IT'S 11 IN A PINCH DODGERS' SAENZ GETS DECISIVE RBI DODGERS 4, COLORADO 2.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

As an unusually large crowd showed up at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night to witness Greg Maddux's first start there in a Dodgers uniform, a large family from Panama was there for the specific purpose of cheering for one of its own.

But the drawback for traveling a few thousand miles to support Olmedo Saenz is that if you blink, you might miss him.

In the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday night, there was another Saenz sighting. As usual, it came in a key, late-inning situation. And as usual, it didn't last long. And as usual, it played a pivotal role in another Dodgers victory, this time 4-2 over the Colorado Rockies in front of 50,210.

With one out and Russell Martin on second, Saenz stepped in to hit for Brett Tomko and blooped a pitch from Rockies reliever Ramon Ramirez into shallow left field, just in front of a charging Matt Holliday.

Martin scored easily, snapping a 2-2 tie that had existed only since Wilson Betemit had led off the inning with a home run.

From there, the suddenly airtight Dodgers bullpen took care of the rest, extending what is now the club's longest winning streak in 13 years to 11 games.

Saenz, who improved his average as a pinch-hitter to .293 and his overall mark to .306, immediatley left the game for a pinch-runner. To stick around any longer, after all, wouldn't have been fashionable.

Besides, his visiting family - which included his wife, son and daughter, his recently widowed father and a couple of brothers - got to see every moment of Saenz's latest heroics, something the Dodgers have been gleefully watching for three seasons now.

Maddux, meanwhile, fell well short of the domination he mustered in his Dodgers debut last Thursday night at Cincinnati, when he turned in six hitless innings but wasn't brought back after a lengthy rain delay. His run of not allowing a hit while wearing a Dodgers uniform lasted exactly one batter, until Jamey Carroll led off the first inning by lining a 1-2 pitch into right field for a single.

But if Maddux wasn't perfect, he was perfectly adequate, and that's why Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti wanted him at last week's trading deadline to begin with. Meanwhile, the Dodgers got a solo homer from Rafael Furcal to lead off the first inning, giving them a 1-0 lead, and the aforementioned blast by Betemit to lead off the seventh, tying the score 2-2 and saving Maddux from a loss.

The second-place Dodgers (58-55) moved within a half-game of division-leading San Diego in the topsyturvy National League West, this just two weeks after they trailed by a staggering 7 1/2 games and were being widely written off for the season.

Tomko (7-6) relieved Maddux in the seventh inning and worked around a one-out walk to Cory Sullivan, who stole second. Tomko got Byung-Hyun Kim to strike out bunting, then whiffed Carroll to end the inning and strand Sullivan.

Jonathan Broxton survived an even more shaky eighth, walking Garrett Atkins with one out and giving up a two-out double to Brad Hawpe. That put Matt Holliday, who had grounded into a force play, on third.

But Broxton, the fireballing rookie right-hander, struck out Yorvit Torrealba to preserve the one-run lead, which became two when Andre Ethier singled home Julio Lugo in the bottom of the eighth.

Takashi Saito retired the Rockies in order in the ninth for his 12th save in 12 opportunities this season.

Maddux got Atkins to ground into a key double play to avoid first-inning damage after Carroll and Todd Helton began the game with consecutive singles. Helton was batting second for the first time in almost seven years in an attempt by manager Clint Hurdle to jump start the Rockies' moribund offense.

Furcal gave Maddux a 1-0 lead, but it lasted mere minutes. Hawpe began the second with a double and immediately scored on a single by Torrealba. Maddux then retired the next six batters he faced, but ran into more trouble in the fourth after a leadoff single and stolen base by Holliday, whom Hawpe moved to third with a grounder to the right side.

Torrealba then singled through a drawn-in infield to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead.

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CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Dodgers' Rafael Furcal, left, celebrates a leadoff home run in the first inning.

(2) Dodgers starter Greg Maddux made his home debut, going six innings and giving up two runs on seven hits.

(3) Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal forces out Colorado's Yorvit Torrealba at second base Tuesday.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(4) LOWE 

Box:

DODGERS VS. COLORADO

- Tony Jackson