Hot Gott Cools Off Hot Reds : Baseball: Dodger reliever stays on streak, shutting down Cincinnati in 7-4 victory.

It has taken him him more than 100 games and elbow rehabilitation that seemed to last forever.

But two years after returning to play major-league baseball near his hometown of San Marino, Jim Gott finally feels at home.

Once known for being the most optimistic person in the Dodger bullpen, Gott has become its most important pitcher.

Thursday night, Gott shut down the National League’s hottest team, the Cincinnati Reds, in the Dodgers’ 7-4 victory.

Before 30,183 at Dodger Stadium, Gott and the Reds collided head-on in the seventh inning. There was one out, runners were on first and third and the Dodgers were clinging to a one-run lead.

Gott struck out Barry Larkin and induced Paul O’Neill into a inning-ending force play, then retired the Reds in order in the eighth inning.

After the Dodgers added two more runs in their half of the eighth on Mike Sharperson’s second double of the game, Roger McDowell pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save.

“Jim Gott is the in the same kind of groove that Michael Jordan was in the other night,” said winning pitcher Orel Hershiser. “Any where he wants to put the ball, that’s where it seems to go. McDowell got the save, but the save really came a little earlier.”

The late-inning heroics gave the Dodgers their seventh victory in nine games while the Reds lost for only the second time in 10 games. Manager Tom Lasorda also gained his 1,300th victory.

But the big news Thursday night was the pitching of Gott, who has a 1.61 earned-run average with 29 strikeouts and eight walks.

Gott has not allowed an earned run in his last seven appearances covering 12 2/3 innings. During that time he has struck out 16.

“I feel as good as I felt in 1988,” Gott said last week, referring to a season in which he had 34 saves for the Pittsburgh Pirates before elbow problems. “It’s just a matter of everything finally coming together. I feel as strong as I ever have.”

Said Mike Scioscia: “Jim has been a streaky pitcher, and he’s in one of those great streaks.”

While Gott and McDowell combined to preserve Hershiser’s third consecutive victory, Scioscia came up with his third triple in five years, a line drive that drove in two runs and broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning.

“This team has had its nose up against the wall every day, every day,” Scioscia said. “We’ve all worked so hard since spring training. What is happening now is that you’re seeing a team emerge.”

Hershiser, who has won six of his last eight starts against the Reds, allowed a run in the sixth on O’Neill’s run-scoring single to make it 5-2.

Then Hershiser started the seventh by allowing a one-out single to Joe Oliver before walking pinch-hitter Bill Doran. After Bip Roberts singled in a run, Hershiser was replaced by John Candelaria.

Darnell Coles, another pinch-hitter, quickly brought the Reds to within 5-4 with another single to right field. It was only the second hit by a right-hander against Candelaria in 18 at-bats this season.

But then Gott relieved Candelaria and the threat ended, helping Hershiser improve his record to 5-3 after he allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings.

“Like I said before, the bullpen is going to make or break us,” Scioscia said. “Right now, it’s making us.”

Tom Browning, who has struggled since his postseason heroics for the Reds in 1990, did not fool many Dodgers, allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings.

The Reds had taken a 1-0 lead against Hershiser in the fourth on a run-scoring grounder by Chris Sabo.

The Dodgers countered with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning that included a bunt single, a walk, an infield single, a fly ball and a triple.

With one out against Browning, Mitch Webster bunted for a single. Eric Karros walked and Todd Benzinger hit a grounder between third base and shortstop to load the bases.

Dave Anderson, who had four runs batted in in his last five games after not driving in any runs in his first 12 games, hit a fly ball to center field to score one run.

Scioscia, who had one hit in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position and two out, then He lined a triple down the right-field line to score Karros and Benzinger.

The Dodgers resumed the charge in the fifth inning when Butler singled to left field with one out and Sharperson followed with a double down the left-field line, putting runners on second and third.

Webster was walked intentionally to load the bases for Karros, who had hits in 11 of his last 13 games. The rookie lined a 2-and-1 pitch over shortstop Larkin’s head for a single to score a run. It was Karros’ 20th RBI, one short of the team high.

Benzinger, who had five hits in his previous six at-bats, then hit a grounder to third base that could have turned into a double play. But Benzinger beat the relay from second baseman Roberts to first base, Sharperson scoring the Dodgers’ fifth run.