Dodgers Beat the Law of Averages

The Dodgers didn’t need throwback jerseys for much of this homestand to unveil a retro look on offense.

Their run production evoked memories of an era far less splendid than the 1955 World Series champions -- they more closely resembled the 2003 bunch that was last in the major leagues in runs scored.

Then Jose Valentin and Jason Phillips, unusual suspects lately when it comes to clutch hitting, delivered key blows Tuesday night during the Dodgers’ 4-2 come-from-behind victory over the Washington Nationals in front of an announced 41,190 at Dodger Stadium.

Valentin drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a fourth-inning single that broke an 0-for-27 slide and Phillips -- after striking out in his first two at-bats to drop his average on the homestand to .111 -- had a two-run double in the fifth to give L.A. a 4-2 edge.

“I didn’t think I could get any lower,” Phillips said. “When you strike out twice -- once looking and once on a bad pitch in the dirt -- you just want to put the ball in play hard.”

The Dodgers lost Valentin for the night and possibly longer when he sprained his right knee while scoring on Phillips’ double and was replaced by Norihiro Nakamura in the seventh. Valentin will undergo an MRI exam and be reevaluated today.

The four runs weren’t exactly an avalanche of support, but they were enough to make a winner of Dodger starter Jeff Weaver (3-2), who pitched six-plus strong innings in which he shut down the Nationals after giving up single runs in the second and third.

Weaver rebounded from two consecutive shaky starts, giving up seven hits and two runs to get off to a good start during a month in which he is usually at his best. Weaver struck out seven, walked one and kept his career earned-run average in May at 3.24, more than a run lower than in any other month.

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy pulled Weaver after he issued a leadoff walk to Brian Schneider leading off the seventh on his 99th pitch. Cristian Guzman and pinch-hitter Carlos Baerga greeted reliever Duaner Sanchez with consecutive singles, but a baserunning blunder cost the Nationals at least one run.

Guzman, expecting Schneider to score on Baerga’s bloop single to right-center, ventured too far around second base and was thrown out by center fielder Milton Bradley. Schneider stayed at third base and was stranded there when reliever Kelly Wunsch retired the next two batters.

“I was really pumped after we got out of that situation,” Weaver said.

Schneider had a chance to redeem himself when he stepped to the plate in the eighth with two on and two out, but, after hitting a ball just foul into the right-field seats, he hit a comebacker to reliever Giovanni Carrara, who excitedly pumped his fist after throwing to first baseman Hee-Seop Choi for the final out.

Yhency Brazoban pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save in 10 opportunities.

Bradley started the Dodgers’ rally in the fifth when he singled with one out and went to second one out later on Valentin’s walk. Phillips followed with a double down the left-field line that scored both runners, Valentin knocking the ball out of catcher Schneider’s glove on his slide home.

The game was delayed for six minutes before the sixth when two fans ran onto the field and were tackled by security guards, prompting fans in the right-field pavilion to litter the field with debris.

“That was kind of crazy,” Weaver said. “About a hundred beach balls and 400 pieces of trash. They need to do a better job of controlling people throwing things on the field.”

The Dodgers, who had averaged 3.3 runs over the first seven games of the homestand, made some headway in the fourth by scoring two runs to tie the score, 2-2, but they squandered an opportunity for more by leaving the bases loaded.

Ricky Ledee doubled with one out and scored on Valentin’s single to right. After Weaver’s infield single, Cesar Izturis walked to load the bases and Choi stroked a run-scoring single to right.

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Capital Gains

Early in their first season in Washington, the Nationals remain in contention for what would be the first baseball title in the nation’s capital in 72 seasons. But National fans might be satisfied with a winning record. Here are the only winning seasons in Washington since the original Senators won the 1933 American League pennant:

*--* Year W L Pct. Pos. 1969 86 76 531 4th 1952 78 76 506 5th 1945 87 67 565 2nd 1943 84 69 549 2nd 1936 82 71 536 4th 1933 99 53 651 1st

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