Late-Breaking News Good for Dodgers

The game unfolded as if scripted, featuring the redemption of Darren Dreifort as the main story line, and the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs co-starred Friday in the suspenseful show.

It ended on an upbeat note for the Dodgers after Dreifort rebounded, Odalis Perez outdueled future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux and a batting order overhauled for October produced six runs in the ninth inning of an 8-1 victory over the Cubs in front of a sellout crowd of 39,105 at Wrigley Field.

Manager Jim Tracy summoned Dreifort to preserve a lead in the eighth inning for the second time in as many days, sticking with the team’s struggling primary setup man as he said he would.

After Duaner Sanchez got the final out in the seventh with the potential tying run on first, Dreifort entered to hold a 2-1 lead. The right-hander briefly stirred concern, walking the first batter, Sammy Sosa, on four pitches.

Dreifort’s fifth pitch was also outside the strike zone, but Moises Alou grounded into a double play on the sixth. Dreifort struck out Derrek Lee on a 96-mph fastball to end the inning, triggering a celebration in the dugout.

“I got away with a bad pitch,” said Dreifort, who made a mechanical adjustment catcher Brent Mayne suggested after Sosa walked.

“It ran back across the plate and jammed Alou a little bit, so I think I was fortunate there. The guys turned a great double play up the middle.”

The top Dodger reliever was pleased.

“I was so happy they put him out there,” closer Eric Gagne said. “He deserved it and we need him, so I was hoping they would leave Dreif out there no matter what.

“Everybody in here has 100% confidence in Dreif ... nobody is going to panic. It’s just a matter of getting it done, and he got it done today.”

Gagne prepared to enter another game with a one-run lead, but he wound up with the day off. The Dodgers sent 11 batters to the plate in the ninth and the Cubs committed two errors.

Milton Bradley had a game-high three hits and the Dodgers totaled 14. Steve Finley drove in three runs and leadoff batter Cesar Izturis scored three in the opener of a three-game series that could be a playoff preview.

The Dodgers (68-46) matched their best mark of the season at 22 games above .500, and also maintained a 6 1/2 -game lead over second-place San Diego in the National League West.

The Cubs (62-53) dropped into a first-place tie with San Diego in the NL wild-card race.

Perez (6-4) won in consecutive starts for the first time this season, giving up six hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. In his first start since earning his 300th victory, Maddux (11-8) gave up eight hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

“Facing a 300-game winner in the big leagues, who’s going to be a Hall of Famer, I would say it was a good day,” Perez said. “I didn’t really have my best stuff, but I was able to keep the ball down.

“I made those guys swing the bat, and I got fly balls and ground balls. It was a very good day.”

The Dodgers improved to 3-1 on the trip, getting an emotional victory against one of the few teams they consider in their class after Thursday’s deflating 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Dreifort’s performance was the best news, the Dodgers said.

“I believe in my players, and I love this guy,” Tracy said of Dreifort. “I love his courage, I love his work ethic, and as I said yesterday, I’m not going to quit on somebody after a time or two where it doesn’t work out on our behalf. I’m just not going to do that.

“I’m going to give the player the opportunities to force my hand, one way or another. If I were a player sitting out there in that clubhouse, that’s exactly the way I would like a manager to treat me. And that’s exactly what I’m going to continue to do with Darren Dreifort.”

Dreifort on Thursday squandered an eighth-inning lead for the second time in seven appearances in his new job.

“I don’t think about what happened yesterday,” Dreifort said. “I just try to make a quality pitch on the next guy and try to get him out.”