Green Is Finding His Rhythm Too as Dodgers Win

Shawn Green’s big contract created big expectations, and his first Dodger season has been rocky.

Maybe things are improving.

The right fielder continued to emerge from his long batting slump with two hits Thursday night--including a go-ahead, three-run home run in a 6-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Green’s 14th homer in the sixth inning gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. The shot to center field against Colorado starter Masato Yoshii triggered applause from a crowd of 33,619 on the night Manager Davey Johnson returned after missing four games because of an irregular heart rhythm.

Left fielder Gary Sheffield continued to torment opposing pitchers, hitting his major league-leading 33rd homer against Yoshii (4-11) in the first. Jim Leyritz pushed the lead to 6-3 in the eighth with a bases-loaded, pinch-hit, two-run single just out of the reach of shortstop Neifi Perez.

Dodger starter Chan Ho Park appreciated the support.

Park (10-7) won for the first time since June 18 despite working six shaky innings. He walked five and was in jams in his final three innings, but he ended a three-start losing streak.

Mike Fetters pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save as the Dodgers (49-45) swept the two-game series.

They have won four of five and Green is producing again, and that’s very good news for the Dodgers.

“The last few days I felt a lot better,” said Green, who hadn’t hit a homer since July 6. “I felt better in the cages, just felt better about everything, and it’s good to see the results on the field.”

Said Johnson: “It was good to see him hit it that hard, I haven’t seen that in a while. He’s been in a slump. When he gets back right we’re going to be tough.”

Green delivered after Brent Mayne gave the Rockies a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer against Park in the top of the sixth.

Mark Grudzielanek had a leadoff single, and Sheffield walked after working a full count. Yoshii appeared upset about the walk, and became further frustrated with the count 2-0 against Green.

Green hit Yoshii’s third pitch to dead center. Grudzielanek and Sheffield scored ahead of Green on the blast estimated at 439 feet, and Green received a thunderous ovation from the crowd.

The reception in the dugout wasn’t bad either. Green’s teammates, aware of his frustration, mobbed him as he entered.

Green was six for 50 entering the All-Star break, and began the second half one for 11. Many in the organization believe Green has put too much pressure on himself, trying to justify his six-year, $84-million contract.

“I tell Greenie all the time, ‘Everyone here knows what you’re about, what you brought to the team, you don’t have to prove anything,’ ” said Sheffield, who has six homers and 10 runs batted in since the All-Star break.

“Greenie has brought so much to this team, and he helps you win games a lot of ways even if he isn’t hitting like earlier [in the season]. But we all know he’s going to get back into a good groove again because that’s just the type of player he is.”

It appears to be happening already.

After going two for three with a walk Thursday, Green has seven hits in his last 20 at-bats. The homer was only his second three-run shot of the season.

“I had a talk with him,” Leyritz said. “I remembered last year in Toronto, watching him hit, he put a lot good under-spin on the ball.

“Lately, he’s been hitting with a lot of topspin. So he went back and watched tapes of Toronto, and worked on it in batting practice. He seems to be coming around.”

Park, who didn’t give up a hit in the first three innings, came around in the fifth.

The first three batters reached base on a hit, his error and a walk. With no outs and the crowd getting restless, Park got tough.

Mike Lansing flied out to shallow center, Larry Walker struck out and Todd Helton flied out. Park pumped his right arm and screamed.

Said Johnson: “It don’t feel like a three-run win. It felt like less that that. It was good to get it.”