Ishii and Dodgers Can’t Knock Wood Around

Even Kazuhisa Ishii has acknowledged his erratic performance makes it difficult to depend on him, so the Dodgers crossed their fingers Saturday and gave him another chance in a playoff race.

Ishii capitalized on the opportunity against the Chicago Cubs, but Kerry Wood was even better in the Cubs’ 2-0 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 39,069 at Wrigley Field.

Pitching in place of injured right-hander Brad Penny, Ishii worked seven strong innings and gave up only one walk. Wood pitched eight scoreless innings and the Cubs made four nifty defensive plays -- shortstop Nomar Garciaparra was involved in two -- to help them even the series, which ends today.

“Kazuhisa Ishii pitched a great game for us,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “He did a terrific job. He was just the victim of a guy who did a little bit better. And we know Kerry Wood is capable of that.”

Wood (7-5), who gave up four hits and struck out seven, hit his first home run of the season in the third, providing the Cubs’ first run. On his 121st pitch, Wood struck out cleanup batter Adrian Beltre to end the eighth with the bases loaded.

“I don’t think I went,” said Beltre, who insisted he checked his swing, though home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi disagreed. “I don’t think he should have made that call.

“I don’t think I went, but if I did, it’s not his call. The first-base umpire should have made that call. It’s not his call to make.”

The Cubs (63-53) got an insurance run in the fifth on Corey Patterson’s two-out, run-scoring single, and Mike Remlinger recorded his first save when David Ross grounded out after pinch-hitter Olmedo Saenz singled with two out in the ninth.

The Dodgers (68-47) dropped to 3-2 on the trip, and Penny probably won’t be back in the rotation during a seven-game homestand that begins Monday. Ishii will start Thursday against Atlanta if Penny remains sidelined, and the Dodgers can only hope he works as efficiently as he did against the Cubs.

“He pitched a good game today,” pitching coach Jim Colborn said. “He’s pitched a whole lot of them, and that’s just what we need. In his tenure here, he’s had many streaks of consistently good pitching.

“I know he prepared this year for a strong second half. It’s in his mind, and I know it’s one of his goals. If he’s given the opportunity, I think that’s what will happen.”

It appeared Ishii’s opportunities would be limited to pitching out of the bullpen for the remainder of the season after Tracy demoted the left-hander to the bullpen last Saturday. Although Ishii is tied for the staff lead in victories at 11-6, Tracy said he could no longer tolerate the pitcher’s inconsistency with the first-place Dodgers trying to win the National League West.

Ishii received a reprieve because of Penny’s injury, and he might have much more time remaining.

“You got the great part of Kazuhisa Ishii today,” Tracy said. “The focus, the intensity, the aggressiveness was all there from the first pitch of the game.

“Sometimes, you’re not sure which side of him you’re going to get. But when you get the good side, you definitely know that he’s capable of getting people out.”

Ishii gave up six hits and struck out three. He displayed very good command, throwing 63 strikes in 92 pitches, which he attributed to his mechanics being in sync.

Wood homered on Ishii’s first pitch in the third, and Michael Barrett led off with a triple to right-center in the fifth. After getting the next two batters, Ishii gave up Patterson’s single on the first pitch.

“The pitch to Wood was a little hanging cutter,” catcher Ross said. “Barrett hit a 3-2 changeup that was a little up, but Kaz threw real well today.

“He seemed real focused. He was throwing in the high 80s, he touched the low 90s a couple of times, and he mixed his pitches really well.”

Ishii had hoped to do better.

“I wanted to keep my runs down to one and put more pressure on the opposing pitcher,” Ishii said through an interpreter. “Naturally, I would like to keep pitching well and find my way back to the rotation” permanently.