Wait Is Over: Nomo Earns First Victory : Baseball: After six tries, Japanese pitcher wins, 2-1, after giving up only two hits against Mets.

After registering five consecutive no-decisions and a loss in his first six starts, Dodger pitcher Hideo Nomo won his first game of the season Friday night as the Dodgers beat the New York Mets, 2-1, before an announced crowd of 31,002 at Dodger Stadium.

Nomo was carrying a bottle of champagne when he entered the Dodger clubhouse after the game, and he deserved it after giving up two hits--Bobby Bonilla’s leadoff homer in the second and a single to Bonilla in the sixth--before he was removed in the ninth inning.

Nomo was elated.

“I’m very happy and I’m very glad,” Nomo said through an interpreter after the game.

Asked if he was tired when he was removed from the game, Nomo said, “I can’t say that I was really tired.”

Nomo, who began the game with 49 strikeouts, tops in the league, struck out six before he was lifted for reliever Todd Worrell after walking first baseman Rico Brogna to open the ninth.

The crowd booed when pitching coach Dave Wallace took Nomo out of the game, but Nomo, who hadn’t pitched more than seven innings in a game this season, looked as though he was beginning to tire after walking Brogna on a 3-2 count.

Worrell struck out Bonilla on a called third strike and got second baseman Jeff Kent to fly out to deep center field before he hit catcher Todd Hundley in the left foot.

However, second baseman Delino DeShields came up with a game-saving play, making a diving stop on pinch-hitter David Segui’s grounder into the hole. DeShields threw out Segui from his knees as Worrell earned his fifth save.

The crowd began chanting for Nomo after the game and he obliged by coming out of the dugout to tip his cap.

Catcher Tom Prince, who drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a double, said Nomo, who threw 123 pitches, 70 for strikes, had good control.

“He was outstanding,” Prince said. “He moved the ball around, and his forkball was working. He made some big pitches.”

Nomo, who walked 25 batters in his first six games, the second highest total in the National League, walked only three batters Friday night.

“I’m sure [registering his first victory] was in the back of his mind,” Prince said. “He’s pitched great this season; it’s not like he’s been out of any game. But I’m sure this was special for him.”

Dodger first baseman Eric Karros extended his hitting streak to 17 games by sending a 3-2 pitch into the left-field pavilion with one out in the sixth inning off Met starter Bret Saberhagen.

Karros presented Nomo with the game ball after the game.

“I was surprised because it was something that I was not expecting,” Nomo said.

Karros, who flied out to right and popped out to left in his first two at-bats, drilled his ninth home run of the season to break a 1-1 tie and give Nomo his first major league victory.

“I’m looking for some Japanese commercials, probably tomorrow,” Karros quipped. “It was good for Nomo to pitch like that and to get his first victory.”

Karros downplayed his hitting streak.

“Unless you’re hitting in 57 [consecutive games], it’s all irrelevant,” Karros said. “It doesn’t mean anything as long as we’re winning games and getting back to where we should be.”

Dodger third baseman Tim Wallach went three for three as the Dodgers won their third consecutive game.

Nomo struggled only twice before leaving in the ninth.

He got into a jam in the fourth inning when he walked Bonilla, who advanced to second on a wild pitch then to third on a balk. But Nomo struck out right fielder Ryan Thompson to end the inning.