Dodgers Finally Catch Break on Kent’s Homer

This is what Jeff Kent is supposed to do, isn’t it? Hoist the Dodgers on his shoulders with one swing, keeping them in first place for another day and helping them forget an eerily familiar injury and a discontented backup ballplayer.

Injuries and age have kept the veteran second baseman from playing at the level that has made him a potential Hall of Famer this season, but none of that mattered when Kent homered to lead off the ninth inning, giving the Dodgers a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night at Chase Field.

There were a lot of smiles in the Dodgers’ clubhouse so soon after a 15-inning loss to the Diamondbacks and three losses in a row to the San Diego Padres. But Derek Lowe was grinning despite pain in his hand and Julio Lugo despite pain in his heart.

Lowe, who was hit near the elbow by a line drive off the bat of Diamondback Craig Counsell last year, was drilled in the heel of his left hand by Chad Tracy’s shot with two out in the fourth inning. He left the game, but X-rays were negative, and Lowe is confident he can make his next start, especially because an off day Thursday will give him an extra day of rest.

Lugo, in fact, might be sorer. His agent, Dan Lozano, suggested that if the Dodgers don’t play his client, they should trade him.

“Although Julio will always remain professional, it’s becoming a frustrating situation,” he said. “I’d like to believe the Dodgers did not trade away one of their top prospects for an All-Star-caliber shortstop to sit the bench.

“He’s a player that wants to contribute on a daily basis, and has, at a high level, for the last three years. If the Dodgers don’t feel like he can contribute every day, they should trade him.”

One minute Lugo was the everyday shortstop for Tampa Bay, batting over .300 and looking forward to a huge payday when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. The next minute he’s a Dodgers’ utility player, filling in at five positions yet spending most of the time on the bench.

The Dodgers gave up power-hitting prospect Joel Guzman and minor leaguer outfielder Sergio Pedroza for Lugo. General Manager Ned Colletti would not have traded infielder Cesar Izturis for starter Greg Maddux unless he knew he could acquire Lugo, because Kent was on the disabled list at the time.

Asked where he stood on the issue, Lugo said, “There is nothing I can do. It’s out of my control. I just have to be ready to contribute.”

Lugo was in Saturday’s game for all of one pitch. He pinch-hit for reliever Tim Hamulack in the seventh and second baseman Orlando Hudson made a diving play on his ground ball. Lugo is batting .259 with the Dodgers, and his overall mark has slipped to .298.

Lugo’s best opportunity to play is at third base, where more than a week ago he began platooning with Wilson Betemit, a switch-hitter who is much better against right-handed pitchers. However, the Dodgers have faced only one left-handed starter since then.

The more the Dodgers watch Betemit play third, the clearer it becomes that he might not be the next coming of Brooks Robinson. And although he has five home runs, he is batting only .236 as a Dodger.

“I think Wilson has a chance to be a good third baseman,” Manager Grady Little said.

How will he get better? “Playing day-in and day-out,” he said.

That doesn’t bode well for Lugo, who certainly isn’t going to supplant Rafael Furcal at shortstop or Kent at second base. There’s no way he’ll play every day in the outfield either.

Asked if it weren’t rewarding for Lugo to play for a playoff contender after three seasons with the perennial doormat Devil Rays, Lozano said, “He’d like to help a contender. The fact is, he’s not being given a chance on a regular basis to do that.”

One Dodger who is playing a lot is rookie catcher Russell Martin, who played nine innings a day after playing 15.

“He’s young,” Little said. “He still looks like he’s got life in those legs.”

In the fourth inning, Martin looked as if he’d rested for a week. His hustle produced the third Dodgers run after he was walked intentionally with two out and Andre Ethier at second base. Lowe’s ground ball behind second base was fielded by shortstop Stephen Drew, but Martin beat Hudson to the bag and was safe, enabling Ethier to score.

In the bottom of the inning Martin threw out Hudson trying to steal third. Lowe was drilled two batters later.

Left-handers Joe Beimel and Hamulack were effective, but the Diamondbacks tied the score with two runs against Brett Tomko. Jonathan Broxton pitched out of a jam created by Tomko in the eighth, and Takashi Saito picked up his 15th save.

“I’ve never beat these guys here and they’ve knocked me out twice,” said Lowe, who wore a soft cast as a precaution. “It swelled up and turned blue in a hurry.”

And a game that threatened to produce extra innings did the same -- turning Dodger Blue with one swing of Kent’s bat.

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Times staff writer Tim Brown contributed to this report.