Dodgers Finally Turn It Around

It took the Dodgers eight years to realize that Paul Lo Duca could contribute.

The versatile overachiever continued to remind the Dodgers what they had been missing Tuesday night with another eye-opening performance in a 14-8 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Pacific Bell Park.

Lo Duca, subbing for injured first baseman Eric Karros, was four for five with two doubles, his 11th home run and a career-high six runs batted in to help the Dodgers end a four-game losing streak before 41,288.

Lo Duca had a three-run double in the seventh as the Dodgers (39-37) scored five runs to rally from an 8-5 deficit and take a 10-8 lead, and a two-run homer in their four-run ninth.

He paced an 18-hit attack and had another career game after matching a franchise record with six hits May 28 in an 11-10, 11-inning victory over the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.

“That win is so huge for us,” said Lo Duca, batting a team-high .341 with 36 RBIs. “You don’t know . . . it could turn around a season.

“When they scored those six runs, you looked in the dugout and everyone’s head was down. We scored those runs like we did to come back, and that’s the biggest win by far this season.

“By pouring more runs on, it really deflated them. They deflated us, and we deflated them back.”

The Dodgers overcame Kevin Brown’s shaky performance in his first start since May 29.

Brown, who pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief Sunday, did not get a decision after the Dodgers staked him to a 5-0 lead in the third inning.

The right-hander gave up eight hits and was charged with five runs in five-plus innings. He walked one and struck out seven as the Dodgers got their second victory in nine games.

Reliever Al Reyes (1-0), whose contract was purchased from triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, worked two scoreless innings for the victory.

Tim Worrell (1-2) took the loss for the Giants (41-36), who won the first game of the three-game series.

The Dodgers handled Barry Bonds for the second consecutive game.

The majors’ home-run leader remained stuck on 39 after going hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts and a walk.

The Dodgers have been resilient under Manager Jim Tracy and were again in the seventh, taking a 10-5 lead, after what appeared to be the Giants’ knockout punch.

They absorbed the Giants’ six-run sixth that gave them an 8-5 lead--then rallied for a five-run seventh highlighted by Lo Duca’s bases-clearing double.

“That was one hell of a team victory, and we’ve had a few like that this year,” Tracy said. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: That’s the reason why our club is where’s it’s at today, because of efforts like that in situations where it looked like it wasn’t going to happen.”

Ryan Vogelsong relieved Giant starter Shawn Estes to start the seventh after Estes gave up eight hits and five runs in six innings.

The left-hander settled down after giving up six hits and four runs in the first and was in line for his eighth victory.

That changed quickly with the rookie on the mound.

Dave Hansen, who went to third in the sixth on a double-switch, doubled to start the inning.

Hiram Bocachica struck out, but Hansen advanced to third on Jeff Reboulet’s single. Hansen scored on Shawn Green’s single, cutting the lead to 8-6, and Gary Sheffield walked to load the bases and bring up Lo Duca.

Lo Duca, who had a run-scoring double in the Dodgers’ four-run first, doubled down the left-field line to give the Dodgers a 9-8 lead, stunning the Giants and igniting a dugout celebration.

“We came back with all those runs [in the sixth],” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “It really hurts when they came back and scored so many runs. We needed a ‘stop-job’ after those runs.”

A five-run lead usually would be more than enough for Brown, but it wasn’t Tuesday.

The Giants cut the lead to 5-2 in their half of the third on Rich Aurilia’s 12th homer--a two-run shot to left after Calvin Murray walked.

Then Brown faltered fast in the sixth, when the Giants had seven hits, scored six runs and sent 11 batters to the plate.