Offerman Gets a Good Seat for the Stretch Run : Dodgers: Shortstop loses starting job to Fonville. Piazza hits two homers in 11-2 victory over Pirates.

It’s called a pennant stretch, the time of the baseball season when tensions are high, tempers are short, and harsh, unpopular decisions must be made.

It’s no time to worry about hurt feelings, fragile egos or a player’s future in the organization.

Before the Dodgers’ 11-2 victory Saturday over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium, Manager Tom Lasorda broke the news to all-star shortstop Jose Offerman.

Offerman will be benched until further notice.

Rookie Chad Fonville, whom the Dodgers project to be their everyday second baseman in 1996, is now the official starting shortstop.

Offerman angrily took the news and said that he probably will request a trade at the end of the season. If Offerman is traded or simply not offered arbitration, it would end his eight-year tenure in the organization and leave the Dodgers searching for a shortstop for the first time since 1991.

The Dodgers, who have won five of their last six games and remain percentage points behind the Colorado Rockies, are sympathetic, but they are sticking with Fonville.

“At this stage of the season you’ve got to find the best players at every position,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president. “Very frankly, at this stage, nothing else matters and everybody is fully aware of that.

“At all times, it’s a team game, but now more than ever it’s one collective effort.

“The fact is that Chad has played his way into the lineup and nobody in the world can dispute that. He has really helped ignite this team.”

Catcher Mike Piazza, who hit two two-run homers Saturday, said that Fonville was indirectly responsible. Fonville was on base both times with infield hits, forcing the Pirates to throw fastballs, and each time Piazza homered to right field.

“He makes all of the difference in the world,” said Piazza, who raised his average to .359. “He gets on base for you, and he puts pressure on the defense. It’s tough to call off-speed pitches when he’s on first.”

Starter Kevin Tapani (3-2) gave up only six hits in eight innings.

Fonville, who never played above Class A until this season, reached base four times in the game, going two for three with two walks. He’s batting .328 in his last 33 games and has 32 infield hits.

Considering the way he loves artificial turf, perhaps he can take owner Peter O’Malley aside and talk him into converting Dodger Stadium.

“I ain’t that big yet,” Fonville said. “I haven’t been around long enough.”

Yet, he has been around long enough to move second baseman Delino DeShields out of the lineup for one month, left fielder Roberto Kelly out of the lineup for two weeks, and now Offerman.

The Dodgers are sending Fonville to the Arizona Fall League in October to play second base every day with all intents of giving him the opportunity to win the starting job in 1996.

Offerman was summoned into Lasorda’s office, along with coaches Bill Russell and Manny Mota, when he was told the news. He is batting .286 this season--nearly 40 points higher than his career average. Yet, he also has made a league-high 35 errors.

Can he really be that surprised by the decision?

“When you have a manager like this guy,” Offerman said, “you can never be safe. You have to do well all of the time.

“The hard part is understanding why. I thought I was doing OK, all year long.”

Said Lasorda: “It wasn’t an easy decision, but I’m playing Fonville because he’s doing a good job and we’re winning. I don’t expect [Offerman] to be happy about it. What are you going to do?”

Offerman was most upset with the decision, he said, because he was the one who pulled himself out of the lineup in the first place Sept. 2 because of a sore right shoulder. Now that he has recovered, his job has been filled.

“It’s hard when you take yourself out of the lineup because you can’t tolerate the pain,” Offerman said, “and then you come back and the manager says, ‘You lost your job. You’re a bench player.’

“Right now, I’m mad more than anything.”