Dodger Bats Light Up Scoreboard, Rangers

Maybe it was a coincidence, but the Dodger Stadium scoreboard short-circuited after Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi hit consecutive sixth-inning home runs in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 54,179.

The scoreboard went blank after Karros, who took over the team lead in home runs (18) and RBIs (49), drilled a two-run homer off starter Julio Santana to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead.

“I’ve been swinging the bat well since June 1,” said Karros, who extended his hitting streak to seven games. “I started feeling better, and Reggie [Smith] and I looked at some tapes and we found some things and I was able to make an adjustment.”

Mondesi, who has 17 home runs, followed that with shot into the Dodger bullpen to chase Santana (3-4).

On a night when there was a postgame fireworks display, Mike Piazza, Karros and Mondesi provided the fireworks for the Dodgers, who won for the second time in three games to move to within six games of the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.

It was the second time this season and the eighth time in his career that Karros, who has hit nine home runs in his last 18 games, has hit two home runs in a game.

The Dodgers, who open a two-game series tonight at Anaheim Stadium, are 4-4 in interleague play.

Piazza, the leading National League vote-getter in fan balloting for the All-Star game for the second consecutive season, hit a one-out double in the sixth inning and Karros followed with his third home run in three games.

Karros had tied it, 2-2, with a two-out home run in the fourth inning.

Mondesi doubled into the right field corner after Karros’ first home run, but was thrown out by Juan Gonzalez when he tried to stretch it into a triple.

Left fielder Todd Hollandsworth, playing his second game after being recalled from Albuquerque, had two doubles and scored the Dodgers’ first run on starter Tom Candiotti’s a suicide squeeze bunt.

“I think that’s what they were hoping for when they sent me back to Albuquerque,” Hollandsworth said. “I felt pretty good up there tonight. I’m just trying to get my stroke back and be productive.”

Rookie second baseman Wilton Guerrero, who went hitless in four at-bats as his eight-game hitting ended, was removed from the game when he suffered a shoulder injury on a one-strike pitch in the seventh inning.

Guerrero re-injured his sprained left shoulder when he swung off balance. He was replaced by Tripp Cromer and is day to day.

Candiotti’s knuckleball wasn’t effective.

After giving up three home runs in his first 25 appearances, he gave up three to the Rangers in the first five innings.

Candiotti, who was scored on in only four of his 23 relief appearances, gave up a second-inning home run to Gonzalez, the 1996 American League MVP.

Gonzalez, who has hit 18 homers, belted a two-strike pitch into the left field bleachers.

Dean Palmer hit a leadoff home run in the fourth inning, driving a 3-and-1 pitch into the left field bleachers.

Ivan Rodriguez hit a leadoff home run in the fifth inning, and Candiotti was lifted for pinch-hitter Roger Cedeno in the bottom of the inning.

Darren Dreifort (3-0), who missed 32 games because of an elbow injury, pitched three innings of scoreless relief, giving up two hits with two strikeouts. He also got the second hit of his career.

Candiotti, who threw seven shutout innings at San Francisco in his first start, hasn’t been as effective in his last two starts.

“He threw 89 pitches in seven innings [in his first start] and he may have been a little stiff,” pitching coach Dave Wallace said. “It may take a few swings to get back in the swing.”

* Nothing Like It: Mike Piazza says he never gets tired of being an All-Star.