Karros Cleans Up After Knockdown : Dodgers: He drives in two runs in 3-1 victory over Padres, Valenzuela. Piazza injures thumb running bases.

Dodger first baseman Eric Karros never uttered a word, but as he lay sprawled in the dirt Tuesday night, he vowed revenge.

The retaliation came Wednesday afternoon in a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres, helping to offset a thumb injury suffered by catcher Mike Piazza and possibly affecting the major league future of Fernando Valenzuela.

Karros, who believes he was deliberately hit by a pitch Tuesday night, raised his league-leading batting average to .475, going three for four with a run-scoring single in the first inning and a home run in the ninth.

“He was the key,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “He changed the whole complexion of the game. He was sensational.”

Karros’ performance allowed the Dodgers to survive the loss of Piazza, who suffered a sprained thumb in the first inning, and hitless games by everyone else in the lineup but third baseman Garey Ingram.

Piazza stumbled while rounding first base on a single off the top of the right-field fence and braced his fall with his left hand. He stayed in the game and caught the first inning, but the pain forced him out in the second. His thumb was put in a splint, and he flew to Los Angeles for X-rays.

Perhaps, now more than ever, Karros’ role will be integral to the Dodgers’ success. If Piazza is put on the disabled list, Karros will be moved to the cleanup spot, and take out his frustrations on anyone else who dares to intentionally hit him.

“It was very gratifying, I’ll say that,” Karros said. “Whether that guy (reliever Bryce Florie) did it on purpose or not, I didn’t like it one bit.

“All I know is that it was pretty ironic that the one pitch that got away from him happened in that situation.”

The incident occurred after Piazza’s home run in the the eighth inning Tuesday of their 9-2 loss. The next pitch by Florie came toward Karros’ head. It hit Karros’ left elbow, knocking him to the ground.

“It was ironic that was his only wild pitch of the game,” Karros said. “I didn’t say anything, but believe me, I remembered.”

Florie and the Padres deny that it was a purpose pitch and quickly pointed out that Florie has walked nine batters in eight innings. Yet the Dodgers still were talking about it Wednesday morning and before batting practice had a closed-door team meeting.

The Dodgers were reminded to play aggressively, told to shrug off their play of the previous two nights and promptly knocked around an old friend.

Valenzuela, realizing he might have been pitching his final game for the Padres, was the victim of the Dodgers’ aggression. The Dodgers scored two first-inning runs and were within one hit of knocking Valenzuela out of the game right then.

“It was typical Fernando,” Karros said. “He’s the type of guy you think you’re going to rip, and then you can never hit him hard.”

Indeed, after the first inning, he looked like the Fernando of old. He became unhittable, retiring seven consecutive batters and giving up one other hit during his five-inning stint. He wound up yielding only four hits and two earned runs, and who knows, might have received a stay of termination.

The Padres refused to announce a decision on Valenzuela, who is 0-2 with a 6.14 earned-run average, but they still have to cut three pitchers by Monday’s deadline and said Valenzuela remains a candidate.

“I had a bad first inning,” Valenzuela said, “but after that, I kept my team in the game. I did my job. The numbers are right there.

“What can I say, it’s not my decision.”

Said Karros: “I’d be surprised if it was do or die. He threw the ball pretty damn good.”

Certainly, it could be a difficult decision for Padre General Manager Randy Smith, who didn’t want him in the first place. Valenzuela was brought onto the team as a gate attraction, but only a paid crowd of 12,860 was reported Wednesday at Jack Murphy Stadium. He has averaged a paid crowd of only 15,065 in three home starts.

“It was a nice experience pitching against him,” said Dodger starter Ramon Martinez (3-1), who gave up seven hits and one run in six innings. “He was one of the best pitchers in baseball. I (wish) him the best.”

San Diego scored its only run in the fifth inning on a two-out RBI double by Eddie Williams. Todd Worrell earned his second save in the ninth with a strikeout and a double-play grounder.