Bonds’ Homer Puts an End to the Dodgers’ Last Chance

Infielder Juan Castro has been among the bright spots in the Dodgers’ dreadful season, dazzling with his defense.

The defensive specialist has been featured often on sports highlight shows, completing difficult plays with ease and flair. He has become a crowd favorite at Dodger Stadium while impressing teammates--and opponents.

Castro played well again in the field Friday night in the San Francisco Giants’ 4-3 victory before 31,452 at 3Com Park.

Giant all-star outfielder Barry Bonds broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth with leadoff solo home run--his 35th--against left-hander Scott Radinsky. Bonds’ 420-foot blast to right field was his third hit of the game in four at-bats.

Bonds scored three of San Francisco’s runs, and Jeff Kent had two run-scoring doubles. The Giants are now four games behind the front-running Chicago Cubs in the National League wild-card race, and the Dodgers were mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Julian Tavarez (5-3) pitched a scoreless eighth inning to earn the victory. Closer Robb Nen worked a scoreless ninth to nail down his 38th save.

Castro was filling in for injured second baseman Eric Young, and he got the job done again.

“I’ve had more chances this year, the Dodgers have given me more chances to help the team, and I feel good about that,” Castro said. “All I want to do is help the team as much as I can, and I think I can do that more if I played every day.

“Everybody wants to play every day, every player wants to be in the lineup more to help his team. That’s what I want to do.”

The three-year veteran has played more this season than in his previous two seasons combined because of injuries to shortstop Jose Vizcaino and second baseman Young. Vizcaino has been sidelined since June 21 because of a severely sprained right ankle, and Young, who will sit out the remainder of the season because of a broken right foot, missed 18 games in July with a right quadriceps strain.

Castro made the most of his opportunities, stabilizing the Dodger infield throughout the changes.

“Juan has made a big contribution,” Manager Glenn Hoffman said. “He’s a guy with a good glove, and you’re definitely not afraid to throw him out there in any situation.”

Castro’s teammates are more effusive.

The Dodger pitching staff regularly praises Castro, who routinely thwarts would-be rallies by turning inning-ending double plays. Right-hander Darren Dreifort refers to Castro as “Hands of Gold.”

Young has watched Castro work for two seasons, and he’s still trying to figure out how he does what he does.

“Juan Castro has got skills,” Young said during a recent interview. “You see the way he gets to the ball, you watch him turn plays, and it’s like, ‘How did he just do that?’

“Juan has got instincts that a lot of guys just don’t have. But he also works hard. He doesn’t take it for granted, he’s always trying to get better. That’s the type of guy you need on a team, who does all those things that don’t always show up in the box scores but help you win.”

Castro, who has committed 10 errors, is equally comfortable at shortstop and second base. He has also started three games at third.

But Castro hasn’t hit well enough to force the Dodgers to make a spot for him in the everyday lineup.

After going hitless in three at-bats Friday, Castro is batting .199 (39 in 196 a-bats) with two home runs and 14 runs batted in. He batted .197 and .147, respectively, during the last two seasons while getting 207 at-bats combined.

“A lot of people say I’m not a good hitter in the big leagues, that I can’t play [every day] because I can’t hit enough,” Castro said. “But I’ve never played a full season, so how can they say that?

“It’s harder to get out of slumps when you’re on the bench because you play one day, and then you don’t know when you’re going to play again. It’s just harder to get into the rhythm of the game.

“If I played one [full] season and got a lot of at-bats, and I still didn’t hit, then I will accept if people want to say I’m a [poor] hitter. But until then, I can’t accept that.”