Joe Torre says three days is enough for Derek Lowe

Though Derek Lowe is a sinkerball pitcher like Wang, Torre said he has no worries about how he will respond today when he pitches for the Dodgers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

"A lot of it is a mind-set on the part of the pitcher," Torre said. "He's pitched on the big stage before at just about every level of the postseason. I don't think he's going to overthink the situation."

Torre said he was also prepared to use Lowe on short rest for Game 4 of the NL division series against Chicago, but the Dodgers swept the Cubs in three games, making that unnecessary.

Lowe, who gave up three runs on a pair of home runs in the Dodgers' Game 1 loss, said he isn't thinking about his impending free agency when he takes the mound.

Lowe acknowledged that pitching the three clinching games during the Boston Red Sox's 2004 World Series run enhanced his value on the open market. He signed a four-year, $36-million deal with the Dodgers that winter.

"This year, it's been a lot different," Lowe said, pointing to his regular-season earned-run averages of 5.42 in 2004 and 3.42 this season. "I think I learned a lot in '04 as far as not putting so much pressure on yourself just for one year."

Kent kept on the bench

Though Torre had 35-year-old Nomar Garciaparra in the Game 3 lineup, he said he didn't consider starting 40-year-old Jeff Kent. Kent's defensive limitations made him a less-than-ideal candidate to play second base with ground-ball pitcher Hiroki Kuroda on the mound.

Kent entered Game 2 as a defensive replacement in the third inning and played the remainder of the game. He said his surgically repaired knee could withstand nine innings of work if necessary.

"I just play," he said. "That's all I know how to do -- play."

Kent pinch-hit in the eighth inning Sunday and struck out.

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