Players See Several Encouraging Signs

Several Dodger players said Wednesday they were not concerned that their recent run of success against the lowly Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros would trigger overconfidence as they approach an important weekend series against the San Diego Padres.

Before opening a two-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers had won eight consecutive games and 12 of 13 against the Diamondbacks and Astros, teams that have fired their managers and were a combined 38 1/2 games out of first place before play Wednesday.

“That’s a sign of a good team, to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat,” left fielder Dave Roberts said. “Obviously, Arizona and Houston are not playing their best baseball, and I think it’s a credit to us to still go out there and find ways to win.”

Jason Grabowski, who has provided a lift as a pinch-hitter and fill-in outfielder, said the Dodgers were playing well enough to defeat almost any opponent.

“It just seems like even if we get down three or four runs early that it’s not a big deal, and that’s the kind of attitude we need to have instead of hanging our heads and thinking it’s over,” Grabowski said.

Odalis Perez pointed to a mid-June series against the New York Yankees, in which the Dodgers won two of three games, as evidence that the Dodgers were capable of beating baseball’s elite.

“The way this team is playing right now, we don’t care who we’re going to face,” Perez said. “This team is good enough to win.”

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Roberts, whose playing time has diminished as Jayson Werth has continued to establish himself as an everyday player, said he could not recall the last time he started against a left-handed pitcher. (It was June 25 against the Angels’ Jarrod Washburn.)

Werth, hitting .346 with six homers and 17 runs batted in in his 20 starts before Wednesday, was in the lineup again Wednesday against Colorado left-hander Shawn Estes.

Roberts, who has started only five times all season against left-handers, said he did not have a problem with being relegated to a platoon player considering the contributions Werth has made in his rookie season.

“Obviously, you want to be out there every single day and continue to play,” Roberts said. “But the main thing is we’re winning.... We have guys that are hot right now, and this is the best way to keep everyone locked in.”

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Wilson Alvarez will take Edwin Jackson’s turn in the rotation Saturday against San Diego. Jackson continues to recover from the strained right forearm that put him on the disabled list July 9. Jackson said he continued to feel slight discomfort while throwing off flat ground. “He has some problems when he applies pressure with the middle finger of his throwing hand,” Manager Jim Tracy said.... Hideo Nomo could throw his first bullpen session since going on the disabled list July 1 with inflammation in his right rotator cuff early next week, Tracy said.... The series finale between the Dodgers and Padres on Sunday, originally scheduled for 5 p.m., has been moved to 1 p.m.