Dodgers Nearly Give It All Back

The Dodgers insist they weren’t trying to lose Thursday night--it only seemed that way.

But they acknowledged their performance was nerve-racking after nearly squandering a an eight-run lead but hanging on to defeat the Montreal Expos, 10-9, completing a three-game sweep before a crowd of 30,971 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers appeared intent on wasting home runs by Bobby Bonilla, Eric Young and Adrian Beltre in sweeping their third three-game series of the season. They led, 9-1, after four innings, but the Expos scored six runs in the final two innings to make the Dodgers squirm.

Starter Darren Dreifort (7-12) earned his first victory in seven starts despite giving up the most earned runs in a game in his career. Scott Radinsky earned his 13th save by getting two groundouts in the ninth with the bases empty, helping the Dodgers avoid yet another sleepless night.

“The run support was outstanding tonight, and when you get a big lead like that you’ve got to go right at them,” Dreifort said. “You’ve got to give them credit, they kept swinging the bats, but you have to [put teams away] with run support like that.”

The Dodgers moved back to .500 (67-67) for the 28th time this season. They also gained ground in the National League wild-card race, moving within six games of the front-running New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.

Dreifort struggled in his first start since he hit Andres Galarraga of the Atlanta Braves with a pitch last Saturday, which sparked a bench-clearing brawl in the Braves’ 7-5 victory. He was forced to leave that game after suffering cuts on his throwing elbow, and was charged with the loss despite pitching only one-plus innings.

He had hoped for an easier outing Thursday--but it wasn’t to be.

Dreifort gave up 11 hits--including a grand slam--and seven earned runs in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out six, walked one and hit another batter with a pitch.

“I felt good going into the game,” Dreifort said. “It just didn’t go the way I wanted it to go.”

The Expos cut the Dodgers’ lead to 9-7 on Chris Widger’s pinch-hit grand slam--his 11th homer--in the eighth against Dreifort. Beltre, who replaced Bonilla at third base in the sixth, led off the eighth with a solo homer--his fifth--giving the Dodgers a 10-7 lead.

Vladimir Guerrero hit a one-out, two-run homer--his 33rd homer--against Antonio Osuna in the ninth, cutting the lead to 10-9. Radinsky relieved Osuna and quickly got two groundouts to end the game.

“A win is a win,” said Manager Glenn Hoffman, whose team has not won at least four in a row this season. “I would have liked to have won 9-1, but 10-9 is just as good.”

The Dodgers staked Dreifort to a seemingly comfortable lead in the first, scoring four runs against Montreal rookie starter Jeremy Powell (1-5).

The right-hander lasted only two innings, giving up five hits--including two homers--and six runs (five earned). He struck out one without a walk and hit Gary Sheffield with a pitch.

In the first, Young singled to center to open the inning and stole his 38th base. Young also hit his second two-run homer in as many days in the second.

With one out and Young at second in the first, Gary Sheffield grounded into the hole between third and short. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera fielded the ball deep in the hole, and presumably believed he didn’t have a play at first.

Young beat Cabrera to third, putting runners at the corners with Eric Karros on deck. Young scored the Dodgers’ first run on Karros’ double off the bullpen gate in left field, and Sheffield put the Dodgers ahead, 2-0, on Raul Mondesi’s ground out.

That set the stage for Bonilla, who has experienced more lows than highs in his brief tenure with the Dodgers.

Bonilla has been on the disabled list twice, booed repeatedly by fans who have questioned his effort and has struggled to regain the form that made him a six-time all-star. He acknowledges he returned too quickly from off-season wrist and Achilles’ tendon surgery, though he hasn’t used that as an excuse.

But Bonilla has played better recently, and his improvement has coincided with his permanent switch from the outfield to third. He has at least one hit in 10 of his last 13 games, and his two-run homer to right-center was his third homer during that span.