TOGETHER ABOUT DIVISION DODGERS WIN AGAIN, TALK OF NL WEST DODGERS 2, HOUSTON 1.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

HOUSTON - Six weeks ago a frustrated Dodgers club watched their division lead evaporate in amazingly quick fashion. In a span of 17 games they lost 6 1/2 games and went from leading to four games in back of surging Arizona.

By the time the Dodgers recovered, talk of the wild card was prevalent and goals of a division title appeared hollow. Then it worsened when the Dodgers' deficit in the National League West stretched to nine games a week ago.

Such a scenario makes it remarkable the Dodgers again are speaking about the division race, but they were after winning their eighth consecutive series, baffling Houston 2-1 on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.

Hideo Nomo (13-6) continued his impressive season with seven innings of one-run, eight-strikeout pitching, and Eric Gagne escaped a ninth-inning jam to extend his club-record save total to 46. Forgotten shortstop Cesar Izturis matched his RBI total of August with a two-run double in the second inning.

The Dodgers (79-57) have won 13 of 17 and are a season-high 22 games over .500. They lead San Francisco by 2 games in the wild card and trimmed Arizona's lead in the West to 6 games. The Dodgers and Diamondbacks begin a three-game series today in Phoenix.

``We've got to win every series, and it's like I told these guys, if we go into Arizona and sweep those guys you will be in contention to be in first place, forget about the wild card,'' Dodgers left fielder Brian Jordan said. ``It's realistic. It's going to take pitching and defense. We're going to get outhit, but a 2-1 ballgame, that's what it's going to take.''

The wild card remains the biggest issue since the Dodgers and Giants play seven times in the final 20 games. The Dodgers have history on their side, though, since 10 of the 13 teams that had the outright wild-card lead entering September went on to the playoffs.

Houston, which had wild-card aspirations after pulling within five games of the Dodgers with Friday's victory, will watch Central Division leader St. Louis much more closely after drifting seven games off the wild-card pace.

``Just the other day it (Arizona) led by nine, and now it's (5 1/2),'' Tracy said. ``They have the advantage, obviously, because they have the six-game lead. We are going to have to surge and keep surging, and they're going to have to make sure their toe stays stubbed a little bit in order for us to close even more.''

As has been the case when the Dodgers win most times, pitching was the reason. Nomo, who has lost only once since May 12 in Florida, stretched his winning streak to four with one of his nastier forkballs in the last two months. The only mistake Nomo made was with two outs in the second inning when Geoff Blum homered to make it 2-1.

Houston had been third in the league in runs scored, but Blum's homer brought in the only one they scored in the final two games of the series. Nomo improved to 11-1 with a 3.12 ERA in his last 21 starts, 17 of which the Dodgers won.

``I've run out of adjectives to describe the job Hideo Nomo has done for this club now,'' Tracy said. ``He basically threw one bad pitch and it got hit out of the ballpark.''

Izturis gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead early, and Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre and Houston manager Jimy Williams helped Gagne protect it late.

Jeff Bagwell singled to center to lead off the ninth and Jason Lane reached on a bunt single just past Gagne. But Williams opted to have Orlando Merced swing away rather than bunt, and he struck out. Blum then hit a pop fly along the left-field line that Beltre raced for and caught a stride before the wall. An overmatched Gregg Zaun struck out to end it, pushing the Dodgers' record to 26-11 in one-run games.

``I didn't know (the ball) was going to stay, but I thought I would give it a chance and I did,'' Beltre said. ``When I looked down, the wall was right there. The ball was pretty close. I couldn't take a chance because it was the ninth inning.''

DODGERS vs. ARIZONA

Time: 5:05 p.m., Bank One Ballpark.

TV/Radio: Ch. 13; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: The Dodgers open a three-game series against division-leading Arizona, with LH Odalis Perez (12-8, 3.01 ERA) facing RH Rick Helling (8-9, 4.14). Perez pitched eight shutout innings in his last start, beating the D'backs in Los Angeles. In six starts since getting a nine-day rest, Perez is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA. Arizona LF Luis Gonzalez is 6 for 12 with a homer against Perez. Helling has one victory since June 16. He was 0-3 with a 10.64 ERA in July but went 1-1 with a 1.54 ERA in August. Tuesday - Dodgers LH Kazuhisa Ishii (13-9, 4.33) vs. D'backs LH Brian Anderson (6-9, 4.76); Wednesday - Dodgers RH Andy Ashby (9-10, 3.65) vs. D'backs LH Randy Johnson (19-5, 2.63).

- Brian Dohn

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

The Dodgers' Hideo Nomo releases a pitch Sunday during his seven-inning, eight-strikeout victory over Houston.

Richard Carson/Associated Press

Box:

DODGERS vs. HOUSTON (see text)