Piazza, Wallach Lift Dodgers Into First : Baseball: They each hit a home run and total seven runs batted in during 9-2 victory over Rockies.

They are in sole possession of first place in the National League West for the first time since Oct. 1, 1991.

They got there Monday night at Mile High Stadium, defeating the Colorado Rockies, 9-2, a victory that began with Mike Piazza’s two-run shot to left --yes, left field--and was enhanced by a three-run homer by Tim Wallach, all contributing to the Dodgers’ seventh consecutive victory.

Wallach had four runs batted in--his last a single in the sixth inning that scored Delino DeShields--and now has 1,000.

“I didn’t even know it was my 1,000th until somebody told me,” said Wallach, who is batting .310 with 33 RBIs. “If I would have set one goal, I would have set 1,000 RBIs. It’s nice.”

It took winning nine of their last 11 games and a loss by the San Francisco Giants Mondaynight for the Dodgers to regain a position they haven’t been in for more than two seasons.

“Has it been that long?” asked Manager Tom Lasorda, whose team stranded a season-high 13 runners. “We had 17 hits tonight--they stung the ball well. This is a great group of guys. What they lack in ability they make up for in desire and the will to win.”

The Dodger clubhouse after the game was the liveliest it has been in well, about two years, with Piazza and Wallach holding court for reporters, a scene that has become common.

“Geez, have an off-day,” Cory Snyder yelled to Wallach in jest.

Their hitting prowess didn’t escape Colorado starter Greg Harris (2-2), who gave up six runs and 10 hits before he was relieved in the fifth inning by Kent Bottenfield. “With Wallach swinging the bat so well, there’s no spot where you can look up and take a breath,” Harris said.

Seven of Piazza’s homers this season have been between center and right field--two to center, three to right and two to right center. But Piazza’s eighth, a two-run shot of 402 feet in the first inning, went deep into the left-field seats, putting the Dodgers ahead, 2-0. “I can’t explain that--every now and then I’ll hit (on) the barrel (of the bat),” said Piazza, who is batting .316 with a team-leading 34 RBIs.

“This team isn’t making too many mistakes, we aren’t giving too many runs away. Here, Harris walks me intentionally (in the fifth) and Tim hits the home run. You have to be strong one through nine to be successful. You can’t rely on one guy to carry the team.”

Piazza, who had three RBIs, also singled and doubled, the latter drive traveling about 400 feet to right-center.

But the direction of the home run was the biggest surprise.

“I guess I learned to hit the opposite way in high school, because the only fence was in right field,” Piazza said. “If I didn’t hit it over that fence, then I had to run. With my speed, I didn’t get a lot of inside-the-park home runs. It’s either that, or I’m just swinging late at everything.

“For some reason, I just let the pitch get in. I’m staying back and my hands are back, and I guess I have more of a natural inside-out swing. I’ll hit some balls to left, but I think of my (35) homers last season, only two or three went to left.”

While Piazza went to left, Wallach went as far right as possible, hitting his three-run homer in the fifth inning barely inside the foul pole, his 11th homer of the season.

“I don’t think I ever hit one out here in right field when I played here (in the minors),” Wallach said.

“ ‘87 was probably the last time I have been in (such a good groove), but it’s been so long, I can’t remember.”

The story has been written often lately of how Reggie Smith, the Dodger hitting instructor, has helped restore Wallach’s swing.

But Smith corrects those who say Wallach’s swing is back.

“We’re not trying to get back to where he was, but where he is supposed to be,” Smith said. “At this point in Tim’s career, he should be in his prime. A player’s peak years are between the ages of 29 and 34, so Tim (at 36) should still be at the top of his game. He’s a different person now, so his swing will differ also.

“When we looked at films (when he was swinging well), we did it merely to give him a reference point, not to take him back there.”

Despite giving up five walks, Ramon Martinez (2-2) held the Rockies to one run before Walt Weiss led off the seventh inning with a triple.

Martinez then left because of a stiff lower back, which trainers say appears to be OK, and was replaced by Jim Gott, whose wild pitch scored Weiss.