updated 2:54 a.m. ET Aug. 13, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Brad Penny and the Los Angeles Dodgers are enjoying this stretch of their topsy-turvy season.

Penny became the NL’s first 13-game winner, recently acquired Wilson Betemit hit a tiebreaking two-run homer, and the Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-5 Saturday.

Rookie James Loney tripled, doubled and scored twice for NL West-leading Los Angeles, which has won 14 of 15 after a 1-13 slide coming out of the All-Star break.

“Everybody was quiet and down before, and now everybody’s having fun,” Penny said. “We’re out there playing like we all thought we could play. You go out there every day expecting to win, and your whole attitude changes.

“This is a huge stretch right here. After we play the Marlins we’ve got the Giants again and then San Diego and Arizona. So I couldn’t think of a better time to start playing this good.”

Moises Alou and Omar Vizquel each drove in two runs for San Francisco, which has lost four straight. The last-place Giants are 6½ games behind Los Angeles after falling a season-worst eight games under .500.

Penny (13-5) won his third straight start, allowing four runs — three earned — and seven hits over six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and did not walk a batter for the second consecutive outing.

The Giants closed to 6-5 in the seventh with doubles by pinch-hitter Todd Linden and Vizquel against Giovanni Carrara. Lefty Joe Beimel came in and walked Ray Durham before retiring Barry Bonds on an inning-ending grounder with runners at the corners. The play was made by shortstop Rafael Furcal with the Dodgers playing a three-man shift on the right side of the infield.

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Bonds is 1-for-9 lifetime against Beimel — with a home run.

“I’ll take that anytime,” the 29-year-old reliever said with a grin. “I knew Durham was hitting pretty well off left-handers this year, and I didn’t want to give in to him.

“Barry’s one of the greatest hitters of all time — but at the same time, he’s not having the kind of year he’s had in the past.”

Jonathan Broxton pitched a perfect eighth inning and Takashi Saito worked the ninth for his 13th save in 14 attempts. Steve Finley flied out to the warning track for the second straight time with a runner on base, and then Saito retired Vizquel on a groundout to first base to end it.

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