Grudzielanek Gets a Day to Reflect

The latest Dodger to be left off Jim Tracy’s lineup card for a day was second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who is one for 18 on the homestand.

Third baseman Adrian Beltre--who didn’t start Wednesday’s game--was back in the lineup Thursday.

Maybe Tracy is thinking a day off can do for everyone what it did for Shawn Green, who started his phenomenal hot streak after a one-day benching in May.

Tracy laughed, but called his strategy two-fold.

“In a lot of cases, to me, there comes a point in time where just a day off really benefits a guy,” he said.

It also gives Tracy a chance to get players such as Dave Hansen or Alex Cora in the lineup instead of only calling on them in crucial pinch-hit situations.

“In the [185] at-bats I got in the big leagues, I know what it’s like to hear your name called in the sixth or seventh,” Tracy said. “It feels a lot better if you’ve had the opportunity to see live pitching instead of sitting for 10 or 12 days, then the bases are loaded and they call your name and say, ‘I need a sac-fly or a base hit.’ ”

Beltre returned to the lineup and committed his 12th error in the third inning, but made up for it with a run-scoring single in the fourth.

Grudzielanek took his day off in stride.

Though he has a condition on his right hand that requires him to have fluid-filled bumps periodically drained, he focused more on mental shortcomings.

“I’m not thinking about anything,” he said.

“Actually, I’m thinking about a lot of things, but nothing about my body.”

However, he added he will probably undergo a procedure on his hand in the off-season to “take care of” the problem, probably related to a minor tendon tear.

*

Dodger coach Jack Clark, who once played for the Cardinals, planned to take a red-eye flight to St. Louis after Thursday night’s game to attend the memorial service for broadcaster Jack Buck this morning. He expects to return in time for tonight’s game.

ON DECK

Opponent--Boston Red Sox, three games.

Site--Dodger Stadium.

Tonight--7 p.m., noon Saturday, 1 p.m. Sunday.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 tonight, Ch. 11 Saturday, Ch. 13 Sunday.

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

Records--Dodgers 43-28, Boston 45-24.

Record vs. Red Sox--First meeting.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

HIDEO NOMO

(6-5, 3.81 ERA)

vs.

BOSTON’S

JOHN BURKETT

(7-2, 3.99 ERA)

Update--The Red Sox bring the best record in the major leagues in their first-ever trip to Dodger Stadium as the Dodgers continue a 15-game stretch against the American League. Boston leads the majors in batting average and is first in the American League in earned-run average. Dodger right-hander Hideo Nomo takes the mound tonight against the team for which he threw his second no-hitter last season. (His first was for the Dodgers in 1996.) Boston’s starting pitcher Saturday, right-hander Derek Lowe, had a no-hitter against Tampa Bay in April.

Saturday, noon--Omar Daal (4-3, 3.92 ERA) vs. Derek Lowe (11-2, 1.85 ERA).

Sunday, 1 p.m.--Andy Ashby (6-6, 2.82 ERA) vs. Rolando Arrojo (4-1, 2.88 ERA).