dreifort Is Done for the Season

Kazuhisa Ishii’s return to form at Dodger Stadium on Friday night against the Chicago White Sox after two consecutive ineffective starts did little to console the Dodgers after they learned that Darren Dreifort would require season-ending knee surgery.

Dreifort was diagnosed with “insufficiency” in the medial collateral ligament in his arthritic right knee.

Dreifort, who will endure his fourth knee surgery since 1990 and his third over the last four years, said after the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory that he does not expect the injury to threaten his career.

“They expect to fix it,” said the right-hander, who is expected to be out for six months. “It’s never guaranteed, so you do your [rehabilitation] work and hope that it does work out, that it’s 100%.”

The news was especially discombobulating for an injury-plagued pitcher who has twice recovered from reconstructive surgery on his pitching elbow and had displayed impressive stuff upon his return this season, going 4-4 with a 4.03 earned-run average.

“It’s frustrating to be shutting it down and it’s not even midseason,” said Dreifort, who had loose cartilage removed from his right knee last July. “I had it going, and that’s the good thing. I know I can do it. I just need to get it fixed and go back out there.”

Team physicians Ralph Gambardella and Frank Jobe will perform the surgery, scheduled for June 17 or 18.

“It’s not good news,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “One, for the individual and all the work he’s put in over the last 22 months. It’s painful to lose him, but it’s more painful to realize that everyone in that clubhouse loves that guy and he’s now got to go through six months of rehabilitation to get back.”

The loss of Dreifort deals a major blow to the Dodger rotation, which is resorting to the use of reliever Andy Ashby as a fill-in starter today against the White Sox. Relegated to the bullpen before the season upon the return of Kevin Brown and Dreifort, Ashby was shelled for eight hits and seven runs over four innings in his only start of the season.

The Dodgers optioned reliever Victor Alvarez to triple-A Las Vegas after the game and today will purchase the contract of Wilson Alvarez from the 51s. The veteran left-hander has gone 5-1 with a 1.34 ERA for Las Vegas and could assume Dreifort’s spot in the rotation once he arrives in Los Angeles.

Even if Dreifort’s career is over, the Dodgers still owe him a considerable amount on his five-year, $55.4-million contract. Dreifort, in the third year of the contract, is due $11 million this season and next, as well as $13 million in 2005.

“He’s worked so hard to get to where he’s at right now, it’s hard,” relief pitcher Eric Gagne said. “He’s been throwing with pain the last three or four years.”

The first meeting between the Dodgers and the White Sox since the 1959 World Series became almost an afterthought. Paul Lo Duca singled in the first inning to extend his career-high hitting streak to 15 games and drove in the go-ahead run in the third as the Dodgers (34-26) won their second consecutive game to remain three games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

Brian Jordan’s third-inning solo home run halfway up the left-field pavilion seats accounted for the Dodgers’ other run, and Gagne converted his 21st save in as many opportunities when he struck out two during a perfect ninth.

Ishii had not made it past the sixth inning in either of his last two starts, which resulted in a loss and a no-decision. But he struck out a season-high nine Friday while giving up four hits and one run over seven innings. Ishii (5-2) had two strikeouts in the first inning and struck out the side in the second, utilizing what Lo Duca called his best breaking ball of the season.

“I even think they knew it was coming and couldn’t hit it,” Lo Duca said.