SAN FRANCISCO — Kevin Elster left baseball last season and focused on himself, needing time to recharge after injuries and politics ended his fun.
Elster relaxed by the pool at his Las Vegas home while his passion for the game returned, and the Dodgers offered him a job.
They're glad he accepted.
The shortstop and No. 8 batter had a show-stopping performance Tuesday during a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants--hitting three home runs that ruined the Dodger rivals' first regular-season game at Pacific Bell Park.
Elster hit a solo shot in the third against San Francisco starter Kirk Rueter (0-1)--the first official homer at the ballpark.
He added a two-run blast in the fifth against Rueter, then capped his improbable display with another solo homer in the eighth off reliever Felix Rodriguez. Elster hit the first homer to center, the second to left and the last to left-center.
The first three-homer game of Elster's career--and the Dodgers' first since 1996--demoralized a festive afternoon sellout crowd of 40,930 at the Giants' new $319-million home. It wasn't what anyone expected--especially Elster.
"It's just the fruits of hard labor," said Elster, 35, who followed an intense exercise program after deciding to resume his career in January.
"When I decided to come back and play, I wasn't going to go into it unless I felt I could contribute, and a day like today makes me feel like I am. No one ever comes to the ballpark thinking they're going to hit three home runs, least of all me, but it sure feels good to do this on a day like today."
Said San Francisco Manager Dusty Baker: "We got the ball in the wrong area to him, and he didn't miss any of them. He had a lot of home runs for one day, that's for sure."
It was a good day for other Dodgers too.
Chan Ho Park (2-0) worked six solid innings and earned his second victory in as many starts. The right-hander, who gave up three runs, challenged batters and impressed Manager Davey Johnson with his calm approach.
Even Barry Bonds didn't fluster Park. The all-star left fielder had a run-scoring double in the first and a solo homer in the third, but Park stayed cool.
"Kevin Elster gave me a lot of confidence," Park said. "All those home runs made it easy to pitch."
The bullpen, though, made things interesting. Setup man Terry Adams gave up a solo homer to Doug Mirabelli in the seventh, cutting the lead to 5-4.
