Dodgers Win Kid’s Game, 7-1 : Baseball: Strawberry rescues tot, Daniels delivers homer in victory for Belcher.

Amid an early season tainted with bad plays and boos, the Dodgers needed this one. On a cool, windy night at Dodger Stadium Thursday, they didn’t merely win a game, they warmed hearts.

Tim Belcher, throwing fastballs he hasn’t thrown since 1989, took care of the baseball end by allowing the San Francisco Giants only five hits in the Dodgers’ 7-1 victory before 38,501.

Darryl Strawberry added the human touch by rescuing a confused child who climbed out of the seats along the right-field line and ran to him in right-center field with two out in the eighth inning.

Strawberry bent over and spoke briefly to the tot. Then, accompanied by a thunderous ovation, Strawberry gently picked him up and carried him across the field.

He handed the boy to a guard waiting on the right-field foul line, waved goodby and ran back to his position.

“I turn around and there is this little boy looking at me,” Strawberry said. “I said, ‘What’s up, Bub?’ He just looked at me like he was in a daze. So I just picked him up and brought him back. What a cute little boy.”

Afterward Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda recalled the incident with a smile.

“I have never seen that before, ever,” Lasorda said. “Never seen a child run that far onto a field by himself and never seen an outfielder carry him back.

“That Strawberry, is he a good guy or what?”

Belcher was not so cute. Still settling a score with the Giants, who pounded him for five runs in one inning in his only start against them last season, Belcher beat them for the second time in 10 days.

Improving his record to 3-1, Belcher walked only one and struck out seven while his earned-run average actually increased to 0.91. In 15 2/3 innings against the Giants this year, Belcher has allowed one run and 10 hits.

“Yeah, I remember last year . . . what was it, six runs in one inning?” Belcher said. “Hopefully, I’m doing a little better now.”

You can excuse Belcher if he was a bit forgetful. Last year he pitched with a shoulder that was so sore, it required off-season surgery.

That operation seemed deeper in his memory Thursday when, according to catcher Mike Scoiscia, “The ball was just jumping out of Tim’s hand. He was throwing as hard as he’s ever thrown.”

In helping the Dodgers to their second consecutive victory--a season high--Belcher was aided by another player making a statement.

For the second consecutive game, Kal Daniels homered after Eddie Murray was intentionally walked. This time it was in the seventh inning with the Dodgers leading, 4-1, and two runners on base against starter and loser Bud Black.

Daniels stopped several feet down the first-base line for a moment and watched the ball land deep in the right-field seats. Black made his own statement by slamming his cap in front of the mound. Daniels earlier had an RBI grounder, giving him 10 runs batted in in two nights.

“I know I don’t usually stand there and watch my home runs, and I don’t want to show anybody up, but opposing managers had just walked a guy two nights in a row to pitch to me,” Daniels said. “For once, it just felt good to stand and watch.”

Belcher was also helped by a two-run homer from Juan Samuel, an RBI grounder by Jeff Hamilton and hustle by Strawberry.

In the first inning, with the Dodgers leading, 2-1, after Samuel’s team-leading fourth home run, Strawberry lofted a fly ball to shallow left field for an apparent single.

As left fielder Kevin Mitchell ran toward the ball, Strawberry steamed around first base and headed for second. Mitchell hurried a throw to second baseman Robby Thompson, but the ball arrived an instant too late.

From second base, Strawberry moved to third on a foul pop down the right-field line and scored on Hamilton’s grounder.

“I saw Mitchell coming up to the ball all nice and easy, and I want outfielders to know that if they do that to me this year, I’m running on them,” Strawberry said. “Something like that can inspire the team, and lately we’ve needed some inspiration.”