Perez Happy to Be No. 3

Carlos Perez feels vindicated.

The left-hander is the No. 3 starter after struggling to remain in the Dodger rotation earlier in the season. And only right-hander Kevin Brown has been better than Perez in July.

The Dodgers shuffled the rotation to start Perez, who completed a five-game suspension Thursday, today against the San Francisco Giants.

Surprising as it seems, the Dodgers are counting on Perez. He said it was inevitable.

“I always knew I could do this, even when people say bad things about me,” Perez said. “I know I’m going to always give everything for my team, and I’m always going to pitch every five days unless my arm hurts. I’m not going to back down from nothing.

“When people said, ‘He can’t do his job,’ I didn’t even think about that. You can’t worry about that. I just kept doing my work to help my team, and I knew I would show everybody.”

In his last five outings--including two long relief appearances--Perez is 0-1 with a 2.89 earned-run average. Overall, Perez is 4-4 with a 4.97 ERA.

That might not seem impressive to some, but Perez has been steadier than Darren Dreifort and Eric Gagne. Chan Ho Park also has had more shaky outings than Perez this month.

“Carlos hasn’t been our problem,” General Manager Kevin Malone said. “I know a lot of people tend to only look at the problems Carlos had last year, but this guy has been a quality starter over his career.

“If you look at the numbers this season, Carlos is a lot closer to where he was in 1998 than ’99. Just look at the numbers.”

Perez was 4-4 with 3.24 ERA in 11 starts for the Dodgers in ’98 after they acquired him and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek from the Montreal Expos. He was 2-10 with a 7.43 ERA last season after signing a three-year, $15.6-million deal.

His command and velocity have steadily improved. Perez said he won’t ever be one of the Dodgers’ hardest throwers--but he doesn’t have to be.

“Everybody wants to talk about how hard you throw, but you only have to throw hard enough to get people out,” Perez said. “There are a lot of guys in the minor leagues who can throw 95 [mph], but they won’t make it to the big leagues because they don’t throw strikes.

“I’m going to keep helping my team. That’s all that matters.”

*

Gary Sheffield’s second appeal hearing is tentatively scheduled at Milwaukee in early August, but the commissioner’s office is already considering reducing his five-game suspension, sources said.

Several baseball officials are lobbying in support of Sheffield. The hearing is planned to occur while the Dodgers play the Brewers because Commissioner Bud Selig, whose family owns the team, resides in Milwaukee.

*

Devon White played eight innings and was one for three with an RBI and two runs scored for Class-A San Bernardino in a rehabilitation assignment.

The center fielder is on the disabled list because of a partially torn left rotator cuff. White said he expects to be activated this weekend.

ON DECK

* Opponent--San Francisco Giants, three games.

* Site--Dodger Stadium.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--Channel 5 tonight, Channel 11 on Saturday, ESPN2 on Sunday.

* Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Records--Dodgers 49-45, Giants 52-41.

* Record vs. Giants--4-2.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ CARLOS PEREZ

(4-4, 4.97 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’ SHAWN ESTES

(9-3, 4.00 ERA)

* Update--The Giants are making their first appearance this season at Dodger Stadium. Perez is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two starts against the Giants at Pacific Bell Park. He is 3-4 with a 3.77 ERA in his career against San Francisco. Estes had a no-decision July 2 in the Giants’ 6-5 victory. The left-hander gave up seven hits and one run in five innings. He is 7-1 with a 3.58 ERA in his last 10 starts.

* Saturday, 1 p.m.--Eric Gagne (1-5, 5.35) vs. Livan Hernandez (8-7, 4.37).

* Sunday, 5 p.m.--Darren Dreifort (5-7, 5.06) vs. Russ Ortiz (5-8, 6.29).

* Tickets--(323) 224-1HIT.