Boomer provides a boost

By Kevin Baxter

Aug. 27, 2007 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

NEW YORK -- How appropriate that in David Wells’ first start as a Dodger the team played a game that, in many ways, was reminiscent of the staff’s new round crown of the mound.

It was slow, unkempt and slightly unattractive. But, ultimately, it proved to be successful. Just like Wells himself.

“I might not look sexy,” the 250-pound pitcher known as Boomer said. “But I feel sexy.”

He certainly looked attractive to the Dodgers, who, for five innings Sunday, watched him flirt with disaster before he finally put away the New York Mets in a 6-2 victory that, for a moment at least, breathed life into L.A.’s flickering playoff hopes.

With the win, the Dodgers moved to within 3 1/2 games of San Diego in the National League wild-card race. But that’s a game further back than they were when they left home a week ago. And in the division race the Dodgers remain tied for third, 6 1/2 back of Arizona.

Whether Wells will give them enough to overcome those deficits over the next five weeks remains to be seen. But he gave them more than they expected Sunday, walking a tightrope through five innings on the mound and beating out a bunt to ignite a two-run fifth-inning rally that put the Dodgers ahead to stay.

“When you come to a new team, they’re expecting you to go out there and, I guess in this case, be a savior. And I’m not that,” said Wells, who signed as a free agent Friday as a rotation replacement for struggling Brett Tomko, who was designated for assignment.

But if Wells does lead the Dodgers to the promised land, history may show he started the journey with his bat -- or more accurately his feet -- rather than his pitching. That’s because the Dodgers appeared to be sleepwalking their way to another loss, trailing, 2-1, when Wells came to bat leading off the fifth.

On John Maine’s second pitch, he pushed a bunt up the third-base line, then beat David Wright’s throw to first.

“I knew I had no chance swinging the bat against him,” said Wells, who started the night with 19 hits in his 21-year career. But the play seemed to shake the Dodgers from their slumber.

“Everybody was shocked,” outfielder Matt Kemp said. “It was a little spark. It got us going, and we started scoring runs after that.”

Five runs in their next two at-bats to be exact, or as many as they had scored in the first two games of the series.

Rafael Furcal followed Wells’ hit with a single and, an out later, Kemp singled to score the pitcher. Ramon Martinez delivered a run-scoring double next, giving Wells a lead. But two baserunning errors by Kemp -- he hesitated rounding second and was unable to score on Martinez’s hit, then two pitches later was picked off third -- cost the Dodgers an even bigger inning.

“It was like a circus out there,” Kemp said.

Wells then preserved the lead by striking out Moises Alou with the bases loaded. And in their next at-bat his teammates got him some insurance, scoring three unearned runs on run-scoring hits from pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez -- who fouled off five two-strike pitches with two out -- Juan Pierre and Kemp again.

“It was very impressive. It made something happen,” Furcal, who had three hits and scored twice, said of Wells’ bunt. “He was running pretty good. Getting on base like that, you say, ‘Well, if he can get on base then I want to get on base, too.’ ”

There was one frightening moment for the Dodgers in the fourth inning when Jeff Kent took a Maine fastball on his ear flap and had to leave the game. Afterward, Kent said he was OK, though the team’s trainers planned to monitor him on the six-hour charter flight home.

That’s a flight, by the way, that will seem a lot shorter thanks to Wells’ dash up the first base line.

“We turned the momentum our way,” Kemp said. “You don’t want to go home losing three. Every game is important, but this game was big.”

kevin.baxter@latimes.com

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Nice start

In his first start with the Dodgers, David Wells lasted five innings, picking up the victory against the New York Mets. He also beat out a bunt single and scored a run (* -- 60-day disabled list):

WHAT WELLS DID SUNDAY

Innings…5

Hits…7

Runs…2

Earned runs…2

Walks…3

Strikeouts…2

Strikes/balls…48/25

Pitches…73

Season record…6-8

Season ERA…5.46

WINNINGEST ACTIVE PITCHERS