[0] DODGERS' POWER RUNS DEEP : DODGERS 9, ST. LOUIS 5.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

Early in this baseball season, the Dodgers' apparent offensive philosophy was summed up simply: Waiting for Mike.

How the All-Star catcher went, so went this team. Most everyone in the lineup seemed to be hanging around, relying on Mike Piazza to do something special. It was beyond lazy. It was dangerously one-dimensional.

Lately, several of the Dodgers have remarked on how refreshing it is to see the contributions being spread around so evenly. Eric Karros has topped 100 RBI. Raul Mondesi is tearing the cover off the ball. Todd Hollandsworth is belying his rookie status at the top of the lineup. And Piazza is still out front in his chase for the National League batting title.

On Saturday night, the unlikeliest of contributors clamored to gain entrance to this club.

A 9-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium was keyed by the three-run home runs of two all-but-forgotten souls: shortstop Greg Gagne and outfielder Billy Ashley.

Don't rub your eyes; you read correctly. Gagne, who was averaging a home run per every 42 at-bats this season, delivered off Cardinals ace Andy Benes in the sixth inning. Ashley, who seems to average an appearance per every 42 days, connected against left-handed reliever Tony Fossas in a pinch at-bat in the eighth.

``That's what it takes,'' said manager Bill Russell, who saw the Dodgers maintain their half-game lead over San Diego in the NL West. ``You can't expect your everyday guys, Piazza, Karros and Mondesi, (to do it all).

``Gagne's home run was a big lift for us. And with Ashley, the opposing pitcher and manager have in the back of their minds that if you throw a bad pitch, that's what he can do with it.''

As if the feats of Gagne and Ashley didn't provide enough drama for one night, an umpire's disputed call figured heavily in the outcome for the second straight game.

This time the ump's gaffe fell in the Dodgers' favor - and sent Cardinals manager Tony La Russa bounding out of the dugout to protest in vain.

St. Louis rallied for three runs in the eighth inning against a tiring Ramon Martinez (13-6) and reliever Mark Guthrie, an effort that was helped along when a grounder scooted under the glove of third baseman Tim Wallach for a two-base, two-out error.

When Ray Lankford delivered an RBI hit to left, Royce Clayton also tried to score - from second, as the potential tying run in a 6-5 game. Hollandsworth threw home on one hop, but as Piazza raised his mitt to breadbasket level to field the ball, Clayton appeared to slide safely between his knees.

Plate umpire Charlie Reliford, one night after colleague Gary Darling ruled a similar play against the Dodgers, called Clayton out.

Ashley's homer one inning later helped ease the magnitude of the call, but it nonetheless has been one bizarre weekend for the men in blue.

Even Darling was back on the spot in this one. When Clayton lined a ball into the left-field corner in the fifth, Darling did not notice that the ball bounced off a gate, which was swung open by a fan. Thus, Clayton got a triple rather than being held up at second with a ground-rule double.

The Dodgers, however, were too busy exulting in the feats of some of the night's heroes to worry about that.

Gagne rescued the Dodgers at a precarious moment. They had collected just one run in their previous 17 innings, and trailed the Cardinals 2-1 in the sixth.

But with two out and two runners on, Gagne, with a 2-2 count against Benes, fouled off four straight pitches, worked the count full, then homered into the Dodgers' left-field bullpen on a hanging slider.

Go figure: Gagne was batting .208 on the homestand, and had gone 16 consecutive games without a homer. No. 10 on the season couldn't have come at a more fortuitous time.

``It was kind of big for me and the team,'' he understated. ``I've been trying to find myself at the plate. (He is batting .255.) I was pretty determined in that at-bat. That was a hallelujah.''

The victory was the Dodgers' 17th in their last 22 games.

WILD FINISH

A look at the NL playoff race and the chase for the league batting title:

Dodgers (-1/2 games up in West): Beat St. Louis 9-5

Padres (-1/2 game up for wild card): Beat Cincinnati 3-2 (12 inn.)

Expos (-1/2 game back for wild card): Beat Florida 3-2

Mike Piazza, Dodgers: 2 for 5, HR, 3 RBI (.348)

Ellis Burks, Colorado: 3 for 3, SB (.345)

Tony Gwynn, San Diego: 1 for 4 (.351)

- does not have enough plate appearances to qualify.

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Box: WILD FINISH (see text)