BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Cardinals Able to Run on Candiotti

Tom Candiotti has thrown only one wild pitch this season, but his knuckleball was responsible Wednesday when the St. Louis Cardinals stole a season-high five bases.

Milt Thompson stole twice, and Ozzie Smith, Bernard Gilkey and Geronimo Pena each swiped once.

The knuckleball, because it’s so slow coming to the plate, can help a team’s running game.

Mike Scioscia, who has thrown out seven of 42 potential base stealers, gained a measure of revenge when he stole his second base.

The Cardinals’ approach to Candiotti was different from other teams’ and could be the start of a trend. The Cardinals, instead of waiting to see what the knuckleball looked like, were swinging at the first pitch and had a quick run in the first inning on two singles before Candiotti settled down.

“I was really surprised,” Candiotti said. “Usually teams who haven’t seen me take, and take, and take. But these guys came out hacking, so I said, ‘Man, I better start making this knuckleball as nasty as I can.’ ”

After that first inning, the Cardinals hit only two balls to the outfield before Candiotti was relieved in the ninth.

John Candelaria seems unimpressed, but he is only 7 1/3 innings shy of his 2,500th inning.

“I didn’t save the ball from my no-hitter, I’m going to save that ball?” he asked.

Candelaria has given up only one run in 11 1/3 innings and has not allowed a run in his last 14 appearances. . . . The Dodgers have been as many as 6 1/2 games out of first place as late as Aug. 13 and still won the West Division title. That happened in 1983. But then, they were in second place at the time.