Beltre Unloads on the Rockies

Adrian Beltre tries the Dodgers’ patience and thrills them, sometimes simultaneously.

They are coping with the young third baseman’s growing pains, and Beltre rewarded the Dodgers again Tuesday night. He had the go-head hit in the eighth inning and key play defensively in the ninth of a 6-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Beltre broke a 4-4 tie with a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single in the eighth against Jose Jimenez, and made a great throw in the ninth to get Neifi Perez at first on a sacrifice bunt after contributing to the Rockies’ three-run second with his 16th error.

The play helped reliever Jeff Shaw escape a jam for his team-leading 15th save before 39,824 at Coors Field.

With two out and runners at second and third, Larry Walker stepped to the plate representing the go-ahead run.

Shaw persuaded Manager Davey Johnson to pitch to the left-handed slugger during a conference on the mound. Walker grounded to Shaw, who tossed to first baseman Eric Karros to complete the Dodgers’ third victory in a row.

The Dodgers (53-46) got a game-tying, three-run home run from Karros--his 27th--in the seventh, Shawn Green hit his 17th homer and Chan Ho Park (11-7) worked seven solid innings.

The Rockies (48-50) have dropped 17 of 20.

The Dodgers won for the eighth time in 10 games despite committing three errors. They trail the Arizona Diamond-backs by only 2 1/2 games in the National League West, and things are coming together.

Beltre’s performance helped.

“Bases loaded, two outs, it’s my chance to step up,” he said. “I saw my chance to get those runs back [after his error], and give Chan Ho his win.”

He delivered.

Beltre was hitless with a strikeout in his first three at-bats.

Leadoff batter Todd Hollandsworth walked to start the eighth against reliever Bobby Chouinard (0-1) after having a tough night too. He grounded out twice and flied out to that point, and committed an error in the sixth that contributed to the Rockies’ fourth run.

Mark Grudzielanek bunted Hollandsworth to second, and the Rockies intentionally walked hot-hitting Gary Sheffield. Colorado Manager Buddy Bell summoned left-hander Mike Myers to face left-handed batter Green, and Green popped out.

Jimenez entered to face Karros, who walked on five pitches. On a 1-1 count, Beltre singled to center to drive in Hollandsworth and Sheffield and give the Dodgers the lead.

“I have a tough time with the bases loaded,” said Beltre, who has three hits in 16 at-bats in such situations. “Hopefully, this can be my wake-up call.”

Johnson hopes so.

“He’s going to be a great player,” Johnson said. “He’s a good player now, but he’s going to be a great player.

“He just needs to work on a few little things. I guess I expect so much from him because I admire his ability and the way he handles himself.”

In the ninth, Beltre robbed Perez of a hit. He barehanded the bunted ball and threw a strike across his body to Karros.

“He came back with that hit for us, which was huge,” Karros said. “And that bunt play, he makes it as well as anybody.”

Karros pulled the Dodgers even with his three-run shot in the seventh. The Dodgers had runners on first and second after Sheffield drew a leadoff walk and Green reached on Mike Lansing’s error.

Colorado starter Masato Yoshii fell behind Karros, 2-0, and tried to throw a fastball past him. Karros send it into the seats in left-center--tying the score with a blast estimated at 433 feet.

“We’re beginning to play well,” Karros said. “We haven’t had a streak up to this point, and a lot of other teams have had their runs.

“If you can get to September, any team within five games has a shot.”