Hurricane Misses Kent’s Ranch

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

Jeff Kent made a few phone calls and was relieved to learn that his 4,000-acre spread near Austin, Texas, was spared the wrath of Hurricane Emily, which spun on shore Wednesday about 70 miles south of the U.S.-Mexican border.

“We’ll get some wind and rain,” he said. “We can use the rain.”

Kent’s ranch is about 160 miles from Brownsville, where more than 4,000 people are staying in emergency shelters. Emily triggered about 10 tornadoes in Texas, but they were all south of Austin.

Repairing damage to the ranch would have to wait until the off-season, Kent said. Asked if he had staff on hand to handle problems, he laughed and said, “Staff? I’ve got one ol’ cowboy there.

“The place gets run down, then I spend the off-season fixing it all.”

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When Jose Valentin comes off the disabled list next week, he would be much closer to playing left field than Antonio Perez. That’s the opinion of the resident expert on the topic, coach John Shelby.

“Valentin is not a guy you have to teach how to play the outfield,” Shelby said. “He knows what to do.”

Shelby and coach Manny Mota have worked with Perez twice before games on outfield footwork and fielding. But Shelby said the 25-year-old career infielder was not close to being ready for a game.

“I can hit him balls and he can catch them, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Shelby said. “The key is reading balls off the bat. He has to do that during batting practice.”

For his part, Perez isn’t any more thrilled with playing left field than he was with learning how to play third base during spring training. He believes he is a second baseman.

What he does best is hit, and he knows that getting at-bats means becoming competent at a position where there is an opening.

“I want to play,” he said. “So I’ll do anything I can to get in the lineup.”

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J.D. Drew had the cast removed from his right wrist, which is now in a splint, and began range of motion exercises. Manager Jim Tracy said Drew possibly could return before the end of the season.... Wednesday was the 25th anniversary of Tracy’s major league debut with the Chicago Cubs. He struck out.

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Taking the fifth

The Dodgers scored nine runs in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie. Thirteen players came to bat:

Edwards singled to center against Lidle.

* Werth homered to right on an 0-and-2 count, Edwards scoring.

* Repko walked on four pitches.

* Lowe singled to right, Repko to third.

* Robles doubled to right, Repko scoring, Lowe to third.

* Izturis singled to right, Lowe scoring, Robles to third. Izturis stole second.

* Kent homered to center on a 1-and-0 count, Robles and Izturis scoring. Tejeda now pitching.

* Phillips fouled out to left fielder Burrell.

* Choi grounded out, first baseman Howard to pitcher Tejeda.

* Edwards singled to center.

* Werth was hit by a pitch, Edwards to second

* Repko tripled to center, Edwards and Werth scoring.

* Lowe struck out.

9 runs, 8 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on.