Cardinals Can’t Go Home Either

The cover of the Dodger media guide features the club’s four consecutive rookies of the year--Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi and Hideo Nomo.

Todd Hollandsworth could make it five in a row.

Hollandsworth, whose rookie baserunning mistake possibly cost the Dodgers a run the previous night in a shutout loss, went four for five with three singles and a triple as the Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 9-5, Saturday night before 44,548 at Dodger Stadium.

Hollandsworth also stole a base, scored twice and threw out the potential tying run at the plate to end the eighth inning as the Dodgers maintained a half-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.

Karros thinks Hollandsworth, who is batting .448 with a triple, four doubles, eight runs and one RBI on this homestand, should win the award.

“He’s definitely had the type of season that merits serious consideration for rookie of the year,” Karros said. “I think he should be rookie of the year just because he’s contributing to a club that’s fighting for a division.

“There’s a lot of pressure on him. He’s been asked to fill a role as a leadoff hitter and everyday left fielder, and that’s something that the other guys he’s competing against don’t have to do. They’re playing with no pressure and just going out there and trying to put up numbers.”

With runners on second and third and the Dodgers leading, 6-4, in the eighth, Ray Lankford singled to left off reliever Mark Guthrie to drive in pinch-hitter Dimitri Young. But Hollandsworth threw out Royce Clayton, who was trying to score from second.

However, it appeared from TV replays that the Dodgers, who were robbed of a run by home plate umpire Gary Darling’s controversial call in the ninth inning of Friday night’s 2-0 loss to the Cardinals, may have gotten a break from home plate umpire Charlie Reliford, because Clayton appeared to touch home plate before the ball arrived.

In any case, the Dodgers drilled three home runs to beat the Cardinals for the second time in three games.

Billy Ashley hit his fourth pinch-hit homer of the season when he belted a three-run shot off reliever Tony Fossas in the bottom of the eighth. It’s the most by a Dodger since Lee Lacy’s five in 1978.

Shortstop Greg Gagne, who came into the game batting .310 against the Cardinals, hit a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth and Piazza hit a two-run, two-out homer in the seventh.

Right fielder Mondesi brought the crowd to its feet with a sensational diving catch just inside the foul line to rob Clayton of a hit to open the seventh inning.

Leading, 6-2, the Dodgers tried to give it away in the eighth as the Cardinals scored three runs on three hits, a walk and an error by third baseman Tim Wallach.

But Hollandsworth threw out Clayton to preserve the lead.

Darling, who ejected Russell and Wallach after they disputed a run-scoring call at home Friday night, made another controversial call in the fifth inning Saturday night.

With the score tied, 1-1, Clayton tripled into the left-field corner to drive in Luis Alicea.

Russell argued that Clayton should have been sent back to second because of fan interference. A fan trying to grab the ball opened the door to the left-field box seats and the ball caromed off the door.

But Dodger starter Ramon Martinez struck out Lankford and Ron Gant to end the inning.