Dodgers’ Pen Is on Point

Cooperstown won’t be calling, asking for memorabilia from Thursday night’s Dodgers-Pirates game at Dodger Stadium. There will be no new entries needed in the record book. And nobody will be talking about the game a week from now, or even tomorrow.

But nobody in the Dodgers’ clubhouse was complaining after they beat Pittsburgh, 5-2, to break a two-game losing streak and remain half a game behind the San Diego Padres, also winners Thursday night, in the National League West. They also moved into the NL wild-card lead, half a game ahead of Philadelphia.

No, Thursday night’s victory wasn’t like Monday night’s spectacular, home run-laced Dodgers comeback.

But at this point in the season, with nine games to go, spectacular is a bonus. Solid is a necessity.

And solid the Dodgers were, on offense and on the mound. And especially a bullpen that has been straining lately under a taxing workload.

“People like heroics,” said Dodgers outfielder Marlon Anderson, “but it’s going to be a grind the rest of the way.”

After Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley (6-4) gave up two runs in five innings of work, relievers Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito shut down Pittsburgh the rest of the way, Saito striking out the side in the ninth for his 20th save.

One record was set Thursday. With a crowd of 48,567, the Dodgers set a season attendance mark of 3,614,942, breaking the record of 3,608,881 set in 1982. However, the old mark counted fans actually in attendance while the new figure counts total tickets sold.

Olmedo Saenz, starting at first base because of the sore muscle in Nomar Garciaparra’s left leg, didn’t take long to make his presence felt.

Just two pitches.

Saenz hit the second pitch he saw from rookie left-hander Shane Youman in the first inning into the left-field seats for a two-run homer. Scoring ahead of Saenz was Kenny Lofton, who had reached on a fielder’s choice after Rafael Furcal had singled.

“He gave us a jump-start,” said Manager Grady Little of Saenz. “That’s exactly why he was in there.”

The Pirates broke through in the third against Billingsley, and it was Youman who began his problems with a single to center. With one out, Jack Wilson reached on a fielder’s choice, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single to center by Freddy Sanchez.

Sanchez was then thrown out trying to go to second on the throw home by Lofton. Sanchez was cut down by catcher Russell Martin, who fired back to Furcal, the shortstop.

At least Sanchez was called out. A replay indicated his foot was on the bag before the tag.

Denied the tying run in scoring position, the Pirates came back in the fifth inning to put that potential tying run in even better position when Jose Bautista smacked a sharp grounder past a diving Julio Lugo at third. Anderson came up to field the ball, but the left fielder -- acquired from the Washington Nationals three weeks ago -- got a harsh geometry lesson about playing the angles in the left-field corner. Hugging the wall, the ball rolled past Anderson into foul territory, back into fair territory and all the way to the bullpen gate. By the time Anderson caught up to the elusive ball and got it back to the infield, Bautista was at third.

Up came Youman, who hit a single to center, driving home Bautista. It was Youman’s first career run batted in and his second hit of the night, increasing his career average to .600 (three for five).

Billingsley got out of the inning without further damage, but Little decided not to push him further. The 21-year-old rookie had thrown 96 pitches and was making only his second start after being out of the rotation for three weeks. Plus, in his first start back, he’d lasted just one inning.

“Chad was in command of his pitches,” Little said. “He had confidence in himself and that made all the difference.”

The Dodgers moved out in front in the fifth after Youman walked Furcal and gave up a single to Lofton, a sharp liner that caromed off the glove of Pittsburgh first baseman Ryan Doumit.

Out came Youman, replaced by right-hander Josh Sharpless, aptly named at least as far as this outing was concerned. He threw 20 pitches, 13 of them balls, one of them a wild pitch. He walked Jeff Kent to load the bases, then walked J.D. Drew on four pitches to force in the go-ahead run.

steve.springer@latimes.com

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NL races

The Dodgers stayed behind San Diego in the division and moved ahead of Philadelphia in the wild-card standings.

*--* NL WEST W L PCT. GB San Diego 80 72 526 -- DODGERS 80 73 523 1/2 San Francisco 75 77 493 5 NL WILD CARD W L PCT. GB DODGERS 80 73 523 -- Philadelphia 79 73 520 1/2 Florida 76 77 497 4

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