King Crowns Dodgers

The Dodgers kept their intentions secret, but club officials acknowledged all along that their greatest desire this past winter was to acquire Jeff King of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

They wanted King desperately. They needed a power-hitting third baseman to replace Tim Wallach, and even tried to trade for him last August. They believed King would be the perfect fit.

King, who led the Pirates to a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers on Saturday night, never gave L.A. a chance. Just days before he was eligible to negotiate with teams as a free agent, he re-signed with the Pirates for $5 million over two years.

The Dodgers were left watching in anguish Saturday night at just what they missed out on in front of a paid crowd of 20,321 at Three Rivers Stadium.

King, showing his versatility by playing second base on this night, went four for four with three doubles, a bunt single and four runs driven in.

King, who on Tuesday became only the third player in major league history to hit two homers in the same inning twice in his career, is batting .296 with eight doubles, nine homers and 28 RBIs.

“I had heard the Dodgers and others teams were interested in me, and I knew they tried to trade for me last season,” King said. “But I wanted to stay here. I was signed by the Pirates, playing here all of my career, and the Pirates had stuck with me when I was struggling.

“It was more of a comfort thing than anything else.”

The Dodgers, meanwhile, are wondering if Mike Blowers will get comfortable. Blowers, whom the Dodgers acquired from the Seattle Mariners once King became unavailable, went hitless in four at-bats Saturday and is batting .192 with one homer and nine RBIs.

“He probably cost himself some money by staying here,” Pirate Manager Jim Leyland said of King. “I mean, the guy would be a star if he just opened his mouth. He’s so quiet. Certainly, he’s proven to be a great bargain right now.”

“You don’t hear much about him because of the team he plays for,” said losing pitcher Tom Candiotti (1-3), “but he’s a tough guy. He’s one of those guys that’s always consistent, and delivers in the clutch.”

King, voted by several Dodgers as the most underrated player in the National League in a recent informal survey, gave the Pirates a 4-1 lead with his fifth-inning double. And considering the way Paul Wagner was pitching, the Dodgers didn’t have a chance.

Wagner (4-2), who led the major leagues with 16 losses last season despite being limited to 26 starts, overwhelmed the Dodgers with his array of fastballs, sliders and forkballs. He finished his complete game with 11 strikeouts and even ended Dodger catcher Mike Piazza’s bid for a career-high hitting streak, stopping it at 16 games.

“They didn’t sit through 16 losses last year for nothing,” said Dodger first baseman Eric Karros, who failed to hit the ball out of the infield against Wagner. “The guy’s got a great arm. He’s just learning how to use it.”

Wagner, who leads the league with 52 strikeouts, yielded a run-scoring double to Chad Fonville in the third inning and allowed only one other baserunner to reach second base until Raul Mondesi’s solo homer in the ninth inning. Mondesi’s homer extends the Pirates’ streak to 18 consecutive games in which they have permitted a homer.

“I would say the biggest difference this season is upstairs,” said Wagner, pointing at his head. “I have a lot more confidence now. This team needs the W’s. The fans need the W’s. And I need the W’s.

“I was sick and tired of losing all of the time.”