They Find Delight in Piazza : Dodgers: He gets curtain call from crowd of 51,015 as his second grand slam fuels a 7-3 victory over the Rockies.

It doesn’t happen often for Mike Piazza, so accustomed to his exceptional talent has the home crowd become. The last time he had been called out of the Dodger dugout for a curtain call was the final game of last season, not only in appreciation for an exceptional game, but for an incredible season.

Sunday, before 51,015 at Dodger Stadium, Piazza hit his second grand slam of the season and had five runs batted in during the Dodgers’ 7-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies, and he was recognized for it. He is the first Dodger since Todd Benzinger in 1992 to hit two grand slams in a season. The most any Dodger, Brooklyn or L.A., has hit in a season is three, which Kal Daniels did in 1990.

“I think it was the first time this year,” Piazza said of his curtain call. “It was nice, exciting.”

Skeptics wondered if Piazza could repeat his rookie-of-the-year performance this season, and when he got off to a slow start the first two weeks, the talk increased. But Piazza, even more patient and mature than last season, proved that he is for real.

“I don’t want to change anything,” said Piazza, who is batting .343 with 15 home runs through 68 games. His 65 RBIs share the National League lead with Houston’s Jeff Bagwell.

Piazza, batting against reliever Kent Bottenfield in the seventh inning, sent a 1-and-2 fastball about 10 rows up in the upper section of the left-field pavilion. It was the second grand slam of his career and the third time in his career he has had five RBIs in a game. “They were pitching me inside all day, a lot of teams do, but sooner or later they will make a mistake and I have to be ready and basically that’s what happened,” Piazza said. “It helps to go up to the plate with guys on base, because they have to come to you and it makes you more patient.”

Colorado starter Kevin Ritz (1-4) held the Dodgers hitless until the fourth inning, when Tim Wallach singled to center. Ritz retired the next five until, in the sixth inning, the Dodgers got five consecutive hits, including a run-scoring single by Piazza and a two-run double by Henry Rodriguez. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the seventh on a single by starter Pedro Astacio and two walks before Ritz was relieved by Bottenfield with Piazza at bat.

“Piazza’s not that good, he doesn’t swing the bat that well and he is slow behind the plate,” Brett Butler, who has a seven-game hitting streak, said sarcastically. “You know, everybody talks about Ken Griffey being the best player in the game. Well, I have never seen anybody who hits the ball as hard and as far as Mike Piazza.”

Meanwhile, Astacio (5-5), who began the game by walking leadoff batter Eric Young and giving up a single to Walt Weiss, didn’t give up another hit until the seventh, when Andres Galarraga singled and moved to second when Charlie Hayes’ grounder bounced off Jose Offerman’s glove for an error. A second fielding error by Offerman enabled Galarraga to score the Rockies’ first run. They scored two more against Astacio in the ninth, one on a throwing error by Raul Mondesi, before Todd Worrell came in and retired the final two batters. Astacio has given up one earned run in his last 17 1/3 innings.

After losing six consecutive games to the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, dating to last season, the Dodgers were relieved to put this victory away. The first two games of the series, they were pummeled by the Rockies, who had 33 hits, 10 for extra bases, and scored 22 runs.

“We needed this. . . . The last couple of nights have been awful for us, “ said Rodriguez, who batted .438 with two doubles and five runs batted in during the six-game home stand.

Piazza’s first grand slam was hit June 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium, a 477-foot shot to center field that was the longest ever hit at the stadium. Of all the home runs in the major leagues this season, it ranks third in length.

His power notwithstanding, a key for Piazza is his poise and patience at the plate, a trait not usually found so consistently in a young player. But he had it last season, when, after a brief slow start, he went on to enjoy one of the most celebrated rookie seasons ever in baseball. Does this season remind him of where he was a year ago?

“I can’t remember back that far,” he said, smiling.