Green and Brown Make Blue Go Wild

The bar had been set for so long, but Shawn Green has raised it, along with Dodger hopes.

The right fielder rewrote the franchise record book Friday night in a 7-1 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium that also shook up the National League standings.

Green had another show-stopping performance before a crowd of 33,935 in the opener of a three-game series between NL playoff contenders--hitting two home runs to establish a new club single-season record and matching his career high with four hits.

He was four for five with three runs batted in and hit homers Nos. 44 and 45 in his sixth multi-homer game of the season and 17th of his career.

With a team-high 114 RBIs, Green has the most by a Dodger since Steve Garvey knocked in 115 in 1977.

Starter Kevin Brown (10-4) also provided good vibes for the Dodgers in his best outing since returning from the disabled list.

The combination of Green, who also scored three runs and got his 18th stolen base, and Brown helped the Dodgers (78-63) improve to 3-1 on the 12-game, 14-day trip and move to the top spot in the NL wild-card standings.

For Green this season, just another day at the ballpark.

“It’s not something I expected to do,’ Green said. “And like I said before, I’m just enjoying it and trying to ride it out as long as I can.

“The last few days at home in L.A., and the first couple in Denver, I was feeling pretty lost at the plate. I worked with [batting instructor] Jack [Clark], got some things ironed out and all of sudden I’m going good again.”

And his teammates know it.”I don’t know what to say other than his season is sick, just sick,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “I mean, what Greenie is doing this year is simply a joke. Sheff had a great year with 43 [homers] last year to tie [Duke Snider] for the old record, and Mike [Piazza] had a great year in ’97 with the 40 [homers].

“But when you talk about this organization’s history, and you know how difficult it is to hit the ball out of Dodger Stadium, you just have to sit back and look at this thing in amazement. Greenie is making a mockery of the record book. It’s just unreal.”

Manager Jim Tracy figured Green would rebound after struggling in 2000, but acknowledged he didn’t expect this.

“I felt fairly certain of the fact that the guy was capable of hitting 40 home runs,” Tracy said. “OK, so I didn’t envision 50.”

Tracy was also upbeat because of Brown’s good night.

The right-hander was sharper than in his previous start and had better velocity, working 61/3 innings.

He limited the Cardinals (76-64) to only two singles and an unearned run while throwing 61 strikes in 93 pitches. Shortstop Alex Cora started two double plays, and the Cardinals scored their run in the seventh on Cora’s error.

“He was very good, and I still think that he can get a little bit better,” Tracy said. “What we saw tonight was the command that he had in his first start, [but] that he didn’t necessarily have in the start last Sunday against the Cardinals.”

Brown agreed

“Of the three games I’ve been in so far,” he said, “this was the best stuff I’ve had.”

Green staked Brown to a 1-0 lead in the first on his record-breaking homer against Dustin Hermanson (12-12).

Green added to his mark with a two-run homer in the Dodgers’ three-run sixth that ended Hermanson’s work.

“We’re seeing the real Shawn Green this year,” Brown said. “He’s been swinging more comfortably the whole year, and he’s making guys pay.”

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Dodger Power

The Dodger single-season home run leaders (Brooklyn and Los Angeles):

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HR HR per AB Player (Year) 45 11.9 Shawn Green (2001) 43 12.6 Duke Snider (1956) 43 11.6 Gary Sheffield (2000) 42 14.0 Duke Snider (1953) 42 13.8 Gil Hodges (1954) 42 12.8 Duke Snider (1955) 41 12.6 R. Campanella (1953) 40 14.5 Gil Hodges (1951) 40 14.6 Duke Snider (1954) 40 12.7 Duke Snider (1957) 40 13.9 Mike Piazza (1997) 36 15.1 Mike Piazza (1996) 35 17.5 Babe Herman (1930) 35 15.6 Mike Piazza (1993) 34 17.9 Eric Karros (1996) 34 15.5 Dolph Camilli (1941) 34 17.0 Eric Karros (1999) 34 16.1 Gary Sheffield (1999) 34 12.9 Gary Sheffield (2001)

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