Dodgers Enjoy a Smooth Shake

Dodger Manager Bill Russell wanted to shake up his lineup.

Pitcher Chan Ho Park wanted to shake off his fears of back problems.

Outfielder Thomas Howard wanted to shake up the Philadelphia Phillies enough to show he merited a place in the starting lineup.

All of them got what they wanted Wednesday night with the Dodgers, who had lost four of their last five, beat the Phillies, 9-4, in front of a Dodger Stadium crowd of 28,604.

Russell had tinkered with his lineup Tuesday, moving outfielder Raul Mondesi from the No. 5 position to No. 2. Mondesi responded with a home run.

Russell, who has said the change was only temporary, kept Mondesi in the second spot Wednesday and the outfielder slugged two more home runs, his seventh and eighth of the season and drove in four.

How long might temporary be?

The last time he pitched, Park spent as much time thinking about his sore lower back as he did about opposing hitters. He was aware of every mild ache and pain as he twisted himself into his windup and threw to the plate. Afraid he might be doing further damage to the back, Park deliberately cut down on the velocity of some of his pitches, the speed varying by as much as 10 mph.

As a precautionary measure, and to ease Park’s mind, the Dodgers had their pitcher undergo an MRI and a bone scan on the sore area several days ago and neither turned up anything.

Other than Park’s confidence level.

He went seven innings Wednesday, giving up three runs on six hits to improve his record to 4-1.

“I felt great mentally,” Park said. “I was more at ease because my back felt great. You don’t have to ask me anything more about the back, because there’s nothing more to ask.”

Assured that he wasn’t doing himself any harm, Park was determined to put the problem out his mind and throw at full strength, full time, right from the beginning.

He got his first test early. In the first inning, Park gave up back-to-back singles to Doug Glanville and Gregg Jefferies leading off the game, but he got out of trouble with only run, that one coming in on an RBI single by Rico Brogna.

And then Park got in his rhythm, giving up only a walk and a single over the next four innings.

In the meantime, Dodger third baseman Todd Zeile gave Park a lead by smashing a three-run homer to left in the fourth inning, his seventh home run of the season. The Phillies broke through against Park in the sixth inning with a pair of runs to tie the game. Scott Rolen drove the first home with a single and Brogna got the other across with a sacrifice fly.

The Phillies may have to forcibly remove Brogna from Dodger Stadium after today’s series finale. He may be wearing a road gray uniform, but Brogna has made himself right at home, going eight for 11 in the three games with five runs driven in.

But despite Brogna’s best efforts, the Dodgers went ahead to stay with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, Wilton Guerrero driving in one with a sacrifice fly and Park, again swinging fearlessly with his back problems behind him, knocking the other home with the single.

Park’s single scored Howard from second base, but the Dodger outfielder should get a big assist on the play. Rounding third and finding the ball nearly in the grasp of Philadelphia catcher Mike Lieberthal, Howard lowered his right shoulder and barreled into Lieberthal, sending the catcher and the ball flying. Lieberthal might not have been able to hold onto the ball anyway, but Howard removed all doubt.

Howard got the start in center field over Roger Cedeno, who had displeased Russell with some questionable fielding Monday.

Given a chance to pinch-hit in the eighth inning, Cedeno did his best to get back into his manager’s good graces by lining a double down the left-field line and eventually scoring on Mondesi’s second homer.

Howard also made an impact from center, throwing out Mark Lewis in the seventh inning when the Philadelphia second baseman tried to stretch a single into a double.

When you’re hitting only .150, as Howard was at the start of the game, you have to find other ways to impress.

And when you are in a slump as the Dodgers were, you have to find a way to shake loose.