Dodgers Mesh in 5-2 Victory

New Manager Glenn Hoffman has challenged the Dodgers to be all they can be--or at least better than they have been.

Hoffman is trying different combinations to help his team find a winning formula, and his plan worked Friday night in a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates before a sellout crowd of 52,934 at Dodger Stadium.

Starter Chan Ho Park (6-5) rebounded from the worst performance of his major league career in his previous outing by pitching 6 2/3 good-enough innings. Shaky reliever Scott Radinsky pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and new closer Antonio Osuna pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save in as many opportunities.

And the Dodgers received big contributions from their youngest members in winning for only the second time in seven games. Rookie infielder-outfielder Paul Konerko hit a two-run home run in the second inning and rookie third baseman Adrian Beltre broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth with a one-out, run-scoring single.

Beltre also continued to impress at third in only his third game, starting a double play in the third and displaying eye-opening range while making several nifty plays. The Dodgers remained 13 1/2 games behind the National League West-leading San Diego Padres, but one couldn’t tell by observing the wide grin that creased Hoffman’s face after the game.

Hoffman had something to feel good about, which hasn’t happened often with the Dodgers these days.

“We got a win, and that always makes you feel good,” said Hoffman, whose team is 38-41. “I got a lot of guys in the game, and we got contributions from everyone.

“This is what we need from these guys, and the plan really mapped out well tonight. Chan Ho’s effort was especially big, because he kept us in the game, although it wasn’t easy.”

Park wasn’t particularly sharp against the Pirates, giving up 10 hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four with a walk while throwing 120 pitches, 78 strikes.

But he was a lot better than in his most recent start Sunday.

He was charged with 10 runs--the most he has given up in a game during his three-year career--in 5 1/3 innings against the Rockies in Denver. The Dodgers were humiliated in an 11-6 loss, and ended their pivotal six-game trip against National League West opponents 2-4.

On Friday, Park was determined to do better.

Leading, 1-0, with none out in the second, the Pirates loaded the bases and had a chance to break the game open. But Pittsburgh failed to score, and Park settled down.

“After my last game, I just told myself to throw strikes [with runners on base] and see what happens,” said Park, who lowered his earned-run average to 5.17. “I wasn’t aggressive enough in my last game, so I just told myself to be more aggressive.”

Konerko is doing the same.

In the second, Eric Karros singled to open the inning and scored on Konerko’s fourth homer--all in June--since being recalled from triple-A Albuquerque on May 22.

On a 1-and-0 count against Pittsburgh starter Esteban Loaiza (5-4), Konerko hit a shot into the left-field pavilion to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

And it provided another shot in the arm for the rookie. After Friday’s game, Konerko, who also singled and scored on Beltre’s hit in the fourth and walked in the fifth, is batting .293 (17 for 58) with 12 RBIs this month.

“I was trying to find reasons for everything when I was up [with the Dodgers] before,” said Konerko, who started in left Friday. “But you can’t do that in baseball. You just have to accept that things happen in this game, and that’s it. If you don’t, you’ll go crazy.”

And there’s already enough of that with the Dodgers.