Beltre Makes Sweeping Statement With His Bat

Adrian Beltre does not accept that the Dodgers’ season supposedly has already ended.

And the young third baseman believes he can help change things.

Beltre has played with purpose since the All-Star break, and his impressive performance Friday helped the Dodgers sweep the Chicago Cubs, 5-3 and 3-1, in a doubleheader at Wrigley Field.

Beltre was four for four with four runs batted in in the opener, and one for three with an RBI in the second game.

He also played well defensively in helping the Dodgers extend their winning streak to five before 38,854.

Beltre’s eighth-inning, three-run shot--his 13th homer--in Game 1 broke a 2-2 tie, and his run-scoring double in the eighth inning of Game 2 pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.

Reliever Antonio Osuna (3-5) worked two scoreless innings for the first victory, and enigmatic left-hander Carlos Perez surprised the Dodgers in his latest reprieve.

Perez (5-6) gave up only one run in 6 1/3 strong innings in his first start since being demoted to the bullpen Aug. 2. He won for the first time since May 20 and might have earned another start.

Closer Jeff Shaw pitched both ninth innings to get his 19th and 20th saves in games without problems between the Dodgers and fans.

A melee occurred in the stands May 16 when the Dodgers previously played here, but the action remained on the field this time.

The Dodgers (67-61) won both games in a doubleheader for the first time since 1992 with Beltre leading led the way.

“He’s taking it to another level,” Manager Davey Johnson said of Beltre, batting .359 with 32 RBIs in the second half. “Beltre had one of those days, and he’s been having a lot of those days lately.”

Beltre had the home run, two doubles and scored twice. He made consecutive outstanding plays in the sixth inning of the second game to help Perez retire the side in order.

“I’m just trying to hit the ball and get some clutch hits, and I’m happy it’s been coming,” Beltre said. “The team is playing very good, and if we can keep playing like this we can make something happen.”

The Dodgers are following Beltre’s lead.

“He’s a very mature 21-year-old,” Shaw said. “I know a lot of 21-year-olds who could not handle it [playing in the majors] as well as he has handled it.

“Sometimes we forget how young he is, and that he’s going to make mistakes. There are going to be highs and lows, the key is how you handle it. And he’s handling it very well.”

He definitely was in top form Friday.

In the first game, Beltre had three hits, including a run-scoring single, in his first three at-bats against Cub starter Jon Lieber (11-7).

Beltre did not face Lieber in his final at-bat in the eighth because the Dodgers chased the right-hander in the inning.

With one out, Jim Leyritz pinch-hit for Osuna and singled. Todd Hundley then walked, ending Lieber’s work.

Enter Todd Van Poppel.

Van Poppel, one of the Cubs’ few dependable relievers, got Devon White to bounce back to him. But the Cubs couldn’t turn a double play and Beltre came to the plate with runners at the corners and the score tied.

On a 1-2 count, Beltre homered deep to left to put the Dodgers ahead for good.

He also had three hits in his final three at-bats in Thursday’s 7-0 victory over the Montreal Expos, giving him seven consecutive hits.

Beltre reached base eight times in a row before grounding out in the fourth inning of the second game. Ron Cey holds the Los Angeles franchise record with nine consecutive hits in 1977.

But seven isn’t bad.

“What he’s been doing is not over-swinging,” Johnson said. “When he does that, there’s not a better hitter in the league, and it’s fun watching him.

“If he can take that approach and work on that, there’s no telling what his ceiling will be.”

The Dodgers are also excited about Darren Dreifort’s potential, though the right-hander hasn’t been as sharp recently after getting victories in six consecutive starts.

Dreifort has no-decisions in his last two outings, including a five-inning performance in Friday’s first game.

Dreifort took a 2-0 lead into the fifth, helping himself with a run-scoring single.

But Dreifort, who singled twice, appeared to become tired after running the bases.

The Cubs scored two runs in the fifth to tie the score and Osuna replaced Dreifort in the sixth. Dreifort gave up five hits and struck out eight with four walks.

“I don’t know what it is about him running the bases here, but it wears him out,” Johnson said of Dreifort, who had stamina problems in another start this season at Wrigley Field. “He was just out of gas in the fifth.”

Fortunately for the Dodgers, Beltre had a lot left.