Strikes on the Field Are Main Concern

With next Friday’s strike date looming, catcher Paul Lo Duca called a meeting before Friday night’s game to update teammates on negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement. Then, he essentially told the Dodgers to put those negotiations out of their minds.

The Dodgers began a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves, who had the major leagues’ best record, and they begin a three-game series against National League West-leading Arizona on Monday night.

If a work stoppage is avoided, the Dodgers would then play wild card-contending Houston three times, the Diamondbacks three more times, the Astros three more times and wild-card contending San Francisco three times.

“We’ve got to play as if there’s no strike, because if there isn’t a strike, we can’t put ourselves in a hole by acting like these are the last six games of the year,” Lo Duca said of the remainder of this home stand.

“We’re playing the two best teams in the National League now, and we need to play well. These are huge games. Then, we play Houston and San Francisco. The next 18 games are big. They could make or break us. They’ll [determine] whether we go to the playoffs or not. We can’t focus on a strike.”

Lo Duca, whose average has slipped from .329 on July 6 to .285 before Friday night, said ongoing negotiations and the threat of a work stoppage have not been a distraction--yet.

“If it has been, it hasn’t showed,” Lo Duca said. “When I step on the field, I don’t think about it one bit. But I’m sure it will start hitting us pretty hard Monday.”

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Reliever Giovanni Carrara, on the 15-day disabled list because of a strain in his right forearm, threw a two-inning, 45-pitch simulated game Friday afternoon, reporting no problems afterward. Carrara is eligible to come off the DL Monday but will likely throw one more simulated game before being activated next week.

Carrara also admitted his arm was bothering him in early August more than he let on. In his last four outings before going on the disabled list, Carrara gave up two home runs, a tiebreaking two-run double and hit two batters with the bases loaded to force in the tiebreaking runs.

“I wore long sleeves because I didn’t want anyone to see the bruise on my arm,” Carrara said. “That’s the way I am. I want to do anything I can to help the team, but I finally realized I wasn’t helping the team, and I was hurting myself too.”

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Left fielder Brian Jordan, sidelined for 12 of the last 13 games because of a protruding disk in his lower back, began some rotational exercises to loosen his trunk area Friday. He said his back felt the same as it did Thursday--”the good thing is it’s not worse,” Jordan said--but he still hasn’t been able to swing a bat and will be sidelined indefinitely.... Brave center fielder Andruw Jones, who suffered a strained left shoulder and right wrist while making a diving catch Thursday in San Diego, did not start Friday night and is questionable for today’s game.... Individual tickets for Dodger playoff games will go on sale Sept. 14 and can be purchased at Dodger Stadium, by phone or on the Internet.... Vin Scully returned to the television booth Friday night after missing two games because of laryngitis.

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TODAY

DODGERS’

ANDY ASHBY

(9-9, 3.46 ERA)

vs.

BRAVES’

TOM GLAVINE

(16-6, 2.65 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 1 p.m.

TV--Channel 13. Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

Update--With Jordan injured, Marquis Grissom playing every day and the Braves starting left-handers today and Sunday night, it’s possible Dave Roberts will get his second start of the season against a left-handed pitcher. The left-handed-hitting Roberts has platooned in center with Grissom but is batting .417 (10 for 24) against left-handers this season. Ashby has had trouble with Brave third baseman Vinny Castilla, who is batting .333 (13 for 39) with five homers and 13 RBIs against him. Lo Duca (six for eight) has had success against Glavine.

Tickets--(323) 224-1448.