Karros Carries His Share

Eric Karros is back.

OK, don’t use that word in connection with the Dodger first baseman.

His back, as a matter of fact, is killing him.

Everybody around the Dodgers knows, but will only whisper about it. However, whispers turned to screams with two out in the 10th inning Sunday when Karros bounced a single to left field to score Gary Sheffield with the decisive run in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium.

The win before 51,327 ended a 10-game homestand on a high note and kept the Dodgers in first place in the National League West on a day the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants won.

“I’ve never gone through anything like this in my career, but [Manager Jim] Tracy keeps throwing me out there and giving me an opportunity,” said Karros.

“It was a good win emotionally for us.”

When Karros stepped to the plate against Tom Gordon, he was 0 for 4 in the game, four for 31 during the homestand and batting .240 on the season. Sheffield was on second after a double and Shawn Green was on first after an intentional walk, his second of the game.

Clearly, the Cubs were willing to take their chances with Karros.

“He’s killed me so many times before with a lot better numbers,” Cub Manager Don Baylor said. “But he just doesn’t look 100%.”

Production from Karros will be crucial to Dodger fortunes down the stretch. Until he gets healthy, the offense must continue to scratch for runs.

But as long as the pitching and defense are as solid as they were in winning two of three from the Central Division-leading Cubs, it might not matter.

The Dodgers made no errors in the series and gave up only five runs.

“This game had a playoff-type atmosphere to it,” Tracy said.

And playoff-like drama. The Dodgers nearly won in nine innings, but Sammy Sosa hit his 37th home run against Jeff Shaw with two out in the ninth.

Terry Mulholland, the Dodgers’ sixth pitcher, got through the 10th unscathed for his first victory since the Dodgers acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 31.

Shaw might not have faced Sosa had Dodger set-up men been more economical in the eighth. Left-handed Jesse Orosco gave up a single to Fred McGriff to lead off the inning and gave way to Matt Herges, who walked Michael Tucker and hit pinch-hitter Ricky Gutierrez before getting out of the jam.

Eric Gagne gave up only one run in 6 2/3 innings. The right-hander has pitched well since getting recalled from triple-A Las Vegas in early July, lasting at least six innings in each of his six starts.

“I’m just concentrating on giving quality performances,” he said. “It’s not about me, me, me. Everybody is picking it up.”

The Dodgers scored in the third and fourth innings against Jon Lieber, an All-Star who is second in the National League in victories with 14.

Paul Lo Duca hit a ground-rule double down the left-field line with two out in the third, advanced to third on a single by Mark Grudzielanek and scored on a ground-rule double by Sheffield that barely cleared the glove of left fielder Delino DeShields.

Green was walked intentionally to load the bases, but Karros, offering no foreshadowing of his extra-inning heroics to come, struck out.

Marquis Grissom led off the fourth with a home run to left-center, his 17th. The Dodger center fielder began the game 12 for 25 against Lieber, and was two for three Sunday.

“He’s an aggressive pitcher and I’m an aggressive hitter,” Grissom said.

“He left it up and out over the plate and I made solid contact.”

Gagne sailed through five scoreless innings, running into trouble only in the second when second baseman Grudzielanek saved two runs by diving for a ground ball up the middle by Lieber with two out and the bases loaded.

The Cubs finally scored in the sixth. Sosa led off with a broken-bat single to left and with one out advanced to third on a single by Ron Coomer. Michael Tucker hit what appeared to be a double-play ground ball to second, but he beat shortstop Alex Cora’s throw to first and Sosa scored.

Although Gagne got the first two out in the seventh, Tracy pulled him when DeShields singled. Sosa put a scare into the crowd with a drive to left off Mike Trombley that Sheffield caught one step from the wall, prompting Gagne to slam his fists into his thighs in exultation in the dugout.

“I wasn’t sure about that ball,” Gagne said. “Between that one and the play Grudzielanek made, just about everybody picked me up.”

By game’s end, Karros could be included.

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NL WEST STANDINGS

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W L GB Dodgers 63 49 -- Arizona 62 49 1/2 San Francisco 62 50 1 San Diego 54 57 8 1/2 Colorado 46 65 16 1/2

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Tougher Gagne

Since returning from triple-A Las Vegas on July 4, Eric Gagne has been a different pitcher for the Dodgers. A look at his numbers before and after:

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Before Category After 1-4 W-L 3-0 5 1/3 IP/START 6 2/3 9.3 H/9IP 7.2 2.0 BB/9IP 3.1 7.8 SO/9IP 5.9 1.6 HR/9IP 1.1 5.88 ERA 2.85

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