Back at the Ranch, Expos Win, 4-2

This may come as a shock to some, but they played at game at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

Amid all the speculation about the blockbuster seven-player trade between the Dodgers and the Florida Marlins, and the news conference and the Mike Piazza sightings, the Dodgers and Montreal Expos managed to squeeze in a game.

It’s just as well for the Dodgers that the game received little attention from the huge media throng on hand for the trade announcement because the Dodgers stumbled to their fourth loss in five games, going down, 4-2.

Montreal right-hander Miguel Batista (1-1) gave up a first-inning run, then held the Dodgers in check as the Expos came back with two in the third and two more in the fourth off Dodger starter and loser Ismael Valdes (3-5).

With both Piazza and Todd Zeile sitting this one out because of the trade, Manager Bill Russell started Tom Prince behind the place and Juan Castro at third.

ON DECK

DODGERS’

DARREN DREIFORT

(0-4, 4.61)

vs.

EXPOS’

JAVIER VAZQUEZ

(1-4, 6.19 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.

TV--FX. Radio--AM 1150, KWKW (1330).

* Update--With the arrival of left-hander Dennis Reyes, this figures to be Dreifort’s last chance to show he belongs in the starting rotation. He is slowly stretching himself out, having gone a career-high 6 1/3 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies in his last outing.