[0] HUNDLEY HOMER SPARKS DODGERS : DODGERS 3, CHICAGO 2.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

Raul Mondesi did it Monday and again Tuesday. Hit the home run. Actually, two each night.

The third night wasn't charming. With an opportunity to tie the game with a base hit or give the Dodgers the lead with a homer in the eighth inning, Mondesi struck out.

It was no big deal because Todd Hundley had his back.

Hundley's homer in the ninth tied it and the Dodgers rallied for a 3-2 win against the Chicago Cubs in front of 40,007 Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

Hundley's homer came off Cubs closer Rod Beck, a Grant High product. He hit Beck's fourth pitch into the right-field bleachers to tie the score 2-2.

Eric Karros followed Hundley's fifth homer with a double down the left-field line. Tripp Cromer pinch-ran and Beck intentionally walked Todd Hollandsworth. Adrian Beltre moved the runners over a base with a bunt and Cromer scored on a wild pitch.

Beck, who has allowed three homers this season, fell to 3-3. Jamie Arnold (2-0) pitched one scoreless inning of relief for the win.

Just how much the Dodgers were pressing to score before then is best illustrated by the eighth inning. Trailing 2-0, Beltre led off with a single and pinch-hitter Dave Hansen doubled to the right field wall.

But a strong relay throw from Cubs second baseman Mickey Morandini to catcher Sandy Martinez, who blocked the plate well, was enough to get Beltre at the plate. Instead of having runners at second and third and none out, Hansen was left on second with one out.

After Eric Young grounded out, Jose Vizcaino doubled off Cubs starter Kevin Tapani to right-center and pull the Dodgers with 2-1. Reliever Scott Sanders walked Gary Sheffield but struck out Mondesi with a 3-2 curveball. Mondesi entered the day with a major-league-best 13 homers, including four in the first two games against the Cubs. Tapani allowed one run in 7-2/3 innings.

The Dodgers were in need of a good pitching performance from starter Darren Dreifort and he brought one. He allowed two runs in 5-2/3 innings.

After Sheffield and Mondesi singled with two outs in the first and were stranded when Todd Hundley struck out, the Dodgers got one runner past first base in the next five innings.

Meanwhile, Dreifort baffled the Cubs the first time through the order and didn't allow a hit until Sammy Sosa doubled with two outs in the fourth. An inning later Tyler Houston hit his second homer of the series. He led off the fifth with an opposite-field homer to left on a 2-0 count to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. It was Houston's third homer of the season.

The Cubs stretched their lead to 2-0 in the sixth, and it was again the leadoff hitter who did the damage. Lance Johnson singled to right and moved to second on Jose Hernandez's single.

Mark Grace flied out to the warning track in right, which allowed Johnson to move to third and bring Sosa to the plate. Before any semblance of fireworks could begin, Dreifort uncorked a wild pitch that Hundley tried to backhand. It allowed Johnson to score. Sosa grounded to shortstop for the second out and reliever Pedro Borbon retired lefty-hitting Henry Rodriguez on a grounder to first to finish the sixth.

Dreifort allowed two runs on four hits in a serviceable outing, but Tapani bordered on brilliance.

After Karros singled to center with two outs in the fourth, Tapani retired the next 10 Dodgers in order without a ball being hit out of the infield.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Dodgers pitcher Darren Dreifort, right, did well in victory over the Cubs but here rues a run-scoring wild pitch.

(2) Cubs catcher Sandy Martinez effectively blocks the plate as the Dodgers' Adrian Beltre roars into home. Beltre was out on the play, on which Mickey Morandini made a strong throw.

Michael Caulfield/Associated Press