Team’s Not Worried About Cold McGriff

Things aren’t going according to plan for the struggling Dodgers and first baseman Fred McGriff.

The club, which expects to win the National League West, is off to another slow start at 5-8 after having been swept by the rival San Francisco Giants in a three-game series at San Francisco for the first time since 1991. McGriff is in an early slump, prompting Manager Jim Tracy to remove the 16-year veteran from the starting lineup for the final two games at Pacific Bell Park.

McGriff struck out while pinch-hitting Sunday night in the 12th inning of a 5-4, 12-inning loss to the Giants, and is batting .143 with two home runs and four runs batted in. The Dodgers said the 39-year-old McGriff is putting too much pressure on himself.

“He just wants to help the team, and he’s trying to do a little too much,” coach Manny Mota said. “Fred is a great hitter, a great veteran hitter, and he knows the team [is] having problems scoring runs.

“He just needs to be a little more patient and everything will be fine.”

Of course, McGriff isn’t the only struggling Dodger. Many players are in slumps, and McGriff wants it known he’s not a savior.

“That’s not the way it works in baseball,” said McGriff, who has 480 homers and 1,507 RBIs in his career. “I’ve played this game a long time, and one thing I’ve learned is you win as a team and lose as team. You can’t look to just one guy. That’s not going to do it.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who aren’t swinging the bat real well right now. What we’ve got to do is get it turned around as a team. That’s the only way. Until we can do that, we’re going to have problems scoring runs. I’ve been on [championship] teams, and it takes everybody.”

McGriff made sarcastic comments about being benched in San Francisco, essentially saying that he shouldn’t be singled out with many players failing to fulfill the club’s expectations. Moreover, he said someone with his experience needs at-bats to work through slumps.

Tracy wasn’t concerned about McGriff’s comments.

“It’s not a punishment, it’s not a penalty ... that’s not the object of this,” Tracy said. “This is a superstar, a potential Hall of Famer, and I’m sure he’s upset. I’m OK with that; there’s nobody we’ve ever managed like this guy that’s happy not playing.

“I want him to be mad. I don’t expect him to be, ‘Hey, that’s great, I’m out of the lineup.’ Come Tuesday, he’ll be right back there in that spot behind [cleanup batter] Brian Jordan.”

McGriff was the centerpiece of General Manager Dan Evans’ off-season plan to improve run production, and many in the organization believe McGriff and third baseman Adrian Beltre (batting .204 with two homers, four RBIs and a team-high four errors) will determine whether the Dodgers qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1996 or disappoint again.

“We’re frustrated because he’s frustrated, but you know that Fred McGriff is going to come around,” batting instructor Jack Clark said. “We’re just going to follow the program, keep it simple and those hits are going to come. Believe me, they’re going to come, and it’s going to be fun.”

ON DECK

Opponent -- San Diego Padres, three games.

Site -- Dodger Stadium.

TV -- Fox Sports Net 2, all three games.

Radio -- KFWB (980), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Dodgers 5-8, Padres 6-7.

Record vs. Padres -- 1-3.

Tonight, 7 p.m. -- Hideo Nomo (1-2, 1.96 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (2-0, 3.27 ERA).

Wednesday, 7 p.m. -- Kazuhisa Ishii (0-1, 7.45) vs. Brian Lawrence (2-0, 1.71).

Thursday, 7 p.m. -- Odalis Perez (0-1, 4.19) vs. Adam Eaton (0-1, 4.12).

*

DODGERS TONIGHT

*

DODGERS’

HIDEO NOMO

vs.

PADRES’

JAKE PEAVY

*--* THE MATCHUPS 20 03 TEAM 2002 VS OPP TEAMS/PITCHERS W-L ERA REC W-L IP ERA San Diego/Peavy (R) 2-0 3.27 2-0 0-0 12.2 4.26 DODGERS/Nomo (R) 1-2 1.96 1-2 2-1 28.0 3.21

*--*

Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.

TV -- Fox Sports Net 2. Radio -- KFWB (980), KWKW (1330).

Update -- It will be an emotional night for the Dodgers, who welcome back popular batting instructor Jack Clark. “It’s just going to be great to be with the guys,” said Clark, still recovering after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident March 30. “A lot of the guys from the Padres also called to see how I was doing, and I really appreciate that. I’m still kind of limited [in] what I can do out there, but being around everybody will help.” Nomo has been stuck on 99 victories for two starts. Odalis Perez recently sprained his right ankle, so Darren Dreifort might start the final game of the series.

-- Jason Reid