Hype of the Moment Serves the Dodgers Well

They didn’t hang the red, white and blue bunting along the decks at Dodger Stadium, but the sights and sounds of October were everywhere else.

On the video board, the Dodgers displayed black-and-white newsreels of Octobers past. For the ceremonial first pitch, they trotted out Fernando Valenzuela. In the first row, Commissioner Bud Selig sat next to owner Frank McCourt, two among a crowd of 55,207, a record for a regular-season game at Dodger Stadium.

All that pomp and circumstance greeted the New York Yankees -- capped by a 6-3 Dodger victory -- in their first visit here since the 1981 World Series. Dodger fans, deprived of a playoff victory since 1988 and inspired by the hated pinstripes, booed the Yankees all night, always loudly and sometimes rudely.

“This was the loudest I’ve ever heard this stadium,” Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca said.

There were cheers for the home team too, and plenty to cheer about in the end. Jeff Weaver, exiled by the Yankees last winter, exacted his revenge by working six terrific innings for the victory.

“Any time you face the team you played with last, you’re looking for a little redemption,” Weaver said.

After scoreless innings from Darren Dreifort and Guillermo Mota, the electricity in the stadium gave way to over-the-top delirium: Eric Gagne. Standing ovation. Game over.

“It was amazing,” Gagne said.

Gagne provided the exclamation point on the evening, striking out Bernie Williams for the final out. Gagne earned his fourth save in as many nights and 17th of the season, and extended his major league record for consecutive saves converted to 80.

“It was probably a World Series atmosphere,” center fielder Milton Bradley said. “If you can’t get up for the Yankees, who can you get up for?”

Said Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi, who grew up in West Covina: “I haven’t seen this much excitement here since I was a kid.”

The Dodgers extended their winning streak to four games and widened their lead in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants to 2 1/2 games, their largest lead since April 25.

Dave Roberts singled home two runs in the fourth inning, tying the score, 3-3.

Juan Encarnacion broke the tie in the sixth, doubling home Adrian Beltre with the winning run.

The Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice, and failed to reach base safely for the first time in 54 games.

The Yankees stole Weaver from the Detroit Tigers two years ago and stashed him in their bullpen, then shuttled him between the rotation and the bullpen.

Weaver pitched inconsistently in his inconsistent role, and the New York media slapped him with the comically self-important diagnosis given to all who play well elsewhere but struggle in pinstripes: He can’t handle New York.

Uh, yeah, whatever. The Dodgers needed innings and savings, so they traded ace Kevin Brown to the Yankees for Weaver, then told Weaver he would start every fifth game.

He has done so, and done well. He pitched six innings Friday and gave up three runs -- all scored in the third inning, on four hits, one of them hit hard. He has lost seven games, but the Dodgers have scored three runs or fewer in all seven. He has won five, second on the staff to Kazuhisa Ishii.

“People are talented regardless of where they play,” Weaver said. “To say the city itself causes people to fail is a little unfair. Starting was taken away, and that’s all I knew.”