Izturis News Tempers Rally

In a season marked by unrelenting physical ailments and psychic pain, the Dodgers got more of the former and a respite from the latter in a 9-8 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night.

Not long after learning that Cesar Izturis will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Sept. 16 and be sidelined until July, the dwindling assemblage of healthy Dodgers blew a three-run lead then battled from a two-run deficit in the ninth on a two-run home run by Oscar Robles and a walk-off hit with the bases loaded by Mike Edwards.

The victory enabled the Dodgers to avert slipping into fourth place in the National League West for the first time since opening day. The chance of catching first-place San Diego, however, is barely worth considering. The Dodgers are 6 1/2 games out of first.

It’s time to look to next year, and that makes Izturis’ surgery all the more depressing for a team whose best-laid plans were ruined by injuries. Now injuries are influencing next season as well.

The Gold Glove shortstop aggravated a bone and ligament problem he has had since age 13 and no longer can tolerate the pain. Longtime Dodger physician Frank Jobe, who developed the procedure and has performed it on hundreds of players, said Izturis, 25, has had no blood flow to a bone in the elbow for about 12 years.

“A small part of the bone lost its blood supply,” Jobe said. “That’s why elbow reconstruction is necessary.”

Dr. Ralph Gambardella and Jobe will take a tendon from Izturis’ left forearm and use it to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Jobe said the procedure would reduce pressure on the painful bone and enable Izturis to throw again.

Until Izturis returns, the shortstop probably will be Robles, a 29-year-old rookie from the Mexican League, who has been adequate defensively and superb with the bat. His ninth-inning home run against Giant closer Armando Benitez landed a few rows into the right-field stands near the foul line.

“We certainly would feel comfortable with Oscar playing shortstop [next season],” General Manager Paul DePodesta said.

A walk to Jeff Kent was followed by a comebacker by Olmedo Saenz that rookie reliever Jeremy Accardo threw into center field. Jose Cruz Jr., who had homered twice, walked to load the bases, bringing up the rookie Edwards, who drove a pitch into the right-center gap.

“Cruz and I were talking about him hitting another homer and me winning it with a hit,” Edwards said. “That’s just what happened.”

Trailing, 6-5, because Jeff Weaver gave up two home runs in the seventh inning, the Dodgers loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the inning. However, Saenz struck out. Moments later a foul ball by Moises Alou was thrown back on the field from the loge seats, and it barely missed Saenz’s head. In the bottom of the inning, another foul was tossed onto the field, this time coming close to Giant first baseman J.T. Snow.

Much of the postgame focus was on Izturis, who went on the disabled list Aug. 23 because of a lower back injury. He batted .257 in 444 at-bats, with 48 runs and 31 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was only .302, low for a leadoff batter.

The absence next spring of Izturis, who is in the first season of a three-year, $10-million contract, creates another huge hole in a team that already has plenty. DePodesta would prefer to use Robles as a utility infielder, but now he might have a full-time job.

“I feel bad for him because he is a nice guy and he’s helped me out a lot,” Robles said. “I’ll try to replace him the best I can.”