Big Production Number in Dodger Win

Having watched his teammates accumulate a less-than-grand total of four runs over his last four starts, Odalis Perez might have figured a demonstration in hitting was in order Saturday night at Bank One Ballpark when he stepped to the plate in the fourth inning.

Arizona Diamondback starter Edgar Gonzalez had just intentionally walked Alex Cora with two out and a runner on second base to get to Perez, who had one hit in his first 24 at-bats this season.

But the Dodger pitcher hit a run-scoring double to left-center field and then watched his teammates pile on four more runs during a six-run outburst that led to a 10-3 victory before 42,407.

Dave Roberts provided the key blow with a three-run homer as the Dodgers erupted for their biggest inning since scoring six runs in the fifth against the San Francisco Giants on April 18.

Paul Lo Duca added a towering solo homer in the seventh, his third homer in three games, to help the Dodgers remain one game ahead of the San Diego Padres in the National League West. It is the first time in Lo Duca’s career that he has homered in back-to-back-to-back games.

“I’m just trying to put good swings on the ball and hit it hard,” said Lo Duca, hitting .435 in his last 11 games.

The Dodgers (30-23), winners of three consecutive games and six of seven after dropping 12 of 14, will go for a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks this afternoon after pounding Arizona’s pitchers for 27 hits in the first two games.

After stranding two runners in the first and one in the third, the Dodgers broke through in the fourth when Lo Duca doubled down the left-field line and scored on Juan Encarnacion’s double down the right-field line. After Perez doubled to make it 2-0 and Roberts opened a five-run cushion with his homer to right, Cesar Izturis doubled to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.

Milton Bradley capped an inning in which the Dodgers sent 10 to the plate with a run-scoring single up the middle. Bradley, Roberts and Izturis finished with three hits apiece.

“Any pitcher would like to see on the scoreboard six runs,” Perez said. “It helps your confidence.”

Said Manager Jim Tracy: “It’s really good for us to finally break out and score some runs for him. It’s good to see us create some breathing room for him.”

Perez (3-3) barely stuck around to record his first victory since April 28 after giving up a run in the fourth and two more during a shaky fifth, saying he “ran out of gas.”

The left-hander gave up eight hits and three runs over five innings, ending a string of seven consecutive quality starts in which he had pitched at least six innings and given up three earned runs or fewer.

Perez nearly pitched out of a mess in the fourth after Danny Bautista hit a leadoff double down the left-field line and went to third on Luis Gonzalez’s sharp single to center.

Shea Hillenbrand followed with a bullet to second baseman Cora, who stepped on second base for one out and threw to catcher Lo Duca to try to get Bautista charging home from third.

But the throw was in the dirt, allowing Bautista to retreat to third. Robby Hammock then bounced a run-scoring single off Perez, whose throw to first pulled Shawn Green off the base.

Arizona added two runs in the fifth on Doug DeVore’s RBI groundout and Gonzalez’s double off the wall in center.

The Dodger bullpen contributed four scoreless innings for a second consecutive game, with Duaner Sanchez throwing three innings and Wilson Alvarez pitching the ninth in his first appearance since May 28.