Piazza Does More Than Simply Play : Baseball: Catcher inspires and produces. Worrell sets franchise record with his 29th save in a 4-2 victory over the Giants.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda couldn’t get him off his mind. He went to bed thinking about catcher Mike Piazza. He woke up thinking about Piazza.

Then, he spent most of the day Wednesday praying for Piazza.

Something sure worked, because one hour before game time, there was bench coach Bill Russell scribbling Piazza’s name on the lineup card.

A few hours later there was Piazza providing the inspirational lift to the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants in front of a paid crowd of 34,624 at Dodger Stadium.

The victory enabled the Dodgers (71-63) to stay within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Colorado Rockies in the National League West, and one game ahead of the Houston Astros in the wild-card race.

Dodger starter Ramon Martinez won his 16th game and Todd Worrell set the Dodger franchise record with his 29th save--and received a champagne toast by his teammates--but who knows if it would have been possible without Piazza?

“[Piazza] was a big lift for us,” said left fielder Roberto Kelly, who homered in the seventh inning. “He could have gone up there without even swinging and it would have been a big lift.”

Certainly, Piazza’s role Wednesday proved critical in a game in which the Dodgers produced only five hits, including only three that were hit out of the infield.

Piazza produced the Dodgers’ first hit of the game in the fourth inning that helped trigger a three-run outburst in which the Giants did their best impersonation of the Dodgers’ defense.

Then, in the fifth inning, just when the Giants were making things interesting, Piazza squelched a rally by throwing out Barry Bonds at second base.

And he was the man calling the pitches during Martinez’s victory, tying him for the major league lead. Martinez, who has won nine of his last 11 decisions, yielded seven hits and two runs in eight innings.

“This is the good part of the game when you’re in a pennant race,” Martinez said. “It’s exciting and what I want.”

Yet, the stage belonged to Piazza, who left Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night with no idea whether he’d play again this season, much less return within 24 hours.

“He contributed even though he didn’t drive in any runs,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said, “or hit any out of the ballpark.”

Piazza was hit in the left wrist by Giant starter Mark Leiter while batting in the first inning Tuesday. The pain was severe, Piazza said, and the wrist became numb.

X-rays were negative, but when Piazza awoke Wednesday morning, he figured he’d be out at least a couple of days. If he could return by Friday, he’d consider himself fortunate.

Never did he believe that when he arrived early at Dodger Stadium, took a few treatments, would he be back in the lineup once again.

“This time of year,” Piazza said, “you have to make sacrifices. But at the same token, I wasn’t going to play just because it was the macho thing to do. I wasn’t going to go out there if I was going to hurt the team.”

Now, the season comes down to two teams and 10 games. The Dodgers play the Padres seven times and the Rockies three. The Rockies play the Giants eight times in their remaining 11 games.

And please, please, Baker wants to hear no further talk that they won’t be trying their hardest against the Rockies simply because of their hatred toward the Dodgers.

“It rubs me the wrong way,” Baker said, “because if anybody knows that I won’t lie down, it’s Lasorda.”

The Dodgers can attest that the Giants weren’t lying down against them. In fact, if not for the Giants’ defensive collapse in the fourth inning, the Dodgers would have been in real trouble.

Instead, Giant starter Terry Mulholland watched in horror as the Dodgers scored three runs in the fourth without hitting the ball out of the infield.

Mulholland issued a one-out walk to Chad Fonville, and then Piazza hit a slow dribbler down the third-base line for an infield single.

Eric Karros’ potential double-play ball to shortstop Royce Clayton only got one.

Mulholland looked as if he still would get out of the inning when Raul Mondesi hit a sharp bouncer to third baseman Matt Williams. But the ball bounced off Williams’ chest and into left. The error enabled Fonville to score, Karros to advance to third and Mondesi to second.

Delino DeShields then hit a bouncer to Carreon that appeared would end the inning, but Carreon’s toss to Mulholland covering first sailed into the dugout, allowing two more runs to score.

Worrell came in and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his record-setting save.

“I don’t mean to downplay it,” Worrell said, “but it’s just not a priority and the most important thing right now. My concern is winning this thing. We can’t give any more games away.”

* ROCKIES WIN: Bill Swift leads Colorado to 10-2 victory at San Diego. C5

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Batting Race

A look at how the battle between the Padres’ Tony Gwynn and the Dodgers’ Mike Piazza for the National League batting title is shaping up:

Player: Gwynn

AB: 498

H: 182

AVG: .365

(Wednesday: 1 for 3)

*

Player: Piazza

AB: 401

H: 143

AVG: .357

(Wednesday: 1 for 4)