Tracy Takes Long View of Short Stints

With his starting pitchers averaging fewer than six innings in the first eight games after the All-Star break, Manager Jim Tracy acknowledged Thursday that the team could use another front-line starter in its quest to make the playoffs for the first time since 1996.

“We have a solid bullpen,” Tracy said. “But can it remain solid if it has to work three-plus innings every single night?”

While the Dodgers have won seven of eight games to open the second half after their 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, only Odalis Perez and Jose Lima have pitched at least seven innings in that stretch.

“If you need your bullpen for three-plus innings a night ... at some point that will catch up to you,” Tracy said. “Somebody will run into a wall.”

Perez recently came off the disabled list and Hideo Nomo remains sidelined by inflammation in his rotator cuff, stirring concerns about rotation depth as the July 31 trading deadline approaches.

Perez, who did not receive a decision Thursday despite giving up only one run in seven innings, said the current rotation of Jeff Weaver, Kazuhisa Ishii, Wilson Alvarez, Perez and Lima was sufficient to lead the first-place Dodgers to the National League West title.

“We might have guys on the team who are not consistent, but they win,” Perez said. “If they win, it’s what we need.”

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Ishii’s arm continually lagged behind his body in his delivery Wednesday night against the Rockies, the same mechanical flaw that had plagued him earlier this season.

The results -- seven hits, six runs and three walks in his second-shortest outing of the season -- were not good.

“Once your body is in that position, there’s only two choices you have: speed your arm up and throw the ball right in the ground, or go on through with your delivery and leave the ball up in the zone,” Tracy said.

Tracy said the Dodgers have tried to rectify the problem by telling Ishii about the flaw every time they notice it.

“Sometimes he has done it; he’s done it this year already,” Tracy said. “Other times, no matter how hard you try, on certain nights he just can’t physically make that adjustment, so you’re not going to be able to throw strikes as a result.”

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Milton Bradley’s game-winning homer in the eighth inning was the 12th to land in the loge level at Dodger Stadium and the first since the San Francisco Giants’ Todd Linden hit one there last Sept. 21. Hiram Bocachica was the last Dodger to accomplish the feat, on June 19, 2001.... Cesar Izturis is the only player in the National League to have registered three hitting streaks of 12 games or longer after his infield single in the first extended his most recent streak to 12 games. Izturis, who went two for four, is batting .302 overall and .415 over his most recent streak.

ON DECK

Opponent -- San Diego Padres, three games.

Site -- Dodger Stadium.

TV -- Channel 13, all three games.

Radio -- KFWB (980), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Dodgers 55-39, Padres 53-42.

Record vs. Padres -- 4-2.

Tonight, 7 -- Jose Lima (9-3, 4.24 ERA) vs. Brian Lawrence (10-7, 4.05).

Saturday, 7 p.m. -- Wilson Alvarez (4-3, 3.61) vs. Ismael Valdez (9-5, 4.99).

Sunday, 1 p.m. -- Jeff Weaver (7-9, 4.26) vs. Adam Eaton (5-8, 4.63).