Nothing Personal About It for Beltre

Adrian Beltre said he wouldn’t get caught up in the hype.

The third baseman acknowledged he and St. Louis stars Jim Edmonds, Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen are considered among the leading candidates for the National League most-valuable-player award, but Beltre said the Dodger-Cardinal series would not be used as an individual showcase.

He’s focused on helping the Dodgers hold off the San Francisco Giants in the NL West, and the Cardinals are speeding toward a team goal.

“We’re too busy trying to keep the lead in the West,” Beltre said. “We’re going to play the Giants six more times, and I don’t want to get caught up in any kind of individual thing because we’ve got a lot of work to do.

“I’m just not going to think about personal stuff right now. Whatever happens after we get to the playoffs happens, but that’s just not important now. And the Cardinals, those guys are about to win [the NL Central], so that’s what they’re thinking about.”

Beltre said Edmonds, Pujols and Rolen deserved much of the credit for the Cardinals’ impressive regular season.

“Those guys are great hitters,” Beltre said. “It’s going to be a good show this weekend, and hopefully we can get the best out of our offense.”

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Pitcher Darren Dreifort underwent the first of two major surgical procedures that are expected to keep him sidelined well into the 2005 season.

He had hip surgery in Pittsburgh, and he still plans to repair a severely sprained ligament in his right knee. Manager Jim Tracy said the medical staff advised against having the surgeries performed at the same time because of an increased risk of clotting.

Dreifort has undergone eight surgeries as a professional, according to a team official. The right-hander is owed $13 million next season in the final year of a five-year, $55-million contract.

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The Dodgers sold out of tickets for the division series after conducting a lottery for would-be ticket buyers at Dodger Stadium, a team official said.

Depending on playoff scenarios, the team could play three games at Chavez Ravine. Ticket purchasers would receive refunds for games not played.