Cora Helps Team Rally for Victory

The Dodgers rallied for a 5-3 interleague victory Wednesday night over the Texas Rangers before 30,101 at Dodger Stadium.

They overcame switch-hitter Ruben Sierra’s two-homer game--one from each side of the plate--to take the final game of the series and two of three.

Matt Herges (4-4) continued his strong relief work, working 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Herges has given up only two earned runs in his last 17 innings.

After Alex Cora tied the score, 3-3, in the sixth on a three-run home run, Marquis Grissom gave the Dodgers the lead with a run-scoring single in the seventh against reliever J.D. Smart (1-2).

Shawn Green doubled to left with one out and scored from second on Grissom’s two-out single through the middle.

Hiram Bocachica’s run-scoring single in the eighth provided an insurance run for closer Jeff Shaw.

Shaw gave up a leadoff double to Sierra in the ninth, but retired the next three batters for his league-leading 19th save in 20 opportunities.

Giovanni Carrara delivered another strong outing in his second start, giving up only three hits and two runs. The right-hander walked three and had a career-high six strikeouts.

The Dodgers plan to activate first baseman Eric Karros from the disabled list Friday, Tracy said.

Karros has been sidelined since May 25 because of a severely sprained lower back.

“I’m not there yet, I’m still on the [disabled list], we’re going to see how I feel Friday and go from there,” Karros said.

“I would have liked to have been playing for the last four weeks. I just have to do my rehab work and let everything fall into place.”

The Dodgers begin a three-game series Friday against the Angels at Edison Field, and Tracy said Karros will not be used as a designated hitter.

“I like the idea of him being out on the field playing,” Tracy said, “moving around and staying loose.”

Tom Lasorda has been invited to sit on the bench with the National League All-Star team as the guest of New York Met Manager Bobby Valentine, who will lead the squad against the American League team July 10 at Safeco Field in Seattle.

Lasorda and Valentine have been friends since their days in the organization’s farm system.

“So many good things have happened to me, but by golly, to have something like this happen to me is just very, very special,” said Lasorda, who led the Olympic baseball team to the gold medal in Sydney, Australia. “It just goes to show how much he remembers what I did for him over the years.

“We used to talk about, many, many times, that one day we would be together, with me managing the Dodgers and him playing. They got rid of him before I became the manager, so it never came fruition, so he is now, and this is an opportunity for him and I to be on the bench together. That brought tears to my eyes.”

The Dodgers agreed to terms with pitcher Brian Pilkington, their No. 1 selection in the amateur draft.

“I am beyond happy,” Pilkington said. “I want to get [the contract] finalized because I want to go play baseball. The Dodgers have been very good with negotiating. Everything went smooth.”

The right-hander from Garden Grove Santiago High, the 68th pick in the draft, is expected to sign today and report next week to Great Falls, Mont., of the Pioneer League.