Batting-Practice Accident Hurts Jordan

Left fielder Brian Jordan suffered a severely bruised right hand in a freak batting-practice accident Sunday before a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium.

While leaning on the batting cage awaiting his turn, Jordan was struck by a ball center fielder Dave Roberts fouled off into the loose protective net. Jordan’s hand quickly became swollen, so Manager Jim Tracy, on the advice of trainer Stan Johnston, scratched Jordan from the opening lineup 15 minutes before the first pitch.

“It just swelled up real, real quick,” said Jordan, batting .299 with three home runs and 17 runs batted in.

“I’m just hoping it got more [flesh] than the bone or wrist. I’m just hoping I didn’t break it. Unbelievable.”

Team physician Frank Jobe is scheduled to evaluate Jordan after Jordan undergoes X-rays today at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers fear Jordan might have suffered a broken hand, which would sideline the key run-producer and team leader for a long stretch.

“It was just a freak accident,” Roberts said. “I feel really bad about the situation. It obviously wasn’t on purpose.”

Said Jordan: My first reaction was so angry, I was mad at him, but it’s not his fault.”

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With the Expos possibly moving at the end of the season, closer Eric Gagne hoped to appear in the Dodgers’ only series here.

After warming up in the first two games, the Montreal native pitched 1 1/3 perfect innings Sunday for his 12th save.

“I was hoping to get in for the fans and the young kids,” said Gagne, who received a standing ovation from a crowd of 14,488. “They might not even have Vladimir Guerrero, or [Jose] Vidro, or [Javier] Vazquez next year. It’s sad.”

The Dodgers renewed Gagne’s contract at $550,000, and he will receive less if demoted to the minor leagues, which is extremely unlikely. The right-hander is expected to receive one of the biggest raises in major league history next season, so why doesn’t he buy the team?

“Oh, yeah, with my split-contract,” Gagne said, laughing.

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Odalis Perez provided the Dodgers with another quality start, continuing the rotation’s impressive early performance.

With 27 quality starts in 38 games (71%), the Dodgers are close to the record-setting pace the club had in 1975. That group established the major league all-time mark of 117 in a 162-game season (72%), according to research by the Dodger public relations department.

Since the statistic (six or more innings, three or fewer runs) started being kept in 1974, the 1997 Atlanta Braves came closest to the record with 114. Four teams have had 110, including the 1976 Dodgers.

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Starter Kevin Brown added his personal decorating touch to another clubhouse, destroying a wooden shelf with his hands before boarding the team bus to the airport.

Apparently upset about snagging his clothes on a circular shelf, Brown tore the shelf off a cinder-block wall as a tub of Canadian coins and other items were strewn about the floor leading to the backdoor.

Brown, who also took a bat to the clubhouse wall at Great American Ballpark in April, grabbed his rolling suitcase and boarded the bus as his teammates shook their heads and smiled.

Brown pays clubhouse attendants for damages.

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Second baseman Alex Cora was eight for 13 in the series with six hits in a seven at-bat stretch .... First baseman Fred McGriff, who had sore knees after two games on the hard artificial turf, was given the day off ....Montreal right fielder Vladimir Guerrero did not play because of flu-like symptoms .... Reliever Paul Shuey, on the disabled list since April 24 because of a sprained right knee, threw 40 pitches in a bullpen session. Tracy said that, rather than going on a rehabilitation assignment, Shuey probably would face batters in a simulated game before being activated.... Darren Dreifort said he didn’t experience pain in his right knee, which was heavily taped, a day after pitching 6 1/3 innings against the Expos.

ON DECK

Opponent -- Atlanta Braves, three games.

Site -- Dodger Stadium.

Tonight -- 7.

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

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

Records -- Dodgers 20-18, Braves 25-12.

2002 record vs. Braves -- 4-2.

Tuesday, 7 p.m. -- Kazuhisa Ishii (3-1, 2.95) vs. Russ Ortiz (4-2, 3.60).

Wednesday, 7 p.m. -- Kevin Brown (3-1, 2.68) vs. Greg Maddux (3-4, 4.73).