Dodgers Meet the Challenge, 6-2 : Baseball: Offerman makes two errors, but Belcher’s performance gets him off hook in victory over Giants.

The Dodgers overcame another monumental obstacle on their ever-shortening road toward the National League West championship Friday night.

No, it was not the opposing San Francisco Giants. No, it was not even the Atlanta Braves.

It was their rookie shortstop, Jose Offerman. He made two errors and another questionable play and still could not bring down his teammates, who charged to a 6-2 victory over the Giants before 48,085 at Dodger Stadium.

In remaining two games ahead of the victorious Braves with eight games remaining, the Dodgers were supported by Tim Belcher at his hard-nosed best, Juan Samuel at his early-season best and Kal Daniels at his late-inning best.

Belcher allowed two runs, one earned, struck out nine in eight innings. Samuel doubled, homered and completed two unassisted double plays. And Daniels added the exclamation point with a two-run home run in the eighth, his 17th.

But the Dodgers needed every bit of that, because Offerman had the sort of night that will cause club officials to begin seriously sweating over the recovery of Griffin’s sprained right knee.

In the first inning, Offerman made a good stop behind second base on a grounder by Willie McGee, but then threw it into the Giants’ dugout.

With one out in the sixth, he let a hard grounder bounce off his chest, allowing Matt Williams to reach first and load the bases. The play was originally ruled an error, but later changed to a hit.

Moments later, Offerman fielded Kevin Bass’ grounder behind second base, but then dropped it for a second error, allowing a run to score.

Offerman has made 10 errors in his last 22 starts, which explains why he had not started a game since Griffin returned from a cheekbone injury Sept. 1.

But with Griffin out indefinitely, the Dodgers wanted to play Offerman against left-handers while using Lenny Harris against right-handers.

Belcher, looking for only his third victory since the All-Star break despite one of the league’s best earned-run averages since then, brilliantly survived most problems Offerman caused.

He ended up lowering his ERA since Aug. 4 to 1.75. Against the Giants this season, he is 3-0 with an 0.55 ERA.

Belcher allowed an unearned run after Offerman’s error in the first, but was at his best after Offerman’s sixth-inning error allowed another run to score, retiring the side.

In the first, McGee took third on a wild pitch after Offerman’s error, then scored on Will Clark’s grounder.

In the sixth, with the Dodgers leading 3-1, Mike Felder led off with a single between first and second base. He was moved to second one out later on a single by Will Clark that bounced over first baseman Eddie Murray’s head.

With runners on first and second, Offerman then allowed the grounder by Williams to beat him in the chest, loading the bases.

This set up Bass’ grounder, which Offerman botched, allowing Felder to score while keeping the bases loaded with one out.

But Belcher toughened. He struck out Robby Thompson, then threw two quick strikes to pinch-hitter Tommy Herr.

Herr ended the inning by popping out to Offerman, who received many sarcastic cheers.

Belcher caused his own problems in the seventh, allowing a leadoff single to Dave Anderson and then a hit-and-run single by Felder one out later. But facing McGee, who was hitting .392 in 19 games before Friday, Belcher toughened again. McGee hit a grounder to Offerman, who successfully starts an inning-ending double play.

The Dodgers have not played well behind him--the 15 unearned runs scored when he pitched are the most against any starter. This has helped lead to just a 10-9 record, with just three wins since the All-Star break.

The Giants scored first on a run-scoring grounder by Will Clark in the first inning, but the Dodgers rebounded against San Francisco starter Bud Black with two runs in the second inning after Daniels and Samuel started the inning with a single and double.

After Offerman walked to load the bases, Belcher scored one run with a grounder. After Butler walk to reload the bases, another run scored when Jose Uribe botched Mike Sharperson’s grounder for the Giants’ lone error.

The Dodgers made it 3-1 in the fourth inning on Mike Scioscia’s seventh homer, but the Giants came back with a run in the sixth on Offerman’s second error and third questionable play.

Samuel’s 12th homer in the bottom of the sixth made it 4-2, eventually chasing Black, who will remember the Dodgers after his first National League season. He is 0-3 in four games against the Dodgers with a 4.67 ERA.

KEEPING PACE: Tom Glavine failed to win his 20th game, but the Atlanta Braves rallied to defeat the Houston Astros and remain two games behind the Dodgers. C6