Perez Gives Bullpen a Break in 5-1 Victory

With Thursday’s demotion of rookie Yhency Brazoban, the Dodgers no longer have a closer.

Some would say they have no chance at making a realistic playoff run either.

Just don’t tell that to Odalis Perez.

The left-handed starter made the need for a shutdown specialist null and void against Philadelphia, Perez handcuffing the Phillies for eight innings of the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory at Dodger Stadium.

“It was a good outing; I believe we needed a start like that, to go deep into the game like that and rest those guys in the bullpen,” said Perez, who allowed five hits and a run in his 101 pitches. Perez, who improved to 7-6, also struck out a season-high eight batters, tying a season high by any Dodger pitcher, and walked three.

“It was nice to go out there and do that.”

Duaner Sanchez pitched a perfect ninth inning in a non-save situation.

“I’m not going to say I’m feeling happy right now because I’m closing right now,” said Sanchez, a close friend of Brazoban. “I’m a little mad about Brazo. Not mad at anyone [specific] but just mad at the situation. He just needs to work at it and he’ll be back.

“I just have to try to fill it up and take it out.”

Sanchez has appeared in 60 games, second-most in the majors this year and one appearance behind Washington’s Luis Ayala.

Making the sweep-avoiding victory over the Phillies all the sweeter for the Dodgers, they did it without All-Star shortstop Cesar Izturis, who woke up with a stiff lower back.

He should return to the lineup today, however, Manager Jim Tracy said.

With the win, the third-place Dodgers (51-63) remained seven games behind the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

The Phillies (60-55) fell 2 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the NL wild card chase.

Philadelphia starter Cory Lidle (9-10) went five innings and walked six batters, one intentionally. The right-hander also allowed five hits and struck out three and was charged with four runs, three earned.

The Dodgers scored once in the first inning, when Jayson Werth came home on Jose Valentin’s two-out single up the middle.

The Phillies tied it in the second.

Chase Utley led off by tripling off the new seats down the first-base line and with two out and the pitcher on deck, Mike Lieberthal doubled into the left-center gap to score Utley.

The Dodgers gave themselves some breathing room in the fifth.

Back-to-back walks by Oscar Robles and Werth to open the inning preceded an infield single by Milton Bradley to load the bases for clean-up hitter Jeff Kent.

Kent smacked the first pitch into the left-field corner for a double, scoring Robles and Werth for his team-leading 79th and 80th runs batted in.

After Valentin grounded out to first -- Bradley remained at third, Kent at second -- Lidle intentionally walked Jason Phillips with first base open to load the bases for the newest Dodger, Jose Cruz Jr.

Cruz went down looking. It was the fifth time Cruz, acquired Tuesday in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, had struck out in six at-bats for the Dodgers. He would later ground out to second before being replaced by Jason Repko.

But rookie catcher Dioner Navarro came through one batter later with a sharp single to right, too sharp in fact. Bradley scored, but Kent was thrown out at the plate on a one-hopper from right fielder Bobby Abreu.

Navarro, called up on July 29, had a career-best three hits.

“It looks like he’s been in the big leagues 20 years,” Perez said of Navarro, referring to his game behind the plate. “He knows how to call a game, that kid.”

Phillips gave the Dodgers a 5-1 lead in the seventh with a two-out solo home run, his 10th homer.

“The whole tone of the night was set by our starting pitcher,” Tracy said. “Everything about it was really good.”