Dodgers Deny the Phillies : Baseball: Three-run double by DeShields in ninth inning gives Los Angeles a 4-3 victory.

Delino DeShields’ most glorious moment as a Dodger came Thursday night at Dodger Stadium when, with his team trailing in the ninth inning, 3-1, he doubled into the gap in left-center field for a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

As he pulled into second base, the celebration had begun at home plate, and he stood and raised his arms. For the usually reserved DeShields, this was a huge emotional display. “Every now and then a little basketball comes out of me,” he said.

Third base coach Joey Amalfitano was the first to reach him, and then the rest of his Dodger teammates followed. At one point, they tried to hoist him, to display him to a crowd of 31,295, which stood in applause. For the Dodgers, it was their 20th comeback victory of the season. But for DeShields, it was his first big hit, his first major contribution since being traded to the Dodgers before the season started.

“That’s the guy,” Manager Tom Lasorda said. “Since he has come back (off the disabled list), he is the Delino of the Montreal Expos.”

Since returning on June 20, DeShields is batting .368 and has a nine-game hitting streak. He had struggled Thursday night, though, striking out in the seventh inning with runners on second and third and the Dodgers trailing, 2-1.

His ninth-inning double against Phillie closer Doug Jones came with one out and the bases loaded. It gave the Dodgers their fifth victory in six games. And for DeShields, who has endured a season of disappointing injuries, nothing could have been sweeter.

“I’ve been waiting to get a big hit like that,” he said. “You feel good with any kind of hit, but I was fortunate to get a second chance. . . . It’s getting close (to playing the way I used to). I don’t want to blow my own horn. I just want to go out and do something every day.”

After being held to three hits through eight innings, the Dodgers got three consecutive singles against Jones. With one out, pinch-hitter Jeff Treadway singled to right and pinch-hitter Dave Hansen grounded a singled to center before Brett Butler grounded deep behind first base. Second baseman Mickey Morandini got to the ball, but no one was covering first base.

Jones (2-2), who had converted 20 of 21 save opportunities, had a 1-and-2 count on DeShields when he threw him a fastball.

“It was a good pitch, but sometimes it happens that way,” DeShields said.

On the night the Dodgers honored their former ace, Fernando Valenzuela, it seemed appropriate that the game to follow would turn into a pitcher’s duel. Against starter Bobby Munoz, the Dodgers’ only run before the ninth came in the second inning, when Raul Mondesi hit an 0-1 pitch into the right-field bullpen for his 13th home run.

Dodger starter Pedro Astacio issued only one walk during his seven innings, but it came back to hurt him. In the fourth inning, Astacio walked John Kruk before Jim Eisenreich homered to right, giving the Phillies a 2-1 lead. Astacio pitched well, giving up only five hits and two earned runs.

He left after seven innings with the Phillies leading, 2-1, giving way to three relievers. Rudy Seanez, brought in to pitch the ninth, helped the Phillies score their final run with a wild pitch that put Billy Hatcher on third. Kevin Stocker laid down a bunt that Seanez had no chance on. He stumbled while trying to field it, and Hatcher scored.

Munoz, who came to the Phillies as part of a trade for Terry Mulholland, held the Dodgers to three hits in seven innings but gave the Dodgers some scoring opportunities, walking the bases loaded in the fourth inning and putting two more on with walks in the seventh, but the Dodgers didn’t capitalize.