Beltre’s Slam Leads Dodger Rout of Expos

The Dodgers are happy to speak up on Adrian Beltre’s behalf, particularly in lobbying MVP voters, but Beltre hardly ever speaks up for himself. He shuts up and plays, the old-fashioned way.

So one small word spoke volumes in Tuesday’s 10-2 rout of the Montreal Expos. After Beltre put himself in elite company with his 40th home run of the season -- a grand slam, well beyond the 404-foot sign in center field -- television cameras caught him saying “Wow,” to no one in particular.

It’s not exactly Barry Bonds flipping his bat aside and counting to three one-thousand before he starts jogging, but for Beltre it’s a rare gesture of acknowledgment that these are special times.

“I was amazed that I hit it that good,” Beltre said, “and I got to 40, a number I never thought about -- and I got there with a month to go. I was quite amazed by that.”

Kazuhisa Ishii, whose status appears to be start-to-start for the rest of the season, earned another start by pitching into the eighth inning for the victory. Alex Cora homered and tied a career high by driving in five runs, and the Dodgers restored a five-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

But the Dodgers saluted their third baseman yet again. After hitting a tying home run in the ninth inning Monday, he hit the slam that preceded Cora’s homer in the eight-run fifth inning Tuesday.

Beltre leads the major leagues in home runs and ranks fourth in the National League in batting average (.334) and runs batted in (94). No other player in the league -- not Bonds, not Albert Pujols, not Scott Rolen -- ranks in the top four in every Triple Crown category.

“Without question, hands down, he’s the MVP,” Dodger outfielder Milton Bradley said.

Said Cora: “Now I know how the Giants feel and the Cardinals feel when Barry and Albert come up to the plate. It’s pretty fun.”

Beltre is on pace for 52 home runs, which would break the major league record for a third baseman (48, by Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt in 1980) and the Dodger franchise record (49, by Shawn Green in 2001). He is the seventh Dodger -- and 12th major league third baseman -- to hit 40.

If the Dodgers win their division and advance to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, Manager Jim Tracy suggested that Beltre ought to be the MVP.

“You have to ask what that player’s impact is on their team winning their division,” Tracy said. “If the Giants win the division, you think Barry Bonds would have something to do with that?”

Hideo Nomo threw a bullpen session before Tuesday’s game, with the Dodgers prepared to insert him into the rotation in place of Ishii.

Although Ishii leads the team with 12 victories, Tracy has publicly expressed exasperation at his inconsistency. But, with Nomo lurking, Ishii gave up two runs in 7 1/3 innings -- and came within one batter of the first no-walk start of his Dodger career.

“It’s not the first time,” Tracy said. “When he’s backed into a corner, he responds big-time.”

So the Dodgers sent Nomo back to triple-A for a third rehabilitation start, on Thursday. Ishii will start Sunday in New York, with no promises beyond then. Pitching coach Jim Colborn said Nomo is hitting 88-89 mph, up from the low 80s before he went on the disabled list with a sore shoulder and an 8.06 earned-run average.

“If there aren’t better results, it won’t be because his stuff is the same,” Colborn said. “His stuff is better now.”