Hansen’s Slam Powers Dodgers : Baseball: His pinch homer with two out in the ninth inning pins a 4-0 loss on the Giants.

It was a game filled with the drama of the Dodger teams of the mid-1960s, or in San Francisco Giant Manager Dusty Baker’s case, his Dodger teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when pitching and defense kept you in the game until somebody got a break.

Monday night, the pitching came from Tom Candiotti and the Giants’ Bud Black, who helped keep the game scoreless through nine innings.

And when the Dodgers broke away, they did it in grand style.

Dave Hansen, pinch-hitting in the bottom of the ninth, hit reliever Mike Jackson’s first pitch into the right-field seats barely left of the foul pole for a two-out grand slam to give the Dodgers a 4-0 victory over the Giants at Dodger Stadium.

It was the Dodgers’ first grand slam since Sept. 4, 1992, when Todd Benzinger hit one at Pittsburgh, and it spoiled Baker’s managerial homecoming at Dodger Stadium.

Hansen, making his 25th pinch-hit appearance, batted for Mike Sharperson after the Dodgers had loaded the bases on two walks, a single by Eric Karros and a sacrifice bunt by Cory Snyder. Hansen gave the Dodgers three victories in four games this season against the Giants.

“I have only had one at-bat against this guy and I was just trying to be aggressive,” Hansen said. “He got it down and in, and I hit it hard. The key for a pinch-hitter is to be aggressive and to hit it hard somewhere.”

The Dodgers ran on the field and hugged Hansen in jubilation. Hansen, who played a major role in the game that started the Dodgers’ 11-game winning streak May 17, acknowledged the standing ovation from the crowd of 44,514 by tipping his hat.

“We knew this is going to be a big series and I don’t think the guys were letting down at any point,” said Hansen, who is five for five with one walk in his last six pinch-hit appearances.

“It was a real pitcher’s duel to come in and win like this. Hopefully it will give us momentum the rest of the series. “

Black held the Dodgers to three hits through seven innings and Candiotti left the game after eight innings, after giving up only six hits, striking out seven and walking three. Pedro Martinez (4-2) pitched the ninth inning for the victory.

It was more of the same for Candiotti, who has a 1.80 earned-run average since his complete-game victory May 31 against St. Louis, has only a loss and four no-decisions to show for it.

“Sometimes it’s moving like crazy--it’s tough to hit, I know that,” Candiotti said of his knuckleball.

Mike Piazza should know it. After not catching Candiotti since he had four passed balls during a game in San Diego on June 12, Piazza caught everything Candiotti fluttered, and added to it by throwing out Barry Bonds trying to steal second base in the eighth inning.

The Giants are known for offense, but Baker credits the team’s defense and pitching. “It’s just like the team I played on here (with the Dodgers),” Baker said. “We could beat you 1-0, 2-1 or 8-0.”

The Dodgers are now 10 1/2 games out of first place.

“We are in a position right now where the games are more important to us,” Manager Tom Lasorda said. “They are not important to (the Giants). We have got to make a move, and hopefully this is a start.”

Said center fielder Brett Butler: “I think the victory (gives us) cautious confidence more than momentum. We are still 10 1/2 games out and trying to catch them. They are in first place and they are the guys we have to beat if we are going to be in contention.”

For Hansen, who has made only one start this season, the victory represented a personal best.

“This is definitely my biggest thrill in a baseball uniform,” he said. “It’s really at a high right now.”