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. The kids stayed in the dugout - well, some of them anyway - and the veterans returned to the field determined to turn things around.

J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent, neither of whom played Sunday in a dreadful loss against the Angels that ended a horrendous road trip, returned to the lineup in a big way against the division-leading San Diego Padres.

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 the right way, with a 5-4 victory over the Padres before 47,588 at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers manager Jim 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 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.

The big blow, also against San Diego starter Tim Stauffer (1-4), 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 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.

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.

Stauffer lasted six innings and allowed five runs on nine hits to go with three walks and four strikeouts. While the Dodgers veterans got it done on offense, one of the youngsters did the job on the mound.

D.J. Houlton (4-1), the only Dodger starter with a winning record this season, continued his good fortune. Houlton hasn't been dominant, or anything better than adequate, in his rookie season, but unlike other Dodger starters, he's been in the right places at the right times, and that continued Monday.

After a shaky start, Houlton rebounded with the longest outing of his five-start career, as he went seven innings and 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.

If Dessens does well tonight, Houlton might still return to his initial role as long reliever, since injured starter Odalis Perez is expected to return from the disabled list sometime next week.

Houlton, however, 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 an RBI double to Stauffer, but for the next five innings, Houlton was close to untouchable.

After the second, Houlton allowed only two more baserunners. Sean Burroughs reached on an error in the third and singled in the sixth, but otherwise Houlton got five strikeouts and 10 fly-ball outs.

Tracy thought so much of Houlton that, in the bottom of the sixth with the Dodgers clinging to their one-run lead and Houlton entering uncharted territory with 92 pitches thrown, Tracy let Houlton hit.

Houlton rewarded Tracy by retiring the side in order in the seventh. Kelly Wunsch walked one in a scoreless eighth and Yhency Brazoban pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

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