Karros Helps Elbow Way to Victory

Eric Karros was hit by a pitch with one out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, forcing in the winning run Wednesday night in a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks before 35,651.

Erik Sabel (3-1) hit Karros on the left elbow with a 1-and-2 pitch, enabling Hiram Bocachica to score from third.

The Dodgers (38-33) ended a losing streak at three games. The Diamondbacks (43-28), who lead the National League West, had won three in a row.

“It’s obviously a big game for us to win tonight,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “It’s a painful way to get the fourth run across, but we’ll take it. Eric will take it.”

Closer Jeff Shaw (3-2) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, and then it was the Dodgers’ turn against Sabel, the Diamondbacks’ fourth pitcher.

“We would have liked to have swept but a split was nice, the important thing is to not to fall any more games back,” said Shaw of the Dodgers, who trail the Diamondbacks by five games.

After Marquis Grissom grounded out, Bocachica singled off the glove of shortstop Tony Womack.

With Shawn Green batting, Bocachica advanced to third when catcher Damian Miller, who entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth, couldn’t locate the ball after a wild pitch.

The Diamondbacks then walked Green and Gary Sheffield intentionally to face Karros.

“Any win is important, but especially getting one against these guys, with as well as they have been playing and the fact that they are ahead of us,” Adrian Beltre said. “We needed to get going. This will give us momentum for our next series against San Diego and then after that against San Francisco.”

Chan Ho Park worked seven strong innings in a no-decision, and the Diamondbacks failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the eighth against Matt Herges.

Steve Finley and pinch-hitter Erubiel Durazo fouled out and the score remained tied at 3-3.

The Dodgers squandered an opportunity in the bottom of the inning when pinch-hitter Dave Hansen, hitting for Herges, struck out looking against Byung-Hyun Kim with runners on first and second and two out.

Arizona starter Miguel Batista was effective in six innings, and left with a 3-2 lead.

Mike Mohler was not as good.

He got pinch-hitter Jeff Reboulet, hitting for Park, for the first out, and Grissom hit for Tom Goodwin.

On a 1-and-2 count, Grissom hit his 14th homer to tie the score, 3-3.

Hiram Bocachica walked to put the go-ahead run on base, and Green flied out for the second out.

Kim entered to face Gary Sheffield, and Bocachica advanced to second on a passed ball before Sheffield struck out looking to end the inning.

Diamondback second baseman Craig Counsell started a nifty double play in the sixth to get Batista out of a jam.

With Eric Karros on first after a leadoff walk, Counsell made a diving stop on Beltre’s liner off the mound and tossed to shortstop Womack, who stepped on the bag and threw to first baseman Mark Grace to get Beltre.

Park delivered his 12th consecutive quality start while throwing a season-high 130 pitches, including 78 strikes.

The right-hander, who has a 2.02 earned-run average at Dodger Stadium, gave up three hits, walked three and struck out seven.

Moreover, Park finished strong after center fielder Goodwin’s costly miscue in the fourth.

“We’ve been depending on him a lot, and that’s part of being that good,” Sheffield said of Park.

“He’s been accepting the challenge with flying colors, especially lately, and he’s definitely been getting it done with Brownie [starter Kevin Brown] out. You couldn’t ask anything more from him.”

Park contributed to the fourth-inning situation by hitting Luis Gonzalez with a pitch and giving up a single to Mark Grace, putting runners on first and second with none out.

David Dellucci then hit a sinking liner to shallow center, and Goodwin tried to make a sliding catch, but the ball went under his glove and rolled to deep center.

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