Kent and Izturis React to Perez

The All-Star experience was going pretty well for Jeff Kent by Monday afternoon, other than all the strangers coming around asking questions.

He’d taken his family to lunch, and they saw a yellow motorcycle, which Kent’s young son loved, and everybody survived the walk without sweating entirely through their clothes.

But, in a Dodger season that has taken a little sunshine out of everybody, Kent discovered again that gloom travels well.

While specifically excluding Kent, Dodger pitcher Odalis Perez groused Sunday about clubhouse finger-pointing and players who believe themselves to be and conduct themselves as superstars. Kent sighed and shook his head when informed of what Perez said.

“I think that comment is a flat shot in the dark,” Kent said. “That comment voices frustration on his part. And a straight shot from the hip.

“If that comment is true and exactly what he said, having a day to sleep on it, he’s probably going to wish he didn’t say it.... It probably comes from looking in the mirror.”

Read Perez’s quotes, Cesar Izturis blinked his eyes and said, “Oh. He said that? Wow.”

If Perez believed he was being singled out in Sunday’s team meeting, Izturis said, it was not intentional.

Izturis said Olmedo Saenz called the meeting and did much of the talking, just before the Dodgers extended their losing streak from three to four.

“I was there,” Izturis said. “Nobody said anything about [Perez]. Nobody was pointing fingers.

“[Saenz] just talked about winning. It was good stuff.”

-- Tim Brown