Dodgers Trump an Ace

Chan Ho Park made one mistake Wednesday night, but the Colorado Rockies’ defense made two and the Dodgers capitalized enough to defeat the Rockies and their ace Mike Hampton, 4-1, in the final game of the Dodgers’ six-game home stand.

The Dodger Stadium crowd of 30,411 expected to see a pitching duel between Park and Hampton and got what they came for.

“Chan Ho was excellent,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “But I knew coming in today, as I drove in, because of who were were facing today that we’d have to play extremely well, that we’d have to have a lot of people step up.”

Park (6-4) gave up one run on four hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out nine but walked six while throwing a season-high 124 pitches.

The blister he developed on his right middle finger in his last start Friday did not reappear Wednesday night as Park improved to 6-1 at home with a 1.86 earned-run average in seven starts.

“Several walks, not so good,” Park said. “I was pretty lucky.

“I have more focus and better location [deeper in the count],” Park said, explaining his high pitch count.

Mike Fetters got the last out in the eighth inning and closer Jeff Shaw pitched a perfect ninth for his National League-leading 16th save.

It was also Shaw’s 102nd save as a Dodger, moving him into third place on the Dodgers’ all-time save list behind Todd Worrell (127) and Jim Brewer (125).

Hampton (7-2), who signed an eight-year, $121-million free-agent contract in December, gave up four runs, two earned, on four hits in six innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

“It’s a situation where the night before they beat your ace [Kevin Brown] and then, to beat their ace,” Tracy said, “well that’s just a tribute to our team.”

Shawn Green was two for four with a two-run double against Hampton.

“I’m starting to feel a little better at the plate,” said Green, who has a team-leading 39 runs batted in. “I’m actually doing a little less [at the plate].

“Last year and the beginning of this year I was trying to do too much. Now it’s just see it, hit it and let the chips fall where they may.”

In taking two of three from the Rockies in this series, the Dodgers have won nine of 10 home series this season. The Dodgers also boast the best home record in the major leagues at 21-8 after winning five of six on the home stand. They remain one game behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

The Dodgers grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs in the third inning.

After a walk to Chad Kreuter, Park surprised the Rockies by swinging away. An onrushing Jeff Cirillo snagged the ball at the third, but shortstop Neifi Perez couldn’t handle Cirillo’s throw.

Jeff Reboulet had an RBI groundout, and Mark Grudzielanek, still bothered by a sprained right thumb, knocked in the second run with a ground-rule double.

The Rockies got one back in the sixth on Park’s lone mistake.

Todd Helton unloaded on a 2-0 Park pitch and drove it 420 feet into the left-center pavilion for a solo home run. It was Helton’s team-leading 17th homer.

A two-run sixth padded the Dodgers’ advantage.

Reboulet started things off by drawing a leadoff walk before Grudzielanek singled to left to put runners on first and second.

One pitch later, Green doubled to the wall in right-center, scoring both runners for a 4-1 Dodger lead.

Paul Lo Duca, playing first base, saved a run in the eighth inning with a diving stop of a Larry Walker grounder.

Had it gone through, Perez would have scored from first.

Park tired in the eighth, giving up a single and a walk before giving way to Fetters. The setup man walked the first batter he saw to load the bases before Todd Walker hit a towering shot to the left-center wall. Marquis Grissom caught the ball on the warning track, however, to thwart Walker’s bid for a grand slam and end the inning.