Daniels’ Timing Is Grand for the Dodgers : Baseball: His bases-loaded home run caps an eight-run sixth inning and helps lift Los Angeles to a 10-4 victory. Cincinnati’s lead is cut to 5 1/2 games.

Having proved he can deliver pressure hits and drive in big runs, Kal Daniels showed the Dodgers something new Friday.

He can dance.

With a leap and several pumps of his fists, Daniels created a step as he rounded first base in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Call it the Grand Slam.

“OK, OK, for the first time this year I showed some emotion on a home run--but man, that was fun ,” said Daniels, who was celebrating his bases-loaded home run against his former teammates. It led the Dodgers to a 10-4 victory before 31,944 at Riverfront Stadium.

In winning the first game of this three-game weekend series, the Dodgers moved to within 5 1/2 games of the National League West-leading Reds with 18 games remaining.

The Dodgers say they must win the next two to have a chance at the division title. But when Daniels jitterbugs with two bad knees and a bad side, it has to lift their spirits.

“All these fans here, they were getting on me pretty bad,” said Daniels, who played four seasons for the Reds before being traded to the Dodgers last summer. “Getting on me hard. All around the stadium. I guess they were booing me because they love me.”

He chuckled and added, “Well, I guess I showed that I love them.”

In defeating the Reds for the fifth time in their last six meetings, the Dodgers enjoyed more than Daniels’ second consecutive game-winning, bases-loaded hit. They benefited from 13 other hits and Fernando Valenzuela’s first complete game since Aug. 8, when he also defeated the Reds here.

Valenzuela, looking relaxed, limited the Reds to two runs on four hits during the first five innings. Then Daniels and the offense provided eight runs in the sixth against Tom Browning and Tim Layana to give the Dodgers a 9-2 lead. Valenzuela ended up yielding four runs, three earned, on nine hits to improve to 13-12.

“The last two games, I didn’t go much more than three innings--this time I wanted to do something for the team,” said Valenzuela, who had given up 11 runs in 6 1/3 innings in his last two starts. “This time I tell myself, I want to do something for the team.”

Valenzuela added a single and a double to improve his batting average to .302. But offensively, the most fun he and most other Dodgers had was watching Daniels hit his league-leading third grand slam.

Entering the sixth, the Dodgers trailed, 2-1, and had only three hits against Browning.

But with one out, Eddie Murray tied the score by driving a ball over the left-field fence for his 24th homer and 85th run batted in.

“You try to sit back and relax, and then a guy hits a homer off you, and you get ticked off,” Browning said. “I just lost my concentration.”

After Hubie Brooks grounded out, Browning lost control of the game.

Mike Scioscia singled to right. Juan Samuel hit his second double of the game to score Scioscia and give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.

“I’m just going up there hacking and not thinking about anything,” said Samuel, who had three hits, giving him 11 hits in his last 22 at-bats.

With Samuel on second base and two out, Red Manager Lou Piniella surprised the Dodgers by pitching to Alfredo Griffin with first base open and Valenzuela on deck.

“I guess, you know, Fernando is swinging the bat better than me,” said Griffin, who responded with a run-scoring single, giving him his first multi-hit game since Aug. 14.

Griffin then scored when Valenzuela’s single rolled through the legs of right fielder Glenn Braggs, with Valenzuela stopping at second. After Stan Javier walked, Browning was replaced by Layana.

Daniels, who was on deck, shouted at Mike Sharperson as he walked toward the batter’s box.

“He had faced this Layana before, and I never had, so I wanted to know what he threw,” Daniels said with a smile. “Except Sharpie was in a daze. Told me he didn’t know. I think he was too worried about himself.”

Said Sharperson: “Shoot, I had no idea. I told him, ‘I’m hacking at the first fastball.’ Maybe he didn’t hear me.’ ”

Daniels saw Sharperson swing at the first pitch and line it to left field to load the bases. So Daniels did the same.

“I just let it go,” he said of his swing, which knocked the ball 410 feet over the left-center field wall for his team-leading 25th homer. He has 81 RBIs, ranking second on the team to Murray, despite missing 27 games.

In September, he is hitting .382 with six homers and 18 RBIs. Wednesday, he broke a tie in an eventual victory against the San Diego Padres with a three-run, pinch double.

“A lot of people around here said I was washed up--I guess the kind of year I’m having, I’m shutting a few people up,” Daniels said.

Including some of his best friends.

“We can’t win every game,” the Reds’ Eric Davis said. “You guys think that we aren’t supposed to lose. Give us a little credit.”

Dodger Notes

Kirk Gibson was benched, but not for physical reasons. Tom Browning, a left-hander, was pitching, and the left-handed Gibson has one hit in his last 28 at-bats and is batting .086 in September, with three hits in 35 at-bats and one run batted in. . . . The game was stopped a few minutes during the third inning for officials to remove a banner in center field reading, “We Miss You Pete,” referring to Pete Rose. . . . Dennis Cook, the pitcher acquired by the Dodgers from Philadelphia for catcher Darrin Fletcher Thursday, will be used in the bullpen this weekend if needed. If not, he will start Monday or Tuesday in place of Mike Hartley, who should miss at least one start with a sore left side muscle. “It’s better since I first hurt it, but not much,” Hartley said of his side. “I don’t want to go out there at less than 100% and hurt the team.”

Cook said he didn’t care whether he started or relieved. “The only preference I have is to keep my name on the back of my uniform,” he said. Cook was born and lives in Dickinson, Tex., an hour southeast of Houston. Cook, who has been traded twice in 15 months, said: “It’s starting to feel weird--I’m beginning to think people don’t like me too much.” Cook has a 7.14 earned-run average in eight appearances against the Dodgers. At Dodger Stadium, he has an 11.81 ERA in four games. “That’s one of the nice things about this trade--I won’t have to face the Dodgers again,” Cook said.

Tim Belcher rejoined the Dodgers after having arthroscopic shoulder surgery Tuesday and announced that he felt good enough to pitch in six weeks. “I wish I had not been put on the 60-day disabled list,” Belcher said, half seriously. “Like I told Fred Claire (Dodger vice president), what happens if the World Series gets delayed like last year? Heck, I could have been ready to pitch if we are in it.” Belcher said his shoulder felt better within hours after doctors removed a floating piece of cartilage. He said he plans to begin throwing by the Dodgers’ workouts in January.