NOMO DROPS D'BACKS SURGING DODGERS PITCHER OUTDUELS JOHNSON DODGERS 4, ARIZONA 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

PHOENIX - The ruffle-no-feathers Dodgers love to downplay everything, and that fits well into a six-month season that usually melds one week into the next.

But every now and then moments arise that, even on the first day of July, are well out of the ordinary and promise to stick in one's mind as a season of hope turns to one of promise.

The Dodgers might have had such a moment Monday at Bank One Ballpark.

With Arizona flame-thrower Randy Johnson pitching and Dodgers right fielder Shawn Green sitting due to a jammed thumb, right-hander Hideo Nomo put forth an effort in a 4-0 Dodgers' victory win that summarizes everything the Dodgers believed they were getting when they signed him six months ago.

Nomo (9-5) outdueled Johnson (12-3) to match a career high with his seventh consecutive victory, throwing eight innings and defeating baseball's best pitcher.

Freshly snubbed in his bid for his first All-Star selection by Arizona manager Bob Brenly, also the manager of the National League squad, Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca had two hits, drove in a run and scored.

But it was Nomo's pitching that enabled the Dodgers (51-31) to win the series opener. He allowed five hits, didn't walk and a batter and struck out seven. Since losing May 12 in Florida, Nomo is 7-0 with a 2.76 ERA in nine starts - and this was his most efficient outing of the bunch.

Johnson yielded four runs (three earned) on nine hits in seven innings. In his previous three starts, Johnson had allowed one earned run.

Eric Gagne, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy's security blanket, got the final three outs for his 20th consecutive save. Junior Spivey led off the ninth inning with a single and Luis Gonzalez walked against reliever Paul Quantrill, who was lifted. Gagne then converted his 30th save in 31 chances, making him the quickest to 30 saves. He did it in the Dodgers' 82nd game.

It wasn't just Nomo's right arm and devastating split-finger fastball that enabled the Dodgers to increase their National League West lead to 2 1/2 games over the Diamondbacks, as well as avoid losing three in a row for the first time since they were swept by San Francisco to start the season.

For the consecutive start, Nomo also provided a spark with his bat. After going 0 for 23 to start the season, he doubled in a run for the second time in five days, this time bailing out but punishing a full-count fastball from Johnson in the fifth inning. His two-out drive over the head of left fielder Gonzalez scored Adrian Beltre from first and put the Dodgers ahead 1-0. Cesar Izturis added a run-scoring double that center fielder Steve Finley overran, which allowed Nomo to score.

That proved to be a workable lead for Nomo, who didn't issue a walk for the first time this season. He allowed more than one baserunner in an inning just once.

Greg Colbrunn led off the second inning with a double but was stranded. Nomo was in a jam in the fourth with runners on the corners and one out, but Finley, who had four career homers off Nomo, grounded into a double play.

While Johnson wasn't battered around in the same manner as May 26, when he allowed seven runs in five innings but escaped with a no-decision, the Dodgers had solid at-bats against him Monday.

Lo Duca doubled to lead off the sixth and scored on Marquis Grissom's two-out single to right as the Dodgers took a 3-0 lead. They added a run in the seventh on Lo Duca's two-out single to center to make it 4-0.