Perez Can’t Walk Out on Trouble

Albert Pujols carves up a lot of pitchers. He just cuts Odalis Perez especially deep.

In last year’s playoff opener against the Dodgers, the St. Louis Cardinal first baseman triggered a five-home run barrage by touching Perez for a two-out, first-inning blast.

Pujols did all the damage Monday, again hitting a homer with two out in the first, then crushing a full-count changeup by Perez into the left-field stands for a three-run home run in the fifth.

That was enough offense for a 4-2 victory against the short-handed Dodgers, who essentially were down to a three-man bench because infielder Oscar Robles hadn’t arrived from Mexico and outfielder J.D. Drew was ill.

Pujols is eight for 12 against Perez with four home runs, and the game turned on his at-bat in the fifth with runners at the corners, one out and the score 1-1. Perez fell behind three-and-one, then did his best to walk the Cardinal slugger with the .341 batting average.

But Pujols fouled an outside pitch down the right-field line and fouled an inside pitch down the left-field line, creating in Perez (4-3) the mistaken belief that he could get him out.

“I thought there might be a call from the dugout to walk him but the manager had confidence in me to challenge him,” Perez said. “I tried to make him chase balls, but once it got to three-and-two, I tried to make my pitch.”

Instead, it was Pujols’ pitch, a changeup over the middle that ended up in the stands for his ninth home run.

“That’s a pitch you hit out of the park,” Pujols said.

The Dodgers (19-12) had chances to respond against Mark Mulder (5-1) and three relievers. But they stranded 10 runners and twice in the late innings used left-handed pinch-hitters against left-handed pitchers because no right-handed bats were available. Jason Grabowski struck out with a runner on in the seventh and Hee-Seop Choi struck out to lead off the ninth.

The Dodgers were prohibited from keeping right-handed hitting Norihiro Nakamura on the 40-man roster after purchasing Robles’ contract from the Mexico City Diablos on Sunday, even though they knew Robles couldn’t get to St. Louis until today.

Nakamura returned to Los Angeles to huddle with his agent and wait out the waiver process. If no other team claims the Japanese third baseman, the Dodgers can send him to the minor leagues.

Robles, a left-handed batter, will be a reserve at second base, shortstop and third base. Manager Jim Tracy probably will give a day off soon to 37-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent, who has played every game.

It’s difficult to rest Kent or shortstop Cesar Izturis, though, because they are surrounded by players the Dodgers did not expect to be counting on every day. There is no way they could have envisioned starting Mike Edwards at third base, Olmedo Saenz at first, and Jason Repko and Ricky Ledee at the corner outfield spots against the defending National League champion Cardinals (20-11).

The Dodgers remain strong up the middle, but the ongoing problem at third base, the slow rehabilitation from a wrist injury of left fielder Jayson Werth, injuries and illness have left them soft around the edges.

Mulder took advantage, striking out 12 in seven innings. Izturis tripled to score Edwards with two out in the fifth to tie the score, 1-1, and the Dodgers cut into the three-run deficit in the eighth when Milton Bradley scored on Ledee’s single.

The Dodgers are 2-2 on the trip with three games to play here. The Cardinals are off to their best start since 1981, so it won’t be easy for the Dodgers to sidestep a nosedive.

Especially if Pujols continues to get fat pitches.

“He’s the guy,” Perez said. “You have to be careful with him and I wasn’t.”

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Changing Places

Comparing 2005 statistics of key players the Dodgers have acquired to those of players they have traded or let go as free agents:

*--* New Batters AB 2B HR RBI AVG OB% SLG Jeff Kent 113 10 7 26 327 438 602 J.D. Drew 99 5 5 13 273 408 475 Jason Phillips 87 10 1 21 299 344 448 Jose Valentin 67 1 2 12 194 364 358 Ricky Ledee 71 8 1 11 324 417 507 Hee-Seop Choi 78 5 5 11 269 360 532 Totals 515 39 21 94 285 393 495 Old Batters AB 2B HR RBI AVG OB% SLG Adrian Beltre 128 6 3 19 242 274 360 Paul Lo Duca 90 2 1 14 333 390 389 Steve Finley 110 5 6 19 182 258 418 Shawn Green 125 5 4 18 256 316 409 Alex Cora 63 1 1 3 238 273 302 Jose Hernandez 52 1 1 7 231 259 308 Totals 568 20 16 80 246 293 373 New Pitchers IP H ER BB SO W-L ERA Derek Lowe 47 42 15 10 29 2-3 2.87 Scott Erickson 26.1 31 18 11 5 1-3 6.15 Kelly Wunsch 11.1 7 2 3 9 0-0 1.59 Yhency Brazoban 12.1 10 3 6 12 1-0 2.19 Totals 97 90 38 30 55 4-6 3.53 Old Pitchers IP H ER BB SO W-L ERA Kaz Ishii 18.2 10 10 13 14 0-2 6.75 Jose Lima 38 44 28 17 16 0-3 6.63 Hideo Nomo 35.2 39 26 18 19 2-3 6.56 Guillermo Mota 9.2 9 2 4 7 0-1 1.86 Totals 102 102 66 52 56 2-9 5.82

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