Dodgers Fail to Get in Race

This was supposed to be the epic showdown the Dodgers anticipated for weeks, a day they would begin to push closer to first place in the National League West by pulling the San Diego Padres back toward them.

Instead, the Padres did the shoving, defeating the teetering Dodgers, 3-1, Friday night at Dodger Stadium in the first game of a series that has virtually lost any significance.

None of the Dodgers will say so publicly, but they have effectively been nudged out of the race once and for all, falling eight games behind San Diego and into a tie for third place with Arizona with 22 to play.

“We have to look at it as [today] and Sunday are games we have to win,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said.

Woody Williams held the Dodgers (63-77) without a hit until the sixth when Jeff Kent singled with one out and scored on a single by Jose Cruz Jr.

Jason Phillips followed with a bloop single, putting the tying runs on base, but Dioner Navarro’s fly to right was caught on the warning track by Brian Giles. The Dodgers had won their last two games in their last at-bat and threatened again in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out. But closer Trevor Hoffman notched his 37th save.

“One run isn’t good enough,” Tracy said.

Although he was difficult to hit, Williams (8-11) walked five. All told, there were 12 walks and two hit batsmen, another indication that this game bore little resemblance to a fierce battle between rivals.

In fact, that much was evident before the game.

Padres Dave Roberts and David Ross walked through the Dodger dugout and ducked into the manager’s office, where Tracy gave Ross a warm hug and Roberts a kiss on the forehead.

Tracy is known to display affection for his former players -- Roberts and Ross were Dodgers last season -- but somehow it is difficult to imagine current bench-warmers Antonio Perez and Hee-Seop Choi getting the same treatment some day.

Evidently inspired, Roberts doubled and scored to spark the Padre three-run third inning, singled and walked twice.

The Padres left the bases loaded in the first two innings, unable to capitalize on D.J. Houlton’s wildness. He walked one and hit a batter in the first and walked three in the second.

The Dodgers were nearly as inept at cashing in on walks. Williams put Oscar Robles and Kent aboard with two out in the second but struck out Olmedo Saenz on a 76-mph curveball.

Houlton, a rookie right-hander, won two starts against San Diego in June to solidify his berth in the rotation, and his numbers are similar to those of touted Angel rookie Ervin Santana.

But Houlton went from being unable to throw a strike to grooving the ball in the fourth, and the Padres took a 3-0 lead. Ramon Hernandez led off with a home run, Roberts tripled with two out, Ben Johnson doubled and Mark Loretta singled.

“I threw way too many pitches,” Houlton said. “It’s another disappointing effort.”

The Padres (71-69) are on their way to becoming the division champion with the worst record since the 1973 Mets won the NL East at 82-79.

Their ace pitcher, Jake Peavy, will miss a start today because of shoulder soreness and will be replaced by one of two rookies who would be making his first start, Clay Hensley or Chris Oxspring.

The Dodgers, in fact, won’t face Adam Eaton -- the second-best Padre starter -- or Brian Lawrence -- who has given them fits for years. No matter, and Tracy seemed to know it.

“People rise to the occasion this time of year,” he said. “Anybody would like to have their best-case scenario. In this case, they won’t have Peavy. But other people step up.”