Dodgers Have Perfect Trip

The Dodgers capped an undefeated interleague trip Sunday with a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians, whose eighth-inning baserunning hi-jinks further highlighted the Dodgers’ good fortune.

The Dodgers completed their second three-game sweep of a lowly American League Central division club, capitalizing on the Indians’ comedic display on the basepaths before 26,786 at Jacobs Field.

On the key play of the game in the eighth, the Indians somehow turned a one-out, bases-loaded, run-scoring infield single into an inning-ending double play. Two runners were tagged out in a circus-like rundown, one after overrunning third and the other after a mental blunder left two Indians on second.

“Nice play, huh?” Dodger shortstop Cesar Izturis said. “A single and then a double play.”

Said reliever Tom Martin: “I didn’t know what was going on.”

The momentum-turner enabled Martin to escape the jam after the Indians had scored two runs to cut the lead to one, keeping the Dodgers on track to summon closer Eric Gagne for the fifth time in six games.

The usually razor-sharp right-hander labored by his standards, throwing 23 pitches, including nine balls, as the Indians had the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base with one out.

But Gagne struck out the next two batters, earning his fifth save of the trip and 26th in as many opportunities while completing the victory for Hideo Nomo. The victory moves the Dodgers two games behind San Francisco for first place in the National League West and increases their wild-card standings lead to 1 1/2 games over Montreal.

Nomo (7-6) provided another solid foundation in a seven-inning, two-hit, one-run performance. The right-hander had eight strikeouts with only one walk, and the Dodgers again did just enough on offense against Indian rookie left-hander Billy Traber (2-4) and three relievers.

Catcher Paul Lo Duca had two of the team’s seven hits, extending his career-high hitting streak to 23 games.

Lo Duca is tied with Brett Butler -- who hit in 23 in a row in 1991 -- for the sixth-longest run in Los Angeles.

Shawn Green drove in three runs, including two with a two-out RBI double in the seventh to help the Dodgers take a 4-1 lead.

The Dodgers (40-28) had their best trip of at least six games since moving to Los Angeles, going 6-0 against the Tigers and Indians.

The Dodgers accomplished their goal of sweeping two of the major leagues’ worst teams, and the Indians’ baserunning Sunday helped make it happen.

“Sometimes, plays happen that turn into kind of a circus,” Green said. “It happens to everybody, we’re just fortunate it happened in a key situation.”

With the Dodgers leading, 4-1, setup man Paul Quantrill started the eighth. After Quantrill gave up consecutive singles to Brandon Phillips and Jhonny Peralta, the Indians’ Nos. 8 and 9 batters, Manager Jim Tracy brought in the left-handed Martin to face left-handed batting leadoff hitter Matt Lawton.

Lawton singled to right to load the bases, and Phillips scored from third on Martin’s wild pitch. Coco Crisp walked to load the bases again before Jody Gerut fouled out to first with cleanup batter Milton Bradley on deck.

Bradley lined a shot off the glove of second baseman Jolbert Cabrera to the right of the bag, enabling Peralta to score the second run.

And that’s when things got interesting.

The ball ricocheted to Izturis, who threw it to third baseman Adrian Beltre as Lawton rounded third. Beltre and Lo Duca caught Lawton in a rundown for the second out.

“Believe me, that play caught most of us by surprise,” Cabrera said. “After we got the first guy out, Beltre was screaming to throw the ball to second base. That’s when we realized two guys were at second base.”

Crisp realized he couldn’t take third after Izturis kept Bradley’s single in the infield, so he stayed at second. But Bradley also went into second, and the Dodgers took advantage.

“I looked and started running when I saw two guys at second,” Lo Duca said. “I saw [center fielder Dave Roberts] standing there, and I wasn’t going to throw the ball to him. He’s not used to being in the infield.”

Lo Duca tossed to Beltre, who tagged Crisp to complete a wild double play.

“To get those two outs, obviously, it was a huge lift for us,” Tracy said. “And that’s somewhat devastating if you’re over in the other dugout.”

The crowd booed the Indians’ antics, and Martin exhaled.

“I didn’t know where to go,” he said. “I backed up Lo Duca, I knew that was the right move. I backed up [Mike] Kinkade at first base, I knew that was the right move.

“But once I got in the middle of the infield, I was lost. I got to the middle of the mound and was like, ‘I’m not doing any good running around. I’ll just stand here and watch.’ That was crazy.”