Rain Stops Game, but Not Konerko

There are fewer concerns today, if there were many to begin with, about the Dodgers’ first-base situation. In fact, the bigger worry may become what to do with Eric Karros when he returns from knee surgery.

Paul Konerko might make that a problem in the coming weeks. He continued a torrid spring training, with two home runs and a single in an 8-1 victory over the Angels in a rain-shortened game called in the eighth inning Friday.

Konerko’s performance pleased half of the 39,541 at Edison Field and was a hint that Karros might not have to overdo that rehabilitation.

“I didn’t feel that good in [Florida],” Konerko said. “I haven’t hit that many home runs, or even hit the ball far. I just got two balls up tonight, and swung hard in case I hit it.

“You’ve got to keep telling yourself you belong here, you can do the job.”

Of course, the Dodgers had few doubts about that. They simply didn’t have a place for Konerko, the minor league player of the year last season. They have looked for a spot, any spot, for him in their already rookie-of-the-year-laden lineup.

Konerko has tried third base in the minors and was working in left field this spring before Karros was hurt. Karros is expected to be out six weeks. The way Konerko is hitting, he might not have to push it, although the rookie tried to downplay his evening.

“I got three hits in an exhibition games, let’s not get carried away,” Konerko said. “Until you do it during the season, it doesn’t really count. It’s good for me. The better I do, the more confidence I get for when it does count.”

Konerko, who was one for seven in six games with the Dodgers last September, had a bases-empty home run to left that tied the score, 1-1, in the fourth. In the fifth, he unloaded with a towering three-run homer that curved around the left-field foul pole.

He also had a single, giving him 14 hits in his last 34 at-bats. Konerko has four home runs and a team-high 19 runs batted in this spring.

“He hit two bombs,” Angel Manager Terry Collins said. “He obviously has good power. [Dodger coach] Joe Amalfitano told me he could hit. He’s a pretty good judge of talent and he’s probably right on.”

It wasn’t the only display of power Friday.

“I like the other guy who hit the home run,’ Collins said. “He’s pretty good too.”

That would be Mike Piazza, who launched an Allen Watson pitch well over the 395-foot sign in left field in the sixth. It was that kind of evening for Angel pitchers.

Chuck Finley started for the Angels and was knocked around for eight hits in five innings. He gave up both of Konerko’s home runs. Not exactly the type of final spring tune-up you want from your opening day starter.

Finley took the loss, his first in any game since June 27 last season. He had a 10-game winning streak interrupted when he broke a wrist during a game on Aug. 19.

Still, Finley did better than Watson, who followed. Watson, a starter who dislikes pitching in relief, showed why, as the first four Dodgers he faced got hits.

Piazza finished up by driving Watson’s low 1-0 pitch over a fence that has been moved back 10 feet this season. It might still be too close when Watson is pitching. He gave up a major league-high 37 home runs last season.

Dodger starter Ramon Martinez, meanwhile, looked sharp in a limited outing. He went two hitless innings, striking out two and walking one.

The Angels scored first, as Gary DiSarcina ripped a one-out double to left-center in the third. Darin Erstad followed and lined a pitch into center just over the head of pitcher Dennis Reyes, who had barely finished his follow-through when the ball whizzed past.

The rest of the game belonged to Konerko and Piazza.

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* PIAZZA TALKS STALL

Catcher, Dodgers far apart in negotiations for possibly the biggest contract in baseball history. C11