Encarnacion, Lima Step Up for Dodgers

No one could blame Dan Evans if he cringed Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium while watching Jose Lima and Juan Encarnacion carry the Dodgers to a 5-1 interleague victory over the Baltimore Orioles.

Evans had acquired Lima and Encarnacion during the off-season in moves that have bolstered the Dodgers but did nothing to save Evans, who was dismissed as general manager in February when new owner Frank McCourt hired Paul DePodesta.

Evans, now a scout for the Seattle Mariners, could take little solace in watching Lima hold the Orioles to one run in seven innings and Encarnacion hit a three-run home run to help the Dodgers move back into sole possession of first place in the National League West.

Lima (5-2) pitched out of the only jam he created with the help of a double play in the fourth inning and gave up three hits, including Miguel Tejada’s homer in the seventh. The right-hander, whose importance to the club extends well beyond light-hearted moments of salsa dancing in the clubhouse, improved to 3-2 with a 4.11 earned-run average in six starts.

Encarnacion’s 10th homer capped a four-run sixth against starter Daniel Cabrera, ending what was shaping up as a pitcher’s duel in front of 29,711 in the Orioles’ first appearance at Dodger Stadium since the 1966 World Series.

Even though Lima was in complete control, throwing mostly first-pitch strikes, Manager Jim Tracy pulled Lima after the seventh even though he had thrown only 68 pitches -- 51 for strikes -- and walked none.

“I’ve got the best bullpen in major league baseball sitting down there,” Tracy said, “and rather than have them inherit trouble, if we’re going to get into it, let them create it for themselves.”

Said Lima: “I never like to leave when I have something going like that, but the manager makes decisions and I’m not going to create a war. Whatever he wants me to do, I do it.”

Eric Gagne quashed a ninth-inning threat by retiring the last two batters after Darren Dreifort had put runners on first and second with one out by giving up a double to Brian Roberts and walking Tejada. Gagne’s handiwork allowed him to record his 14th save and major league-record 77th in a row dating to August 2002.

Dodger reliever Guillermo Mota had to leave after retiring the only two batters he faced in the eighth after feeling a twinge in his elbow on the second-to-last pitch he threw to Luis Matos, who struck out on Mota’s last pitch. Tracy said Mota retained a full range of motion and passed several strength tests after the game. He will be reevaluated today.

Milton Bradley got things going for the Dodgers in the sixth with a leadoff single up the middle and went to second on Shawn Green’s single to left-center field.

Paul Lo Duca’s bunt moved the runners to second and third before Adrian Beltre hit a run-scoring single against Cabrera.

Encarnacion followed by hitting Cabrera’s first pitch into the left-field pavilion.

“That’s really a devastating blow to the other side of the field when it comes at that point in the game with what we have to offer down in our bullpen,” Tracy said.

After Tejada’s 10th homer had cut the Oriole deficit to 4-1 in the seventh, Cesar Izturis singled, stole second and scored on Green’s single up the middle in the bottom of the inning.

Green finished three for four to raise his batting average to .259, the highest it has been since reaching .268 on May 2.

Encarnacion has also been on a tear, with at least one hit in 12 of his last 13 games. He is hitting .392 with three homers and nine runs batted in over that span, raising his average to .254.