The Hits Just Keep Coming as Dodgers Have a Bat Day : Baseball: Snyder has three homers and seven RBIs as L.A. ends slump with 19-2 victory over Pirates.

Everything seemed to fall in place for the Dodgers on Sunday at Three Rivers Stadium--the soft liners, the four home runs and the five doubles, most hit with runners on base.

Cory Snyder had three home runs and seven runs batted in, which alone could have stopped the Dodgers’ four-game skid. Their 14 hits and a 10-1 lead after six innings also would have been more than sufficient. But a nine-run seventh followed, giving them a total of 21 hits and a 19-2 victory that ended the Pittsburgh Pirates’ six-game winning streak.

It was like no other game the team has played this season, or for 24 seasons. The last time the Dodgers scored 19 runs, against the San Francisco Giants in 1970. The team’s 21 hits were the most since 1988 when they had 22 against the Cincinnati Reds. The nine-run inning was the most since 1990 when they scored 10 against the St. Louis Cardinals. And Snyder’s three home runs were the most by a Dodger since 1974 when Davey Lopes had three against the Chicago Cubs.

“I would have to say it would be an understatement to say it was a very productive day,” Manager Tom Lasorda said.

Raul Mondesi nearly hit for the cycle, except for a double.

“If I would have gotten a base hit to center field, I was going to second anyway,” said Mondesi, whose three-run homer in the fourth inning was his first of the season.

“Now that I got the first homer, after that comes the second, the third, the fourth . . . “

It was a welcome victory for the Dodgers, whose 3-8 record had them on the verge of wrecking their lockers, the clubhouse walls or the water cooler.

“Nothing’s happened yet,” Kevin Gross said before the game, “But unless this turns around, something will happen. I can tell you I am sick of losing.”

Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said he was greatly disappointed, but was sticking with his players.

“When you look at our team, I believe in our young players, and those guys need to continue to play and be out there,” Claire said before the game. “We are not going to replace them, they are our players. We have supported them and believe in them.”

After a glaring blunder cost them a run in the first inning, Claire’s players came through. Snyder, starting at first base rather than Eric Karros, who is slumping, ignited things in the second inning with a two-run homer, his second hit in 12 at-bats since coming off the disabled list.

But Snyder’s second homer in the fifth inning was more impressive. After being brushed back by Steve Cooke (0-2), he went the opposite direction, hitting a homer over the right-field fence to put the Dodgers ahead, 9-1.

“There was one thing I changed in the batting cage this morning that I haven’t been doing, and I felt good going to the plate,” Snyder said. “I was coming up and out a little bit, and Reggie (Smith, hitting instructor) told me to drive the ball where it’s pitched.

“It seemed to work, so I might try it again tomorrow.”

Mike Piazza went two for four and scored a run and Tim Wallach extended his hitting streak to eight games with two doubles. The second scored two runs in the seventh to put the Dodgers ahead, 16-2. A three-run homer by Snyder followed shortly. Wallach, who was hitting .143 at the beginning of this trip, has batted .458 with 10 RBIs in six games to raise his average to .311.

Lasorda used 13 players, 10 of whom each had at least one hit. Only the three pitchers were shut out. Mitch Webster and Henry Rodriguez each got two hits, with Webster doubling and scoring three times.

“It’s just good to see us hitting the way we are capable of,” said Piazza, who is seven for 13 (.538) in the past three games. “Obviously we are hopeful it’s the start of a winning streak.”

Leading 10-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, Lasorda removed most of his regulars, and might have been a little antsy when the Pirates loaded the bases with one out against Tom Candiotti (3-0) in the bottom of the inning. But Candiotti got Brian Hunter to hit into a double play to end the inning.

For Candiotti, who last season had little offensive support from his teammates, the game was unbelievable. He left after giving up two runs and eight hits in six innings, saying that with the cold weather and large lead it was more important to rest than to go for a third complete-game victory.

“Somebody told me that the team scored more runs for me today than they did in 12 or 14 starts last season,” Candiotti said. “But they have been scoring for me this year. Last season, when I took the mound, I think everyone thought, well, Candy’s out there, we won’t score. But this season, I think the opposite is true. Now when I take the mound, they think they are going to score.”

Big Hits, Big Days

Three Home Runs By A Los Angeles Dodger

Date Player Opp. 4-21-59 Don Demeter SF 5-11-74 Jimmy Wynn at SD 8-20-74 Davey Lopes at Chi. 4-17-94 Cory Snyder at Pitt.

Most Runs In A Game By L.A. Dodgers

Date Score 6-28-69 Dodgers 19, San Diego 0 7-4-70 Dodgers 19, San Fran. 4 4-17-94 Dodgers 19, Pittsburgh 2