LOS ANGELES -- Fans and even opponents are buzzing about Cardinals rookie Chris Perez, but manager Tony La Russa intends to exercise patience with the hard-throwing right-hander.

La Russa is happy to use Perez in high-leverage situations, and when Ryan Franklin is unavailable, he'll even consider giving Perez save opportunities. But as far as the manager is concerned, while Jason Isringhausen is out, Franklin is the closer any time he's available.

"Chris Perez is not ready to close on a daily basis," La Russa said. "That would not be good for him and it would not be good for us. He needs to grow into his responsibilities here. I don't even worry about how that sounds, because clearly from the way he's being used, there's a confidence factor there."

The Cardinals used Perez with a one-run lead in the eighth on Saturday night, and he dismissed the Dodgers' Nos. 3 and 4 hitters. He pitched with a four-run lead in the ninth, and would have pitched in a save situation, since Franklin was considered off-limits.