Dodgers Feel the Pain, 6-3

DENVER â€”  Eric Karros joked that nothing could keep him out of the lineup at Coors Field--but his sore back is no laughing matter.

Because of intense lower back pain, the Dodger first baseman could not bat Monday night in a key situation in the Colorado Rockies’ 6-3 victory.

After informing Manager Jim Tracy of his problem, Karros was removed for pinch-hitter Dave Hansen in the eighth inning with two out, Shawn Green on first and the Rockies leading, 4-3.

Hansen sent reliever Jose Jimenez’s first pitch down the first-base line, but Todd Helton made a sensational diving catch, preventing a potential extra-base hit that might have tied the score.

“Obviously, with the weather being cooler, [Karros’ back] poses the tendency to stiffen up like it did,� said Tracy, whose team has lost five of seven on the trip.

“He got to the point where he told me, ‘Trace, I’m not going to be able to swing the bat as effectively as I’d like to.’ For that first baseman [Helton] to make the play that he made . . . I don’t know how he caught that ball.

“That was as fine a defensive play as you’ll ever see with a guy holding the runner on. You can’t hit that ball any harder than Dave Hansen hit that ball on the line.�

The Rockies then extended their lead on Todd Walker’s two-run double in the bottom of the inning against Darren Dreifort, and Jimenez got pinch-hitter Hiram Bocachica to ground out in the ninth with Adrian Beltre on second base.

Jimenez, the Rockies’ fifth pitcher, worked the final 1 1/3 innings to nail down his eighth save and the victory for rookie starter Shawn Chacon (2-1) before 38,196.

Chacon pitched six-plus innings and was more effective than Dreifort (3-3), who nonetheless rebounded after a shaky three-run first inning and pitched seven-plus innings.

Beltre was three for three with a triple, his first home run--a solo shot--and scored the Dodgers’ runs.

But the Dodgers had only five hits at the majors’ top launching pad as they continue to search for answers on offense.

Karros’ situation does not help.

The club’s No. 3 all-time home run leader is hurting, and the Dodgers feel his pain too.

“I told [Tracy] that when my at-bat came around [in the eighth], you should probably put somebody else up there,� said Karros, sidelined during spring training after having suffered the back injury in the off-season. “Pitches that I should have . . . mentally I’d like to do something with them but physically I couldn’t. It’s just something that I have to have taken care of.

“I’m not being able to get anything good going out there with this condition right now. I don’t anticipate that [going on the disabled list], but I can’t rule anything out. Put it this way, ‘You think I’m going to take myself out of a game at Coors Field?’ �

No opposing batter has had more success at Coors Field.

Karros is the all-time leader with 17 homers, and entering Monday’s game had batted .379 (55 for 145) with 46 runs batted in.

He was not that player in his three at-bats against Chacon, hitting a weak fly ball to center, striking out and fouling out.

“Obviously, he had the episode in spring training, but this was not nearly as severe as it was in spring training,� said physical therapist Pat Screnar, adding that Karros has not undergone X-rays or an MRI exam since spring training. “His back stiffened up tonight and it was getting stiffer as the game progressed.�

Karros aggravated the injury last week at Montreal and his pain increased in the previous series against the New York Mets.

So is it time for Karros to take a long break?

“He is a professional, and nobody knows how their body feels other than the individual,� Tracy said. “This is a guy who has been through the wars for a number of years, and it’s only fair to work with a player of his caliber.�