Perez Has a More Positive Outlook

Six days after melting down on the mound and in the clubhouse, left-hander Odalis Perez stayed sturdy for six innings in sweltering heat, keeping the Dodgers in a game they would win.

If he didn’t crawl all the way out of the hole he had put himself in with comments that questioned his coaches and teammates, at least he could see some light.

“It was a battle and a good sign for me,” he said. “Maybe next time I can go seven innings.”

Perez said he is still regaining strength after being on the disabled list from May 15 to July 5 because of shoulder pain. After his last start, he said he was tired after five innings and said he never should have pitched into the sixth, when Houston knocked him around for four runs.

This time he didn’t crumble, stranding seven runners from the second through the sixth innings even while struggling with the command of his curveball.

The Giants scored in the sixth on a broken-bat single by Michael Tucker to take a 4-3 lead. But the Dodgers came back, and although Perez didn’t get the win, he watched on a clubhouse television.

“It was very exciting,” he said. “Maybe this will be the beginning of a six- or seven-game winning streak.”

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Manager Jim Tracy has been creative with his lineups; he wrote out his 67th different one in 91 games.

But with the double-play combination of Cesar Izturis and Jeff Kent healthy for the first time in July, Tracy couldn’t find a way to get hot hitters Antonio Perez and Oscar Robles both into the lineup.

He went with Robles (.347) at third base, and Robles had two hits, walked and scored the winning run. But with the Dodgers struggling to score, Perez (.323) is a name Tracy would like to pencil in somewhere.

Perez, who has struggled defensively at third and second, has been working with coaches John Shelby and Manny Mota on playing left field. Although Robles played outfield for a short time in Mexico, Tracy said Perez is better suited for the position because he is fast.

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Third baseman Jose Valentin (knee) is scheduled to play three innings in his first triple-A rehabilitation game today. Outfielder Milton Bradley (finger) played in his second rehabilitation game Saturday.

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Good patch

Oscar Robles has been a valuable fill-in for the Dodgers, ranking second in on-base percentage. The team’s on-base percentage leaders:

*--* PLAYER GAMES OB% J.D. Drew 72 412 Oscar Robles 41 410 Antonio Perez 52 392 Jeff Kent 86 382 Jose Valentin 24 364

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Source: Dodgers.com