DODGERS' FORTUNES ARE ON THE RISE MLB: KERSHAW LOOKS GOOD IN WIN OVER CARDINALS, AND PENNY IS SET TO RETURN TO ROTATION. DODGERS 4, ST. LOUIS 1.

Byline: Tony Jackson 

Staff Writer

ST. LOUIS -- If you look beyond their record, their place in the standings and their results in a just-completed, three-game series with the St.Louis Cardinals, you just might find a lot to like about these suddenly lively Dodgers.

If you look at them tonight, when they begin a three-game series at SanFrancisco, you just might find a little more to like.

On the heels of a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals in front of 40,500 on Thursday at Busch Stadium -- a game that marked either the end of, or a momentary respite from, a five-year dry spell in which the Dodgers had dropped 16 of 18 in the Gateway City -- the Dodgers are expected to activate right-hander Brad Penny from the 15-day disabled list. The two-time All-Star, presumably healthy after almost two months on the shelf with shoulder tendinitis, is slated to make his first start since June 14 against the Giants.

For the Dodgers, who remain well within striking distance in the National League West despite having spent the entire season seemingly stuck in the mud, it should amount to another significant addition to their roster, right along with the recent acquisitions of Casey Blake and Manny Ramirez. But as capable as Penny is of dominating, he will be hard-pressed to match the recent performance of rookie left-hander Clayton Kershaw.

With the Dodgers desperate to avoid another series sweep at the hands of the wildcard-contending Cardinals, Kershaw delivered seven spectacular innings, allowing only three hits. His scoreless streak ended at 16 innings when the Cardinals sandwiched a pair of two-out hits around a stolen base in the fifth.

But beyond that, Kershaw was in firm control all afternoon, winning for the second time in a three-start span in which his ERA is 0.47.

A healthy Penny. A hot-hitting Blake. A thus-far unstoppable Ramirez. A blossoming Kershaw. And a new collective attitude on the part of a club that will play only 17 of its remaining 48 games against teams that currently have winning records.

"I would say it's a little more upbeat around here," Kershaw said. "We have Casey and Manny, and both of them have been huge for us. We're definitely more confident, and I think you can see that on the field more than anything."

Although Blake went hitless in four at-bats, he still is hitting .341 since being traded from Cleveland on July 26. And although Ramirez failed to get at least two hits for the first time in six games since being traded from Boston on July 31, the one hit he did get was a two-run home run that landed in the sixth row of the bleachers in left-center field, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead in the third.

"Since Manny came on board, we certainly have a different feel to our clubhouse, to our dugout and on the field," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "Having him sitting there in the middle of your lineup certainly gets the other team's attention. Once it settles in, the other guys in the order should get better because of it, because (opposing clubs) certainly don't want to pitch to Manny with men on base."

Along those lines, Torre said he planned to move catcher Russell Martin out of the third spot in the order, although he wasn't sure where he would put him. In five games batting immediately ahead of Ramirez, Martin was 5 for 22 with seven strikeouts. Not surprisingly, of the six occasions when he has reached base in front of Ramirez, he has scored four times.

With Martin resting in the series finale, Torre dropped veteran second baseman Jeff Kent into the No. 3 spot. Kent responded by going 3 for 4 with a double and scoring twice, including on Ramirez's home run.

Look for Kent to stay there, maybe for the rest of the season.

"I'm certainly going to look at it," Torre said. "It might force us to really think about (not) giving him that day off here and there. Jeff gave us a big lift."

Assuming they can avoid injuries -- and assuming they don't add a veteran starter (San Diego's Greg Maddux is believed to have cleared waivers) before the real trading deadline of Aug. 31 -- the Dodgers (57-57) will go the rest of the way with a starting rotation of Kershaw, Penny, Hiroki Kuroda, Chad Billingsley and Derek Lowe. And with a lineup that has Ramirez as its centerpiece. And with a bullpen that is a collective 21-14 with a 3.04 ERA.

A lot to like, indeed.

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Dodgers rookie Clayton Kershaw struck out seven and gave up three hits in seven innings to stifle St. Louis.

Dilip Vishwanat/Gettty Images

(2) Manny Ramriez, right, is congratulated by third-base coach Larry Bowa after a two-run home run.

(3) St. Louis shortstop Cesar Izturis throws to first after forcing out the Dodgers' Angel Berroa at second.

Kyle Ericson/The Associated Press