Jordan Gives Immediate Power Boost

The Dodgers hoped there would not be a vast drop-off in power when they traded slugger Gary Sheffield to the Atlanta Braves in a four-player deal that brought them Brian Jordan.

In the Dodgers’ first game at Dodger Stadium since last October, Jordan showed Friday night that there is reason for optimism.

For the second night in a row, Jordan hit a three-run homer as the Dodgers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 8-4, in an exhibition before an announced crowd of 22,022.

It was the third homer of the spring for the 35-year-old Jordan, who batted .295 with 25 homers and 97 runs batted in last season. Jordan began Friday’s game with six homers at Dodger Stadium and was happy to christen his new home as he prepares for the season opener against the San Francisco Giants.

“It felt good to start off like that,” he said. “It will feel even better Tuesday.”

Dodger left-hander Odalis Perez, also acquired in the Sheffield trade, gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings as the Dodgers faced the Indians at home for the first time since 1966. Perez struck out three, walked one and also hit a batter.

Perez, who will follow Kevin Brown and Hideo Nomo in the rotation, gave up three runs in the fourth on consecutive singles by Jim Thome, Wil Cordero, Ricky Gutierrez and Milton Bradley and a sacrifice fly to right field by pitcher Chuck Finley.

Finley, who gave up six runs--four earned--and six hits in four innings, surrendered Jordan’s blast in the first inning after leadoff batter Dave Roberts drew a walk and Shawn Green did the same one out later.

Up stepped Jordan, who hit a three-run shot against Miguel Batista in the Dodgers’ 7-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks Thursday night at Las Vegas. Finley was ahead in the count, 0 and 2, when Jordan hit a blast into the left-field pavilion.

“I’m starting to feel comfortable,” said Jordan, who also lined out to right field and hit a fly ball to right.

*

Mike Piazza of the New York Mets has no regrets about the way he responded after being hit with a pitch by Dodger reliever Guillermo Mota in an exhibition game Thursday at Vero Beach, Fla.

Mota hit Piazza with a 3-and-0 pitch in the seventh inning. After he was replaced by a pinch-runner, Piazza remained on the bench, then confronted Mota when the pitcher passed the Mets’ bench on the way to the clubhouse in the middle of the eighth. Piazza walked alongside Mota, then grabbed his shirt and both benches emptied. No punches were thrown.

“Under the circumstances, I was actually pretty restrained,” Piazza told the Associated Press on Friday.

“Especially in a situation like that, it’s a 3-0 pitch ... a big league pitcher doesn’t miss that badly. That’s ridiculous,” Piazza said.

It was the fourth time that Piazza had been hit in 19 spring games. Five days earlier, he had been hit with a pitch by Montreal’s Britt Reames.

“Maybe [Mota] was a little bit in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’m sure that’s a little bit evident,” Piazza said.

Mota, acquired last Saturday in a trade for Matt Herges, is working to improve his mechanics and movement on his fastball.

“You’ve got a guy out there, a young pitcher,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “Obviously, control is an issue with this guy. I’d like to say his control would be that good, but it’s not.”

*

Roberts, who spent eight years in the Indians’ organization before winning the center field job with the Dodgers this spring, said it would be strange to face his former team.

“They were the first organization that gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues, and so I’ll definitely always be grateful for that,” Roberts said. “But it’s definitely business and I’ve got to take care of my business.”

Roberts did not waste any time.

Matt Lawton, the Indians’ leadoff hitter, belted a pitch from Perez to the wall in center field, where Roberts made a leaping catch for the first out of the game. Roberts walked in his first at-bat, struck out with two runners on in the second, bunted for a base hit and scored a run in the fourth.

*

The outfield fence at Dodger Stadium is emblazoned with images of former Dodgers celebrating the stadium’s 40th anniversary.

The players and managers featured between numerals that mark the passing of each decade are: Tommy Davis, Sandy Koufax, Wes Parker, Don Drysdale, Maury Wills, Don Sutton, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, Reggie Smith, Steve Yeager, Fernando Valenzuela, Orel Hershiser, Steve Sax, Kirk Gibson, Tommy Lasorda, Ramon Martinez, Brett Butler, Eric Karros, Brown and Green.

*

Andy Ashby will start today for the Dodgers against Cleveland’s Danys Baez at 1:10 p.m. After the game, the Dodgers will fly to Seattle. They play the Mariners Sunday with left-handers Kazuhisa Ishii and Omar Daal scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers.