Dodgers Toss Streak

Half the experience in the lineup was erased by the thumb of an umpire.

But the fire lighted by Jeff Kent smoldered well after his sixth-inning ejection, long enough for the Dodgers to extinguish a season-long eight-game losing streak in a 6-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night at Petco Park.

“We’ve been scrapping for a while,” Kent said. “We were able to score runs and do what it took to win.”

It took the unexpected. Outfielder Jayson Werth hit his first home run of the season to tie the score in the sixth and hit a ground-rule double to drive in an insurance run in the ninth.

It took overcoming misfortune. Outfielder J.D. Drew did not play and could miss several games because of soreness in his left kneecap, adding to the long list of injured Dodgers.

It took good fortune. Line drives were caught by second baseman Antonio Perez and left fielder Jason Grabowski after the Padres cut the deficit to one and loaded the bases in the eighth.

But most of all it took some emotion, a seldom seen commodity around the Dodger clubhouse.

Kent burns with intensity every day, yet rarely explodes. He addressed his teammates after a loss to the White Sox in Chicago last week but the losses continued to pile up and the pall over the club continued to grow.

The Dodgers might lead the league in introverts, and the clubhouse had never been as subdued as before this game. Yhency Brazoban and Duaner Sanchez sat on the floor silently playing cards. A few players glumly watched a war movie.

Maybe the Dodgers would have won had Kent gone meekly to the dugout instead of arguing the call. Or maybe somebody had to blow his stack. The Dodgers chose to believe the latter, that the veteran whose career 6,862 at-bats exceeded the combined total of the rest of the lineup fired up the team.

“He’s a really intense player,” catcher Jason Phillips said. “There’s no messing around.”

Kent was at second base and Olmedo Saenz at first with none out and the score tied, 3-3, in the sixth when pinch-hitter Perez bunted. He bunted too hard and pitcher Tim Stauffer threw to third.

Kent appeared to beat the throw, but was called out by umpire Dan Iassogna. A protracted argument ensued and Iassogna tossed Kent for pointing his fingers at his eyes. Then Kent went ballistic and had to be ushered off the field by Manager Jim Tracy and third-base coach Jim Lett.

“He gave me a minor league explanation about why he made that call,” Kent said. “I said he needed to use his eyes.”

Phillips walked and Grabowski brought home the go-ahead run with a ground ball to second that Damian Jackson couldn’t handle cleanly enough to turn a double play.

Perez singled in a run in the eighth for a 5-3 lead, which came in handy when the Padres took advantage of two walks to score a run in the eighth.

“A lot of players in this room believe in themselves,” Cesar Izturis said. “We’ve got to keep battling.”