Dodgers Revisit Past in Victory

It was far too late to save his job. But for one day, a Dodgers game went just as former general manager Paul DePodesta planned it two off-seasons ago.

Starter Derek Lowe was dominant and cleanup batter J.D. Drew hit a first-inning home run in a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday at AT&T; Park that enabled the Dodgers to win the first series of an important three-city trip against division rivals by taking two of three.

Lowe and Drew were centerpieces in DePodesta’s failed makeover before the 2005 season. He gave Lowe a four-year, $36-million contract, and emptied the coffers for Drew, handing him a five-year, $55-million deal.

The season was a disaster, and DePodesta was fired and replaced by Ned Colletti, whose own team-building was no less ambitious but has yielded considerably better results.

Lowe and Drew are among a handful of players who survived the latest reconstruction. Neither has been a disappointment. Yet neither has consistently performed at the level expected of players at the top end of the pay scale.

This was more like it though.

Drew, batting fourth despite having only two home runs since June 1, drove a pitch by Matt Morris over the right-field wall with Nomar Garciaparra on base for his 12th homer to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.

For eight innings those runs appeared to be enough for Lowe, who has been a better pitcher -- turning in four consecutive quality starts -- since the Dodgers acquired Greg Maddux.

And he even drew a Maddux comparison.

“I think that’s the best I’ve seen Lowe throw, even back to Boston,” Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel said. “He didn’t raise the ball above the knees too many times. He was burying his sinker at your feet. He’s kind of a Greg Maddux pitcher with more speed.”

But with one on and none out in the ninth, another player signed by DePodesta -- second baseman Jeff Kent -- kept the Giants alive when what appeared to be a double-play ground ball rolled between his legs.

Two batters later the Giants were on the scoreboard, the bases were loaded and Lowe gave way to closer Takashi Saito.

DePodesta can lay no claim to the 36-year-old Japanese rookie, who signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last off-season and has become invaluable.

He struck out Steve Finley, walked pinch-hitter Barry Bonds to force in a run, then struck out Pedro Feliz and Eliezer Alfonzo on breaking pitches for his 14th save.

“That was my tightest situation of the season,” Saito said. “It wasn’t a one-run game, but I had to avoid giving up the home run ball.”

The Dodgers were the ones hitting homers for a change. Garciaparra’s two-run blast in the eighth extended the lead to 5-0. It was only the team’s 104th homer, which ranks last in the National League.

They keep winning though, and could become the first team since the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals to win their division while finishing last in home runs. The Dodgers won a World Series title in 1965 despite finishing last in the NL in home runs.

Manager Grady Little simply enjoyed the moment. “That was a beautiful game,” he said. “I loved every minute of it.”

Lowe’s effort was especially stunning. He didn’t throw any cut fastballs, instead relying on sinkers and curveballs. He gave up three singles and walked none through eight innings.

He also had two hits and drove in the Dodgers’ third run with a single in the second inning.

“When I was struggling I was trying to trick hitters and throw what they weren’t looking for rather than throwing what I should be throwing,” he said.

“I was throwing so many cutters it was messing up the release point on my sinker. I’ve only thrown about five cutters in the last four games.”

And the Dodgers are inching closer to a postseason berth. The Giants don’t need more convincing after being swept at Dodger Stadium a week ago and losing more ground at home.

Said Morris, who gave up the homers to Drew and Garciaparra: “It looks like they are taking control of the division.”

Especially if Lowe and Drew continue to produce. They are making $20 million this season -- one-fifth of the Dodgers’ payroll.

“You always hear how there is a lot of season left,” Drew said. “But it’s getting down to the nitty-gritty.”