Jordan, Knee Get Some Rest

Brian Jordan’s left knee was barking, and his bat lost its bite, so Manager Jim Tracy gave the Dodger left fielder the night off Thursday.

Jordan’s knee began to bother him in spring training, and he aggravated it legging out an infield hit in San Diego on April 14. With treatment and medication, trainers calmed Jordan’s patella tendinitis, but the knee began to act up in Pittsburgh and Chicago last week.

“You [stink] two days in a row, something isn’t right,” Jordan said. “I was feeling pretty good, but that cold weather [on the road] set me back a bit.”

It didn’t show at the plate. Jordan went eight for 24 with a homer and three runs batted in on the trip. But he returned to Dodger Stadium and went hitless in eight at-bats Tuesday and Wednesday, continuing a trend that is beginning to disturb Jordan.

Jordan is batting .333 in 15 road games but only .179 in 12 road games. He was a career .240 hitter in Dodger Stadium before the season.

*

Tracy pulled Kevin Brown after 84 pitches Tuesday night, when the right-hander returned from the disabled list and gave up two runs and five hits in five innings to the Reds. But Brown, who was sidelined because of a tearing of scar tissue in his surgically repaired right elbow, said he could have gone longer.

“I could have thrown more,” Brown said. “That was precautionary on their part--they wanted to play it safe. I have no problem with my stamina. Physically, I’m fine.”

Asked how he was doing mentally, how he was coping with the emotional highs and lows of returning from surgery, Brown said, “That’s none of your damn business.... I don’t feel like I’m rehabilitating. I’m just trying to find my rhythm, my comfort. It’s just a matter of touch and repetition, of knowing where the pitch is going to go. Once you gain that consistency, it allows you to be more comfortable.”

ON DECK

Opponent--Chicago Cubs, three games.

Site--Dodger Stadium.

Tonight--7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 tonight, Channel 13 Saturday, ESPN Sunday.

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

Records--Dodgers 17-11, Cubs 9-17.

Record vs. Cubs--3-0.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

ANDY ASHBY

(2-2, 2.90 ERA)

vs.

CUBS’

JUAN CRUZ

(0-5, 2.33 ERA)

Update--A five-game Cub losing streak, which began with the Dodgers’ three-game sweep in Wrigley Field last weekend, ended Thursday when the Cubs beat the Padres behind slugger Sammy Sosa, who hit two home runs for the second consecutive game and is batting .333 with 12 homers and 18 RBIs on the season.

Saturday, 7 p.m.--Kazuhisa Ishii (5-0, 3.03) vs. Jason Bere (1-3, 6.48).

Sunday, 5 p.m.--Kevin Brown (1-2, 4.67) vs. Matt Clement (1-2, 3.77).