DODGERS BREAK THROUGH EIGHT-GAME SKID COMES TO AN END DODGERS 6, SAN DIEGO 4.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO - Jeff Kent wasn't taking the credit, at least not outwardly, but he let it be known that his venom- spewing, eyeball-bulging, ejection-earning explosion on third-base umpire Dan Iassogna in the top of the sixth inning Wednesday night had a purpose behind it, one that went well beyond the fact Kent was absolutely certain he was safe at third when Iassogna had called him out.

``Most of the things I have done in my career were for a purpose,'' Kent said. ``Whether this one helped or not, I don't know.''

Well, if it didn't, it's one heck of a coincidence.

The Dodgers, the same team that over the previous eight games couldn't buy a run even with all of Frank McCourt's money, scored four of them in four innings after Kent was sent to his room. Those late tallies were the difference in the Dodgers' first win since June 12, a cathartic, 6-4 victory over the San Diego Padres in front of 35,988 at Petco Park.

It's amazing what a little adrenaline rush can do. Especially for a club that had been more likely to suffer a panic attack during that eight-game losing streak.

``Things happen of a competitive nature in a ballgame that you wish didn't happen,'' said Kent, who had to be restrained from going after Iassogna by Dodgers manager Jim Tracy and third-base coach Jim Lett. ``But when they do, you deal with it, and you move on.''

The Dodgers dealt with losing Kent this way:

--Jason Phillips drew a walk from reliever Chris Hammond, loading the bases with one out.

--Jason Grabowski hit what appeared to be an inning-ending, double-play ball to snuff out yet another rally for the run-starved Dodgers, only to see the ball carom off the glove of Padres second baseman Damian Jackson and carom directly into the glove of a lunging shortstop Khalil Greene, who kept one foot on the bag for the force at second. While it ruined any chance of the Padres doubling up Grabowski, it allowed Olmedo Saenz to score easily from third.

--Finally, the Dodgers pushed across important insurance runs in the eighth, one on a double by Saenz and the other on a single by Antonio Perez, and yet another the ninth, on an infield single by slumping Cesar Izturis, an errant pickoff throw by Padres reliever Dennys Reyes and a two-out, RBI double by Jayson Werth that gave Dodgers interim closer Yhency Brazoban some valuable breathing room.

It all began when Antonio Perez was sent to pinch-hit for Hee-Seop Choi, with Saenz on first and Kent on second, and ordered to bunt. Perez had all but wiped out a ninth-inning rally the night before by bunting into an easy force at third, but Tracy didn't hesitate to ask Perez to give it another shot.

``He has to understand that's a responsibility of his,'' Tracy said.

Perez proceeded to lay down what Tracy later called ``a terrific bunt,'' albeit with the same result. Hammond fielded the ball and threw to third, and Iassogna called Kent out. Televised replays appeared to show Iassogna had blown the call.

``He said two things to me,'' Kent said. ``He said he anticipated the play, and that he heard (the play), didn't I hear it?''

Tracy confirmed that Iassogna admitted anticipating the outcome of the play before it was made.

Iassogna is the same umpire who ejected Eric Gagne from a game Gagne was about to close out in Cincinnati three years ago because, in Iassogna's view, Gagne had thrown a pitch too far inside. The Dodgers went on to blow that game without Gagne. Iassogna also is the same umpire who ejected Padres manager Bruce Bochy on Tuesday night without Bochy leaving the dugout.

``I think a lot of veteran umpires know how to handle confrontations with players,'' Kent said. ``This guy threw out Boch for something, I don't know. But this umpire can't handle confrontations. It's sad. He's a major-league umpire, and I know they're trying hard.''

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Dodgers manager Jim Tracy (16) argues with third-base umpire Dan Iassogna after Jeff Kent was ejected.

(2) Cesar Izturis can't come up with Brian Giles' bloop single Wednesday.

Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press

Box:

(1) DODGERS at SAN DIEGO

- Tony Jackson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC