Beltre Is Starting to Produce

Despite being swept in a two-game series by the St. Louis Cardinals, the Dodgers were encouraged by the performance of third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Beltre batted sixth and went three for eight with two home runs, a double and four runs batted in. He is batting .238 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs.

“He’s one guy the last two days that you can point a finger at and say that guy has really produced,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said Tuesday.

If Beltre continues to emerge from his struggles of the last two months--he batted .207 in May and .205 in June--the Dodgers might shy away from including him in trade proposals.

Second baseman Mark Grudzielanek also had a strong series. He batted seventh and went five for eight to raise his average to .251.

“There’s been some production from that area [of the lineup] that we haven’t seen a lot of throughout much of the season,” Tracy said. “But over the course of the last couple of days it has picked up.”

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Tracy held a short clubhouse meeting after Tuesday’s 9-2 loss, something he has done only a few times this season.

“He just wanted everybody together to make sure everybody is on the same page,” center fielder Dave Roberts said. “It’s not a huge, fire-up meeting or panic meeting. It was nothing like that.

“It was just putting this situation in perspective. We have a long way to go. As long as we play good baseball, things will work out.”

*

Tracy held catcher Paul Lo Duca out of the lineup because the Dodgers were playing only 14 hours after completing Monday night’s game. Chad Kreuter, playing for the first time since coming off the disabled list Friday, made his first start since June 23. He was hitless in three at-bats.... Cardinal center fielder Jim Edmonds ranks among the National League leaders in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, but he continues to struggle against Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo. Nomo struck Edmonds out three times Tuesday. Edmonds is one for 11 with nine strikeouts against Nomo. Edmonds also struck out against Jesse Orosco.... Dodger reliever Guillermo Mota gave up four runs in the eighth inning, increasing his earned-run average from 2.43 to 3.44.

ON DECK

Opponent--San Diego Padres, two games.

Site--Dodger Stadium.

Tonight--7.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

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

Records--Dodgers 55-39, Padres 37-56.

Record vs. Padres--4-3.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

ODALIS PEREZ

(10-5, 2.89 ERA)

vs.

PADRES’

BRIAN LAWRENCE

(7-5, 3.59 ERA)

Update--Perez came within an out of a shutout in a 4-1 victory over the Padres on April 21 at Dodger Stadium. The left-hander gave up three runs and nine hits in his last start, a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Lawrence pitched seven shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over the Dodgers on April 14. Five days later, he gave up three runs in seven innings in a 5-2 loss at Dodger Stadium.

Thursday, 7 p.m.--Dodgers’ Andy Ashby (7-7, 3.68) vs. Padres’ Brett Tomko (4-6, 3.68).

Tickets--(323) 224-1448.