Dodgers Vent Anger by Pounding Phillies

The Dodgers are furious about being slapped with the harshest penalties in baseball history and determined to make someone pay.

The Philadelphia Phillies filled the role Friday night in the Dodgers’ 11-4 victory at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers took charge with a five-run sixth inning in their second game since 16 players, three coaches and an on-field assistant were suspended a total of 89 games and fined $77,000 for their roles in last week’s melee with fans at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

One victory won’t change the Dodgers’ mood--but it’s a start.

“This was big, no doubt about it,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “We need to put this thing behind us and concentrate on what we have to do.

“It’s kind of hard not to think about it, but I think everybody feels the same way. We need to get back on track, and this helps.”

The sixth inning provided the biggest boost.

Trailing, 4-3, the Dodgers sent 11 batters to the plate in support of starter Kevin Brown (4-1). Brown pitched seven innings--helping himself with a two-run single in the sixth--and overcame a rocky third inning before 37,048 to win for the second time in as many starts. Antonio Osuna finished with two scoreless innings.

“He was a little sluggish for him,” Johnson said of Brown, who gave up eight hits and four runs, three earned.

“His ball was up and it was a little flat, but he got tough after that fourth run. He pitched great after we got him close.”

Eric Karros tied the score at 4-4 with a two-out, run-scoring double in the momentum-shifting inning, and Adrian Beltre drove in Karros for the go-ahead run after the Phillies intentionally walked Todd Hundley. One couldn’t blame the Phillies for avoiding Hundley, who continued his impressive resurgence with the 11th multi-homer game of his career.

“We have to keep our focus with the Chicago thing going on,” said Hundley, who hit homers No. 13 and 14 and had four runs batted in. “Having the day off [Thursday] helped.”

Hundley’s pair of two-run blasts were among the highlights for the Dodgers, who improved to 26-19 by winning the first game of the three-game series. Kevin Elster’s seventh-inning solo blast also made the list.

Elster homered to center to cap the Dodgers’ three-run inning. Elster’s first homer--seventh overall--in almost a month gave the Dodgers an 11-4 lead.

The Dodgers needed a good game after the severe ruling and more turbulent times at Chavez Ravine. They learned before the game that the appeal process has been delayed, so the matter won’t be resolved soon. That’s fine with the Dodgers, who would rather focus on baseball anyway.

The Phillies (16-30) provided help in the sixth. Mark Grudzielanek reached first to open the inning on an error by third baseman Kevin Jordan, playing for injured starter Scott Rolen.

Karros sent the ball to deep right field against Philadelphia starter Paul Byrd (1-4). Karros thought the ball bounced off the railing in the right-field pavilion and should have been a homer, but first base umpire Greg Gibson disagreed with him and Johnson.

TV replays showed the ball appeared to bounce off the padding on the top of the wall and remained in play. After Byrd walked Hundley intentionally, Beltre put the Dodgers ahead for good with a single to center.