DODGERS FINALLY PUT IT TOGETHER DREW, KENT COME THROUGH IN VICTORY OVER SAN DIEGO DODGERS 5, SAN DIEGO 4.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

The Dodgers removed the training wheels from their offense Monday night, as veterans J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent returned to the lineup, determined to give some support to rookie pitcher D.J. Houlton.

It all worked out as well as the Dodgers could have hoped. Drew and Kent, neither of whom started Sunday in a dreadful loss to the Angels that ended a horrendous 2-11 road trip, returned to the lineup in a big way against the division-leading San Diego Padres, and Houlton had the best start of his brief career.

Drew, who missed five games with a sore knee, reached base in all four of his at-bats and scored twice and Kent went 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBI as the Dodgers started an important homestand with a 5-4 victory over the Padres in front of 47,588 at Dodger Stadium.

After a shaky start, Houlton (4-1) went seven strong innings and the veterans came through for him. San Diego led 4-0 at one point, but got only two hits after the second inning.

``I think the performance of our young starter was absolutely noteworthy,'' manager Jim Tracy said. ``What I'm referring to is his poise and the way he kept things together.

``We played a great ballgame tonight.''

Tracy gave Kent a much-needed day off Sunday, and if Tracy could be sure Kent would respond the same way every time, there would be a lot more rest in Kent's future.

Kent's two-run home run in the third inning against San Diego starter Tim Stauffer (1-4), came with the Dodgers trailing 4-1, and allowed them to recapture some momentum at a time when the game seemed to be slipping away.

``He's our clutch hitter, our RBI guy,'' Houlton said. ``When he comes through it gives us all a lift and it makes me want to bear down harder.''

The big blow, also against Stauffer, came in the fifth inning, with San Diego still leading 4-3. Antonio Perez dribbled a single to third to lead off the inning and Drew followed with a double to the gap in left-center field that easily scored Perez from first base.

A passed ball moved Drew to third, and then Kent muscled a pitch over the head of shortstop Khalil Greene and into left field to score Drew and give the Dodgers a 5-4 lead.

``It doesn't get much better than (Kent) when he has runners on base,'' Tracy said.

That's nothing new for Kent, who leads the Dodgers in home runs (15) and RBI (58) and likely will be the National League's starting second baseman in next month's All-Star Game, but this game was more meaningful to Drew, who had to sit out with what he described as ``stabbing'' pains in his knee.

Drew also singled in the first and walked in the third and the fifth. Drew said he continues to have pain in the knee, but that it had been deemed stable enough to allow him to play.

``We battled back in a big way and it worked out well,'' Drew said.

Stauffer lasted six innings and allowed five runs on nine hits to go with three walks and four strikeouts. In the longest outing of his five-start career, Houlton allowed four runs (three earned), five hits and one walk and struck out five.

Houlton also might have saved his spot in the rotation. Thursday's off day will allow the Dodgers to skip one pitcher and it will be either Houlton or tonight's starter, Elmer Dessens, who has been solid.

Houlton left the Dodgers with a positive impression. In the first two innings he allowed solo home runs to Damian Jackson - to lead off the game - and Xavier Nady, as well as a RBI double to Stauffer, but for the next five innings, Houlton was close to untouchable.

In addition to his strong fastball, Houlton found success throwing his curveball for strikes, and confidence in his stuff allowed Houlton to put his early struggles behind him.

``You're going to have bad innings,'' Houlton said. ``If you limit them, and get out of them and give your team a chance to win, that's the best you can do.''

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Antonio Perez races around second base en route to scoring on J.D. Drew's fifth-inning double Monday night against San Diego.

Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News

(2) Padres shortstop Khalil Greene can't come up with Jeff Kent's first-inning liner Monday.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO

- Rich Hammond

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) DODGERS ALMANAC