After Fun, It’s Time to Get Back in Race

The Dodgers scored a season-high 16 runs, had a season-high 19 hits and set a franchise single-game record with eight home runs in a 16-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, but the Arizona Diamondbacks won’t give them much time to enjoy it.

The Dodgers play a three-game series in Bank One Ballpark and will have to face two of baseball’s best pitchers, Arizona’s Curt Schilling tonight and Randy Johnson on Sunday. The veterans are tied for the National League lead in wins (eight) and are one-two in strikeouts (202 combined).

The Dodgers are 21/2 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks and two games behind second-place San Francisco, and they go into their first game against the defending World Series champions feeling as if they have something to prove.

“To me, the Diamondbacks and Giants feel the [division race] is between them, and we’re not in the picture,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “We have to let everyone know that we’re here too. You look at any sports highlight shows, and it’s all Arizona and San Francisco. We have to make our presence felt, let people know that we’re going to be there for a long haul.”

Thursday, they were there for the long ball. In addition to Shawn Green’s major league record-tying four homers, which traveled a combined 1,640 feet, Brian Jordan hit a two-run homer in the second, Hiram Bocachica hit a two-run homer in the eighth, Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer in the ninth, snapping a string of 127 at-bats without a homer, and Dave Hansen hit a solo shot in the ninth.

Beltre, Green and Bocachica went back-to-back-to-back in the ninth, and Beltre’s two-out blast gave Green a chance for No. 4.

Remarkably, despite all the home runs, there wasn’t so much as a brushback pitch from Brewer starter Glendon Rusch, who gave up eight runs and nine hits in 12/3 innings, and five Milwaukee relievers.

“To be honest, coming up after three of Green’s home runs, I thought I’d get something inside,” cleanup batter Eric Karros said. “Never. It’s one of those things where a pitcher made a mistake, what good is it to throw at someone?

“But by the same token, you know Dave Stewart is their pitching coach, and his whole game as a pitcher was intimidation. If that was the Giants, [Green] probably would have been drilled.”

*

Despite giving up eight hits and walking six in 51/3 innings, Dodger left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii gave up only two runs to gain the victory and improve to 7-1. With the Dodgers leading, 3-1, in the bottom of the first, the Brewers loaded the bases with one out, and Ishii fell behind slugger Geoff Jenkins with two balls. Jenkins then smashed a one-hopper to second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who started an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play.

ON DECK

Opponent--Arizona Diamondbacks, three games.

Site--Bank One Ballpark, Phoenix.

Tonight--7.

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

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

Records--Dodgers 27-20, Diamondbacks 29-17.

Record vs. Diamondbacks (2001)--9-10.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

ODALIS PEREZ

(4-2, 2.00 ERA)

vs.

DIAMONDBACKS’

CURT SCHILLING

(8-1, 3.04 ERA)

Update--Eight weeks into the season, the Dodgers finally get their first look at the Diamondbacks. In five games since returning from the disabled list, Arizona first baseman Erubiel Durazo is batting .389 with five homers and 12 RBIs. Outfielder Danny Bautista (.325) suffered a tear in his shoulder Wednesday night and is probably out for the season.

Saturday, 7 p.m.--Andy Ashby (3-4, 3.21) vs. Rick Helling (4-4, 5.84).

Sunday, 1:30 p.m.--Kevin Brown (2-3, 3.30) vs. Randy Johnson (8-1, 2.07).