Dodgers’ Green Back in Swing

Shawn Green doesn’t get special treatment from the close-knit Dodgers, who enjoy teasing their struggling All-Star teammate.

Green moved to end the good-natured barbs Sunday afternoon with a home run and momentum-turning catch in a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Expos that capped another successful trip for the Dodgers.

“The day off helped a little bit, in the sense of being able to just sit back and put the uniform on without having the mental turmoil that comes with trying to find my swing,” said Green, who only pinch-hit in Saturday’s 6-5 loss after going two for 16 in the first four games of the trip. “I was able to kind of separate things a little bit.”

The right fielder appeared revitalized after a light workday, robbing Montreal starter Livan Hernandez of a run-scoring single and ending the fifth inning with a headfirst sliding catch on the hard artificial turf at Olympic Stadium.

Green further disappointed a crowd of 14,488 in the sixth, lining a two-out, opposite-field homer as the Dodgers scored twice to take a 2-1 lead. Alex Cora and Cesar Izturis, the Nos. 7 and 8 batters, ignited another two-run rally in the seventh with consecutive hits, helping the Dodgers build a three-run cushion for starter Odalis Perez.

The left-handed Perez, who recorded his sixth quality start in a row, got the help he needed from the bullpen after the Expos scored twice in the bottom of the inning to pull within a run. Guillermo Mota restored order in the seventh, and closer Eric Gagne entered in the eighth for his first four-out save opportunity this season.

Gagne, a native of Montreal, received a standing ovation from fans who might have attended his final game here -- then he did what he does better than anyone in baseball. The right-hander worked 1 1/3 perfect innings for his 12th save in as many chances and 20th in a row spanning two seasons, securing the victory for Perez (2-2).

The Dodgers (20-18) completed their second consecutive 4-2 trip and improved to 11-11 away from Dodger Stadium. They took two of three from the Expos (22-15), and Green stopped the laughter.

“The thing about Greenie is, everyone knows he’s going to hit, and he knows everybody is just playing around,” said catcher Paul Lo Duca, one of Green’s closest friends and his main antagonist.

“Obviously, Greenie is the focal point of our lineup, and he’s just going through the things we’ve all gone through this year. He hit a big home run that got us going against Livan, who was throwing real well, and getting him rolling is huge.”

With the Dodgers trailing, 1-0, in the fifth and Jamey Carroll on second after a two-out double, Hernandez, one of the game’s best-hitting pitchers, sent a blooper to shallow right. Green raced in and made the catch while sliding on his stomach.

Then left-handed Green sparked the team on offense in the sixth, his home run clearing the wall in left on a full-count sinker from Hernandez (3-2). Daryle Ward, who played first base as Fred McGriff got a day off, put the Dodgers ahead for good with a run-scoring single after Mike Kinkade walked and stole second.

Manager Jim Tracy enjoyed the inning -- Green’s contribution in particular.

“You could tell by the tone of his voice, and the look in his face the other day, that it was necessary [to take Green out of the starting lineup],” Tracy said. “To bounce back the way he did, and to make the play ... it helped swing momentum.”

Green hopes his momentum builds at the plate.

“It’s good to drive it the other way, because when my swing is getting right, I start driving it to left more,” said Green, who tied McGriff for the team lead with five homers and 18 runs batted in.

“Like everybody, I get jumpy and start getting longer and longer with my swing when I struggle. I just went up there today and tried to keep things a lot simpler: see the ball and hit it.”