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DENVER (AP) -- Brian Jordan is giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a needed offensive boost down the stretch.

	Brian Jordan Left Field Los Angeles Dodgers Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R SB AVG 114 17 66 61 2 .270

Jordan had a home run and four RBI and Adrian Beltre homered and drove in three runs as the Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 16-3 Saturday.

"We can't overlook what Brian has contributed in September,'' manager Jim Tracy said. "Add him to the mix of Shawn Green and Eric Karros and all of a sudden you have a formidable middle of our batting order.''

The Dodgers, who had lost their previous two games, began the day one game behind San Francisco in the NL wild-card race. The Giants played later Saturday night against San Diego.

Jordan, in his first year with the Dodgers, has four homers and 16 RBIs in 13 games this month. Jordan played in the postseason the last three years with Atlanta.

"Brian is making a statement for himself,'' Tracy said. "That is a big statement from a guy that has been involved in situations like this at this time of the year where you are not just playing games to finish the season, but looking ahead to games in October.''

Odalis Perez (14-9) allowed two runs in five innings to improve to 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA in four starts this year against the Rockies.

Jordan hit his 17th homer of the year, and Green and Karros had three RBI each for the Dodgers, who finished with 20 hits.

"I normally play well in August and September. This is my time of year,'' Jordan said. "But to be with a new team and be in a pennant race down the stretch, I'm just trying to relax and go out there and perform in September.''

It got so bad for Colorado that the Rockies used third baseman Todd Zeile to pitch the ninth.

Zeile, pitching for the first time in his 14-year career, threw mostly knuckleballs and never topped 75 mph. He allowed a single to Cesar Izturis, got Chad Kreuter to hit into a double play and struck out Wilkin Ruan and had the crowd of 28,118 cheering with every strike he threw.

"I felt for all the people that waited around all day and put up with our ineptitude and mediocrity and deserved a treat.'' Colorado manager Clint Hurdle said.

Los Angeles pounded Colorado starter Victor Santos (0-4) for six runs and nine hits in 1 2/3 innings. Santos, making his ninth career start and first in more than a year, allowed RBI singles by Green, Karros, Beltre and Mark Grudzielanek as the Dodgers scored four runs in the first inning.

"Santos didn't miss many bats,'' Hurdle said. "Neither did Randy Flores.''

Jordan homered to left with Paul Lo Duca aboard in the second inning to extend the Los Angeles lead to 6-0.

The Dodgers batted around again off Flores in a six-run third inning highlighted by Jordan's two-run double and a two-run homer by Beltre. Karros also had a two-run single in the inning.

The Dodgers added a run on Green's groundout in the fourth. Todd Helton homered to right after a single by Ben Petrick in the Colorado fourth.

Los Angeles led 15-2 after Mike Kinkade's two-run single in the sixth.

"This game was critical for us after the last couple of games here,'' Tracy said. "We could have easily have lost and dropped another game behind the Giants, but we didn't.''

Game notes

Beltre returned to the lineup after being benched one game for a 1-for-16 slump. ... The Dodgers are 64-16 when scoring four or more runs. ... Luke Allen and Joe Thurston had their first career hits for Los Angeles. ... Karros has 74 RBI and a career .370 batting average at Coors Field. ... The Dodgers tied a major league record by using six pinch-hitters in the sixth inning. ... Santos is the 60th pitcher to start a game in the 10-year history of the Rockies. ... Hurdle was jeered when he removed Santos in the second inning.