Drew Brings Pain Now

It has always been more about potential than production. More about what he could do than what he has done.

If only he could stay injury free and stay in the lineup.

The Dodgers believed in that potential enough to give J.D. Drew a five-year, $55-million contract before last season. But the injury bug again took a big bite out of Drew’s playing time, limiting him to 72 games.

But this season, through 17 games at least, Drew has stayed out of the trainer’s room. And as a result, the potential is turning into production.

Friday night at Dodger Stadium, Drew singled, homered and drove in half the Dodger runs in a 6-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“It’s all kind of fallen into place,” said Drew, who is batting .340. “The key is to stay away from broken bones. I tried to change things this spring, a million details, and it’s working out.”

Dodger left-hander Odalis Perez (3-0), who got the victory, said he’s not surprised Drew is off to a fast start.

“You know, if he’s healthy, he’s going to hit,” Perez said. “He’s going to put up the numbers.”

Reliever Danys Baez got the save, his fourth, as the Dodgers improved to 8-9.

Arizona is going the other way, dropping to 7-10. Right-hander Orlando Hernandez (1-3) took the loss.

Each team scored its first run at the expense of an onrushing outfielder, one who couldn’t hold up, the other who couldn’t hang on.

The Dodgers scored first after Kenny Lofton singled off Hernandez in the first inning and stole second. It was the 569th steal for baseball’s active career leader.

With two out, Jeff Kent hit a sinking liner to left that Luis Gonzalez attempted to snare after sliding to his knees. The ball slipped out of the top of the webbing of Gonzalez’s glove and came to rest underneath the Diamondback outfielder, Lofton scoring easily.

Back came Arizona in the second led by Shawn Green. The former Dodger drew more boos than cheers when he came to the plate. But the crowd’s displeasure quickly shifted to right field, where Drew was unsuccessful in his attempt to short-hop Green’s sinking liner. The ball bounced over Drew’s glove, giving Green, who came into the game hitting only .208, his first triple of the season. Green scored on a groundout to third by second baseman Orlando Hudson.

The Dodgers missed an opportunity to take the lead in their half of the second after putting runners on first and third, James Loney’s fly-ball single into left-center followed by Dioner Navarro’s soft liner down the right-field line.

But when Perez popped up a squeeze bunt attempt to Hernandez, Loney was so far down the line that Hernandez had time to pump his arm and wait for Chad Tracy to get to the bag before throwing to the third baseman to double up Loney.

The Dodgers went ahead in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Bill Mueller and Loney. Before the game, Dodger Manager Grady Little had said that, assuming no unforeseen problems in the evening ahead, the Dodgers would recall Nomar Garciaparra from a rehab assignment today and send the 21-year-old Loney back to triple-A Las Vegas.

Loney did his best Friday night to change Little’s mind. His second hit, the run-scoring double, came on the ninth pitch of his at-bat after he had stayed alive by fouling off the best Hernandez had to offer.

Drew increased the Dodger lead to 3-1 with a leadoff home run in the sixth, his second of the season.

Perez left after six innings, having allowed a run and four hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

“Tonight, everything was working, the fastball in and out, the changeup and the cutter,” he said. “Everything is good.”

The Diamondbacks jumped on the next Dodger pitcher, left-hander Tim Hamulack. He gave up a leadoff double to Hudson, then, after striking out Chris Snyder and pinch-hitter Andy Green, surrendered an RBI single to right by Eric Byrnes.

The Dodgers countered in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI double by Rafael Furcal.