Shaw Is Pitching at Peak

Jeff Shaw is superstitious and doesn’t want to jinx his recent run of success by talking openly about it, but the Dodger closer acknowledges he has been getting more comfortable on the mound.

“The more I pitch, the better my location is,” Shaw said. “This year, I’ve been able to go no more than three days without pitching. It’s been great for my location and mechanics. I’m at my best the more often I throw.”

In closing out the Dodgers’ 3-1 victory Sunday against Atlanta, and picking up the 1-0 victory Saturday, Shaw’s scoreless innings streak reached nine. He has retired the last 17 batters he has faced. He also has converted all 10 of his save opportunities at Dodger Stadium and is leading the National League with 13 saves out of 14 opportunities.

At 6 feet 2, 200 pounds and with a fastball in the low 90s, Shaw, 34, is not the prototypical closer and, until recently, had a penchant for making things interesting in the late innings. But catcher Chad Kreuter said Shaw has been impressive.

“He’s extremely pinpoint in his accuracy at the plate and it’s paramount for his situation to be able to come in in those situations and hit spots and really be a surgeon at that point in the game,” Kreuter said. “You’re facing guys in crunch time, we’re up one run, it’s 1-0, you don’t have the luxury of making a mistake where a guy can hit it out. So you really have to be a surgeon. . . . He’s just been fabulous.”

Shaw is 1-1 with a 2.70 earned-run average, 24 strikeouts and six walks in 20 innings over 20 appearances.

Shaw, who came to the Dodgers in a 1998 trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Paul Konerko and Dennys Reyes, has 99 saves as a Dodger, fourth on the franchise’s all-time save list and two behind Ron Perranoski. Jim Brewer is second with 125 and Todd Worrell is first with 127.

“The life of his fastball is better than it was at any time last year, and [so is] his aggressiveness early in the count,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “Everything that has made him so good [over the years] is right where it needs to be right now. I mean, he’s a guy that’s going to go right after you. If you’re going up there looking to try and work him for a walk, you can forget that idea because he doesn’t do a whole lot of that. And the crispness of his pitches is there. And his command is pinpoint.

“He’s not a blow-you-away-type guy but, in my mind, it’s his ability to command the [the strike zone]. He knows when to go up, he knows when to go down, he knows when to go in and out. He’s not just sitting down there in the bullpen waiting for the phone to ring. He’s studying hitters.”

Sellouts Friday and Saturday nights were the first in succession in nearly two years.

The Dodgers sold out three consecutive games against Mark McGwire and the St. Louis Cardinals in late May 1999.

Friday night’s attendance, 54,343, perhaps buoyed by a T-shirt giveaway, was the largest at Dodger Stadium since July 4, 1999, when 54,731 attended a game against the San Francisco Giants.

The Dodgers have sold out three games this season, the opener against the Milwaukee Brewers being the other.

ON DECK

Opponent--Montreal Expos, three games.

Site--Olympic Stadium, Montreal.

Today--4 p.m. PDT.

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

Records--Dodgers 22-16, Expos 14-23.

Record vs. Expos (2000)--5-3.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ CHAN HO PARK

(4-3, 3.08 ERA)

vs.

EXPOS’ JAVIER VAZQUEZ

(3-4, 5.65 ERA)

Update--In seven games at Olympic Stadium, Park is 2-2 with a 5.57 earned-run average. He defeated the Expos, 10-4, in Montreal last year. Vazquez is 1-3 with a 5.02 ERA in five outings against the Dodgers. On April 5, 2000, at Olympic Stadium, he limited the Dodgers to two runs and eight hits in seven innings but had no decision in the Expos’ 6-5 victory.

Wednesday, 4 p.m.--Darren Dreifort (2-2, 4.93 ERA) vs. Britt Reames (2-4, 5.25 ERA).

Thursday, 4 p.m.--Eric Gagne (1-2, 4.75 ERA) vs. Chris Peters (2-3, 6.37 ERA).