Green Joins Party With Noisemakers
PHOENIX — Shawn Green’s homecoming went badly, leaving him and the Dodgers wondering what could have been.
Green hopes the party is better this season, and it might last a long time if the right fielder produces as he did Thursday night in a 5-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark.
His second multihomer game in six days helped the Dodgers take the final game--and two of three--in the series before 29,465.
Green hit a solo homer to center in the second against Diamondback starter Armando Reynoso, and followed with a three-run shot off him in the next inning to stake starter Andy Ashby to a 4-0 lead.
He matched his 2000 multihomer total in only 10 games, and it was just the type of performance Manager Jim Tracy enjoys.
“He swung the bat extremely well,†Tracy said. “And through the course of this series, all three guys in the middle of our lineup [Green, Gary Sheffield and Eric Karros] did damage in situations where you like to see it done.â€
Green was eager to join the fun.
“I like the way things are looking with this team right now,†said Green, who hit two solo homers April 7 against Livan Hernandez in a 10-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
“Everyone focuses on our pitching, but our offense is really solid from [the Nos.] 1-8, and when Dreif [Darren Dreifort] is pitching 1-9. It’s going to be a lot of fun this year with the lineup we have.â€
Green’s third and fourth homers helped Ashby (2-0) relax in a ballpark that has not been his favorite.
The right-hander began the game with a 7.43 earned-run average in his first four outings here.
In five innings Thursday, Ashby limited Arizona to seven hits and one run--on Luis Gonzalez’s major league-leading seventh homer.
Then the bullpen went to work.
Matt Herges, who pitched two innings, gave up a solo homer to pinch-hitter David Dellucci in the seventh, and Terry Adams pitched a scoreless eighth.
Closer Jeff Shaw made things interesting in the ninth.
He gave up a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Greg Colbrunn after striking out the first two batters.
But Shaw struck out Gonzalez to end the game, earning his third save and 18th consecutive spanning two seasons.
Green got the Dodgers started in the second. He led off with a 414-foot homer to center on a 1-and-1 count, the Dodgers fifth homer in the last two games.
Green then provided their sixth in the third.
With two out, Mark Grudzielanek singled and Sheffield walked with Green on deck.
On a 2-and-1 count, the left-handed batter drove Reynoso’s pitch into the right-field seats.
The 420-foot blast ignited a celebration in the dugout for Green, one of the most popular players on the team.
“When you see Greenie hitting the ball like that . . . that’s awesome,†said second baseman Grudzielanek. “Sheff got it going the other day, and it was Greenie today.
“That’s what it’s all about, everybody contributing to keep putting pressure on ‘em.â€
Green’s homer also ended another shaky performance by a Diamondback starter.
A night after Arizona left-hander Brian Anderson was chased in the fourth inning of the Dodgers’ 11-5 victory, Reynoso gave up 10 hits and five runs in five innings. He dropped to 0-2.
“This was a big series for us,†Green said. “It gives us a chance to stay ahead [in the series against the Diamondbacks], and winning series in the division is crucial because of the unbalanced schedule.
“You can’t get behind teams and get buried in the division. This was definitely a good start to the trip.â€
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