Finley Is a Real Snake Harmer Now

The Arizona Diamondbacks honored Steve Finley with a pregame video tribute Tuesday night at Bank One Ballpark, prompting the center fielder to tip his batting helmet in appreciation in the Dodger dugout.

But much to the dismay of the 39,167 who cheered him before the game and during the Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Series run, Finley supplied two highlight-reel moments for his new team while lifting the Dodgers to a 4-1 victory in 13 innings.

Finley’s bases-clearing double to left-center with one out in the 13th gave him four runs batted in against the last-place Diamondbacks, the only team in the major leagues already eliminated from playoff contention.

Finley also hit a 96-mph fastball from former teammate Randy Johnson over the wall in right-center in the sixth to provide the Dodgers with their first run.

“It was nice to finally get a good swing off him and make something happen,” said Finley, who was one for eight in his career against Johnson before the sixth. “I like the challenge of facing him; he’s one of the best pitchers in the game.”

After putting two runners on base for the first time all night in the 12th, the Dodgers broke through an inning later. Alex Cora hit a leadoff single and moved to second on former Diamondback Brent Mayne’s hit-and-run groundout.

After falling behind pinch-hitter Hee-Seop Choi, 3 and 0, Arizona reliever Brian Bruney intentionally threw ball four to put runners on first and second.

Cesar Izturis then walked before Finley belted Bruney’s final pitch to the wall to empty the bases.

Eric Gagne (5-3), who struck out three during two scoreless innings of relief, recorded the victory for the Dodgers (77-54), who moved a season-high 23 games over .500 and increased their lead in the National League West to 5 1/2 games over San Francisco, which moved into second place.

Giovanni Carrara notched his second save by striking out two of the three batters he faced in the 13th.

For 7 1/2 innings, it looked as if Finley, acquired by the Dodgers from Arizona on July 31, would trump Johnson, the player the Dodgers coveted but couldn’t get.

But Arizona tied the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the eighth after Dodger starter Jeff Weaver hit pinch-hitter Carlos Baerga with a pitch leading off. Pinch-runner Stephen Randolph went to second on a sacrifice bunt and could have scored on Quinton McCracken’s sharp single that was momentarily bobbled by right fielder Milton Bradley.

Randolph stopped at third on the play but then came home on Alex Cintron’s sacrifice fly to deep center, marring an otherwise stellar performance by Weaver. The right-hander, beset by allergies, gave up five hits and one run in eight innings, striking out nine and walking none to post his major league-leading 22nd quality start.

“I definitely get up for someone like Randy Johnson,” said Weaver, who relied on his sinker early in the count and utilized sliders off the plate with two strikes.

“You have to stay focused and continue to put up zeros because you know it could be like it was tonight.... He was almost unhittable.”

Johnson struck out a season-high 15 in eight innings to lower his earned-run average to 2.71, best in the major leagues. Johnson retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced and gave up only a walk and a single before Finley’s 28th homer of the season.

Weaver collected two of the Dodgers’ four hits off Johnson, including an eighth-inning single on which Arizona center fielder Luis Terrero threw him out trying to take second base.

Johnson has recorded double-digit strikeouts in each of his last four starts but has only one victory to show for his dominance.

“He could be the Cy Young Award winner,” said Finley, batting .333 with five homers and 25 runs batted in as a Dodger. “When I was here, there were at least five, six games he should have won when we didn’t score enough runs.”