Karros Not About to Say Homer Has Ended Slump

Dodger first baseman Eric Karros, who has gotten off to a slow start because of a shoulder injury, led off the fourth inning of Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Montreal Expos with his third home run of the season.

Karros belted a 2-1 pitch from starter Carlos Perez into the Dodger bullpen for his first home run in 49 at-bats. It was also his first RBI in 30 at-bats.

But Karros, who had two hits in four-bats with two runs and one RBI, wasn’t ready to say he’s broken out of his slump.

“It’s no big deal,” Karros said. “It’s a long year. One game doesn’t do anything for anybody, neither does one week or one month.”

Karros just missed getting another homer in his next at-bat in the sixth inning, fouling off a ball into the left field box seats before walking.

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The Dodgers, who went into the game ranked first in the National League with a .984 fielding percentage, committed two errors, one shy of their season-high.

Second baseman Juan Castro, who started in place of Wilton Guerrero, misplayed a routine grounder by leadoff hitter Mark Grudzielanek as the Expos scored two runs on three hits off starter Hideo Nomo in the first inning.

Third baseman Todd Zeile made an error as the Expos scored three runs in the 10th, mishandling Grudzielanek’s routine grounder.

Shortstop Greg Gagne could have been charged with an error when he lost lost Mike Lansing’s fly ball in short left field, but it was ruled a single.

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Zeile, who had a two-for-26 slump at the start of the season, had a season-high three hits in five at-bats. Zeile is hitting .372 with a homer and 10 RBIs in his last 12 game.

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Expo rookie right fielder Vladimir Guerrero, whose brother Wilton plays for the Dodgers, lost a two-run home run when a fan reached out of the left field box seats and interfered with Guerrero’s line drive that was headed into the stands.

Rondell White, who earlier singled, had to go back to third, and Guerrero was awarded a ground-rule double.

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Pitcher Ted Lilly rated as the seventh best prospect in the Dodger organization by Baseball America, pitcher a no-hitter in the San Bernardino Stampede’s 8-0 victory over Lake Elsinore on Saturday night. Lilly struck out nine and walked two.