[0] DODGERS GET WIN BUT LOSE LODUCA DODGERS 10, SAN. FRAN 1.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - The Dodgers lost their general manager early on Thursday, and at night lost their starting catcher possibly for a significant chunk of time.

Dodgers manager Jim Tracy met with his club to explain Kevin Malone's resignation and ask his squad to remain focused on the field during a period he called ``critical'' in the season.

The Dodgers went out and blooped and hustled and pitched their way to an 10-1 win against the San Francisco Giants at Pac Bell Park, but salvaging the series took on a more melancholy tone given Malone's resignation and the potential loss of Paul LoDuca to injury.

LoDuca, the starting catcher, left the game in the sixth inning with what was termed a mild strain of the left hamstring. He will be evaluated today in Los Angeles by team physician Dr. Frank Jobe, but it's realistic LoDuca could be placed on the 15-day disabled list.

LoDuca, batting .378 and proving himself a strong defensive catcher in his first legitimate opportunity at playing time, left the game after suffering the injury trying to beat out a double-play grounder in the fifth inning. The extend of the injury was unknown, but if he misses significant time it leaves the catching duties in the hands of 36-year-old Chad Kreuter and unproven 26-year-old Angel Pena.

Kreuter, the backup catcher, replaced LoDuca on Thursday. But Tracy said on numerous occasions he doesn't want to use Kreuter regularly.

The victory ended a streak in which the Dodgers played six consecutive one-run games, of which they won two. It also enabled the Dodgers (8-8) to avoid being swept by the first-place Giants (9-6) and sends them home for nine games against San Diego, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. They're a combined 20-24.

Given everything that's gone on with regard to Malone, Tracy said the focus must remain on the field.

``I don't wan to see us get side-tracked,'' Tracy said. ``These are games in our ballpark that we weren't exactly great in. These next 10 games are critical because we have a chance to make a strong statement for ourselves.''

Hiram Bocachica started at third for the Dodgers and had three hits - he had five career hits entering the night. Gary Sheffield hit his seventh homer of the season in the eighth inning.

Starting pitcher Eric Gagne (1-1) allowed one rune in a career-high eight innings for his first win. Giants left-hander Kirk Rueter (2-1) took the loss after yielding five runs on seven hits in four-plus innings.

Giants left fielder Barry Bonds, who hit his 500th homer in the series opener Tuesday, had his streak of hitting a homer stopped at six games. It was the longest such streak since Ken Griffey Jr. homered in eight games in 1993.

Marquis Grissom gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead by leading off the game with a homer. The Giants tied it in the second on Benito Santiago's sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers scored a pair of runs in the fourth on a double by LoDuca, which was misjudged by center fielder Marvin Benard, and a bunt by Jeff Reboulet. They added two runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Mark Grudzielanek and Shawn Green to make it 5-1.

The Dodgers broke it open in the sixth with three runs and the help of a bloop double from Bocachica, a grounder off the first-base bag by Reboulet and a broken-bat single from Grudzielanek.

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Photo:

Shawn Green crosses home plate during the Dodgers' two-run fourth inning.

George Nikitin/Associated Press