Jones is happy to get first home run under his belt

ATLANTA -- That his first home run for the Dodgers came at the ballpark he used to call home was of little importance to Andruw Jones.

“It doesn’t matter where it was,” Jones said. “I just wanted to get one.”

Jones’ line-drive solo homer to left field in the second inning off Braves starter Chuck James was one of the few offensive highlights for the Dodgers in their 4-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on Saturday. Jones, who left the Braves this winter and signed a two-year, $36.2-million contract with the Dodgers, entered the game hitting only .167.

The pitch that he belted was a high 89-mph fastball that had so little on it that Manager Joe Torre thought it was a changeup. Referring to how he often roamed center field in this park with James on the mound, Jones said, “I saved him so many times. It was the one thing he could do for me.”

When done rounding the bases and receiving a congratulatory high-five from Dodgers catcher Gary Bennett, Jones pointed to his family up in Braves pitcher John Smoltz’s suite.

In that suite was his father, Henry, who trained him in his childhood to become a ballplayer. He said that he and his father talked about hitting on Friday night and Saturday morning, with his father repeatedly reminding him to not swing too hard.

“Just relax,” Jones recalled his father telling him. “You don’t have to swing that hard. You just have to make contact.”

Jones not only borrowed the suite of a Brave for his family, but also left his car in the home team’s parking lot.

“I’m surprised they didn’t call me to pull my car out,” Jones said.

Torre seemed as pleased with the walks that Jones drew in his next two trips to the plate as he was with the home run. Jones said he hoped the blast would lead to more.

“When you’re not feeling good about yourself at the plate, you try too hard,” he said. “Now, I can relax a little bit and take what they give me.”

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Catcher Russell Martin, who was hitting .196 through Friday, was scratched from the lineup by Torre. Martin pinch-hit in the seventh and grounded into an inning-ending force out.

“He’s fighting himself,” Torre said. “He’s trying to force things to happen. He’s just trying to ignite [the team] because he knows there’s a responsibility that goes with what he does and the position he plays. I’m just trying to let him understand that the game’s got to him a little bit.”

Martin said he was upset when he was told he wouldn’t play, but was willing to trust Torre, in part because of the manager’s own experience as a catcher.

“He made the point that games are going to be pretty important in August and September,” Martin said. “You’ve got to make sure that you still have enough for then too. It makes sense. He played the position, so he knows.”

Third base coach Larry Bowa said he’s curious to see how the young All-Star reacts to this rough period, both on the field and in the clubhouse. Bowa said he recently heard Martin say that he wished he could get a couple of hits so he could be more vocal in the dugout. Bowa kept quiet, but said he’s watching Martin with hopes that he doesn’t hesitate to speak up on account of his batting average.

“To me, a leader’s not about what you hit,” Bowa said. “A leader’s a leader. To me, if you’re a leader and you’re 0 for 18, you impress me more than if you’re just going to talk when you’re 10 for 18. Leaders lead whether they’re hitting or not.”

Bowa said this period would test Martin’s character.

Asked if this was the toughest stretch of his brief career, Martin responded, “Yeah, definitely. But I’m up for any challenge. I put myself in this situation. I can work my way out of it too.”

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dylan.hernandez@latimes.com