Cora Lost His Job, but Not His Drive

ST. LOUIS —  Alex Cora lost his starting shortstop job in spring training, but he has not lost a position of prominence with the Dodgers.

The reserve infielder has contributed in pinch-hitting and spot-starting roles, batting .298 with two homers and 11 runs batted in, and his first-half performance, combined with the struggles of second baseman Mark Grudzielanek and shortstop Cesar Izturis, will net Cora more playing time in the second half, Manager Jim Tracy said Sunday.

“This is the one guy who, when decisions were made in spring training, could have decided to go in the other direction,” Tracy said. “You know what? To say he’s been a consummate professional isn’t enough.

“He chose the high road, and he will be forever grateful to himself for doing that, because it may have added years to his resume as a major league player. And I haven’t ruled out the possibility of Alex being an everyday player again.”

Cora leads the team with eight pinch-hits in 24 at-bats, including his clutch RBI double that tied the score against the Cardinals, 5-5, in the sixth inning Friday night.

The Dodgers won, 6-5. Cora has been superb defensively, starting or turning several key double plays and making several difficult plays in the hole or up the middle.

“I went through a lot last year,” said Cora, who hit .217 and committed 20 errors in 2001. “It was a bad season, and I embarrassed myself. I don’t want to embarrass myself in the job I have.”

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While Izturis’ .230 average is not a concern because he has provided consistent--and sometimes terrific--defense and is batting .304 from the right side, Grudzielanek (.245) and third baseman Adrian Beltre (.238) are major concerns for the second half.

Tracy batted Grudzielanek eighth to start the season, in hopes of bolstering the bottom of the order, but Grudzielanek has not found a consistent stroke.

Beltre has been even more disappointing, mixing a team-high 15 errors with his sporadic offense and inconsistent approach.

Beltre, who was given Sunday off, has frustrated the Dodgers because he has not come close to filling the considerable potential they believe he has. He has seven home runs and only 29 RBIs, 48 strikeouts and 22 walks. He has a .288 on-base percentage.

“If [Grudzielanek] got locked in to what he’s capable of doing, it would be a huge lift for us,” Tracy said. “That extra hit in that spot, the extra run, how would that change how I use our bullpen? How would it affect the pitching staff? It would be a big boost if one or both of them came around.”

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Though Izturis is hitting .199 from the left side, the Dodgers don’t want him to give up switch-hitting. “If he was 28 or 29, maybe the answer would be yes,” Tracy said, when asked if Izturis should hit exclusively from the right side. “But at 22? Some guys are getting drafted at that age. I don’t want him to stop.”

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Tracy didn’t start Brian Jordan on Sunday, but the left fielder entered in the seventh as a pinch-hitter. The former Cardinal, who suffered several cramps because of dehydration in Arizona, said Saturday’s 97-degree heat in St. Louis was the worst he had ever felt.

“It really beat me up,” said Jordan, who homered in the fourth inning and struck out in his last three at-bats. “[After the home run] I was through. I went downhill from there. I think I was blind by my last at-bat. I was delirious out there. Delusional.”