They’re Second to None at Plate

If there was a positive to a trip that saw the Dodgers fall out of first place in the National League West for the first time since April 13, it was the continued solid play of middle infielders Alex Cora and Cesar Izturis -- at the plate.

Long heralded for their defensive proficiency, Cora and Izturis were productive while their teammates continued to flounder during a 2-11 slide in which the Dodgers averaged 2.5 runs, hit .242 as a team and were held to one run or no runs in seven of 13 games.

Cora and Izturis collectively had hit .302, the best combined batting average among National League second basemen and shortstops, going into Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cora, who had hit .403 with two home runs in his last 20 games, was hitting .300, while Izturis, who had hit .352 while reaching base via a walk or base hit in 13 consecutive games, was hitting .303.

“You can’t ask two guys to do any more for a club than they have done because what we’re getting offensively exceeds our expectations,” Manager Jim Tracy said.

Cora, a career .241 hitter who has never hit higher than .291 over a full season, attributed his recent success to “working the count a little bit better and picking my spots to be aggressive.”

Izturis, who hit .246 over his first three major league seasons, credited his pregame hitting routine.

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Dave Roberts was activated off the disabled list but was not inserted into the lineup because Tracy didn’t want the left-hander to have to immediately face Randy Johnson.

“It’s not the easiest task in the world to come off the disabled list and deal with that guy in a left-on-left situation,” said Tracy, adding that Roberts would play today for the first time since straining his right hamstring May 4.

To make room for Roberts, the Dodgers put Hideo Nomo on the disabled list, retroactive to May 20, because of a split nail on his right index finger. Nomo saw a nail specialist Friday and had a protective cover put over his injured nail. The Dodgers are targeting their series against the Boston Red Sox on June 11-13 at Fenway Park for Nomo’s return.

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Eric Gagne will sign his new children’s book, “Break Barriers,” which includes passages about his struggles growing up as the shy son of divorced parents, between 10:30 a.m. and noon Sunday at the Old Pasadena Summer Fest at Brookside Park.