Dodger 8-Ball in Pocket

The bulls were running in Pamplona, Spain, on Friday, goring the backsides of those fleeing frantically in front of them.

The San Francisco Giants know just how those victims feel.

Their march to the National League West title has suddenly taken on the feel of a frantic run. That hot breath on their necks and those flashing horns scraping their backs do not belong to the bulls of Pamplona, but the Dodgers of Los Angeles.

For the second night in a row, the Dodgers, led by a three-run homer off the bat of Todd Zeile and a solid pitching performance by Hideo Nomo, blasted the Giants at Dodger Stadium, 6-2, in front of 46,869.

With their eighth consecutive victory, the Dodgers gored another game out the Giants’ division lead, cutting it to four games. The Dodgers had trailed by eight when their streak began.

“We’re right back in it,” Manager Bill Russell said. “None of us felt we were eight games out. We know how good we are. All we’re trying to do is get something going.”

Dodger first baseman Eric Karros tried to put it all in perspective.

“It’s two games,” Karros said. “We need this series more than they do. I’d rather be in their position than ours.”

That’s the way Giant second baseman Jeff Kent feels as well.

“We need to be sharp in September and October,” Kent said. “We couldn’t care less about July. The Dodgers are playing their best baseball of the season.

“I’d be a little panicked [if I was them]. I say that in a very nice way. You want your team to peak in the stretch run, not now. This series is not a make-or-break situation for us. I will say the Dodgers are playing with confidence right now. You can see it in their style of play.”

Friday’s win followed an 11-0 Dodger victory Thursday. The team’s offense has been dominant throughout the streak, the Dodgers having outscored the opposition, 53-18, over the eight games.

They were at it again Friday with the heart of the order driving in all six runs in the fifth.

Nomo, who improved to 9-7, started off the key inning with a single to center. Brett Butler followed with a single to center of his own. Roger Cedeno then beat out a bunt, catcher Damon Berryhill looking too long at Nomo sliding into third to catch Cedeno at first.

Giant starter Keith Foulke (1-3) got two quick strikes on Mike Piazza, then threw four balls to force in the first run of the night.

Out came Foulke, replaced by Julian Tavarez. But the Dodgers were only warming up.

Karros hit a two-run single to left, giving him 19 RBIs in his last 14 games.

Tavarez struck out Raul Mondesi, but Zeile followed with his 17th home run, a blast over the 395-foot mark in center to give the Dodgers the cushion they needed to assure themselves of their longest winning streak since they put together 11 in a row in 1993.

It was a cushion the Dodgers were glad to have when the Giants finally awoke from their slumber that has enveloped them since they took off for the All-Star break.

Kent got his team on the scoreboard in the eighth inning, hitting his 19th home run and collecting his 65th run batted in. Each of those figures tied a Giant record for second baseman, set by Robby Thompson.

But the only record these Giants are concerned with is their won-loss record in the face of this Dodger charge.

The Giants took one final run at the Dodgers in the ninth inning. Nomo had departed after eight, having allowed only Kent to cross the plate.

Nomo gave up nine hits, struck out seven and walked two. He threw 115 pitches, 78 for strikes.

However, Dodger reliever Mark Guthrie was shaky in the ninth. He gave up singles to Darryl Hamilton and Jose Vizcaino, then threw a wild pitch that put runners at second and third with one out. A walk to Stan Javier loaded the bases and brought Scott Radinsky to the mound.

For an instant, the Giants were back in the game, the bases loaded and Barry Bonds at the plate.

But the Bonds of 1997 hardly resembles the slugger who collected three NL most-valuable-player awards. He entered the game batting .276 and was 0 for 3 with an intentional walk when he stepped up to face Radinsky.

The Dodger left-hander got Bonds to ground to first, a run coming across.

Russell then went to his closer, Todd Worrell, who closed out the Giants by getting Kent to hit a foul ball down the right-field line. Mondesi caught up with it just before running out of room.

The bulls have stopped running in Pamplona. But in Los Angeles, they may be just getting started.