Ex-Marlin Penny shines as Dodgers topple Bucs

The new Los Angeles pitcher limited Pittsburgh to no runs and two singles.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- At least for a night, Brad Penny made the Los Angeles Dodgers forget about Randy Johnson.
Penny held Pittsburgh to a pair of infield singles over eight scoreless innings in his first game since being traded to Los Angeles, and the new-look Dodgers held on to beat the Pirates 3-2 on Tuesday night.
"I think the front office here showed a lot of confidence in me," Penny said. "They didn't get Randy Johnson, and I'm sure that's who they probably wanted. So I've got to prove to them that the trade they made is going to work out for them.
"I was nervous tonight, but I knew that if I could make pitches I'd be successful. I had a great defense behind me and it worked out."
World Series veteran
Penny, who won two games in last year's World Series, joined the Dodgers last Friday in a trade that sent catcher Paul Lo Duca, reliever Guillermo Mota and right fielder Juan Encarnacion to the champion Florida Marlins.
"Penny walked in here tonight and pretty much lived up to his billing," manager Jim Tracy said. "He's everything I used to see from the other side of the field -- a power arm and a guy who's capable of dominating when he's in the zone and on his game."
Penny (9-8) got past the seventh inning for the first time in 12 starts since May 27, striking out four and walking one in the Dodgers' 16th win in 21 games.
Jason Bay got Pittsburgh's first hit when he beat the throw from shortstop Cesar Izturis on a grounder up the middle with one out in the second. Tike Redman got the other one against Penny on a dribbler to shortstop.
"He definitely had his good stuff going tonight," said Ty Wigginton, who faced Penny a number of times while with the New York Mets. "He was keeping his fastball down at the knees and was backing it up with that slow breaking ball of his. He's an aggressive pitcher, and he was lights out tonight."
Plenty of room
Penny, who allowed 10 homers in his 21 starts this season with the Marlins, found Dodger Stadium's generous dimensions to his liking. Two of his 99 pitches were driven to the warning track by Jack Wilson and caught by left fielder Jayson Werth.
"I knew the first one was going to stay in -- but the second one I thought he hit out of the park," Penny said. "If I was in Florida, I probably would have given up three runs tonight. I think I'm going to like pitching here."
Penny, 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA in his four previous career starts at Dodger Stadium, was serenaded with a few choruses of "Pennies From Heaven" by organist Nancy Bea Hefley when he took the mound for the second inning. He received a standing ovation from the crowd of 34,581 as he returned to the dugout after the eighth.
"I loved it out there," he said. "I can't remember being tired one time tonight. In Florida, it's so hot I was always huffing and puffing."
Eric Gagne, who pitched three innings for the win on Sunday, allowed two-out RBI singles to Rob Mackowiak and Craig Wilson in the ninth before striking out Bay for his 31st save.
Plenty of new faces
The NL West-leading Dodgers played their first home game since dealing away one-fifth of their 25-man roster just before the trade deadline.
Steve Finley, one of the new Dodgers, helped set up their first run with a sacrifice bunt and scored another run after getting a lukewarm reception by the fans. He didn't have an official at-bat in four plate appearances in his home debut, but he walked twice and had two sacrifice bunts.
"This guy is a professional," Tracy said. "I didn't ask him to bunt tonight because I know how well he can pull the ball, especially with a runner at second base and nobody out. But he was facing a lefty and in one case, he was hell-bent on getting the runner to third in whatever manner he felt necessary. That says a lot about him."
Oliver Perez (6-6) allowed three runs on five hits over five innings, and struck out 10 in his first road loss of the season in four decisions.
Izturis singled in the first inning and advanced on Finley's sacrifice before Adrian Beltre drove him in with a double. The Dodgers extended the lead to 3-0 in the third with two-out RBI singles by Shawn Green and Werth.
Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall set a franchise record by catching his 1,155th game, eclipsing the mark held for 88 years by George Gibson.