[0] KARROS CAPS L.A. COMEBACK DODGERS END LOSING STREAK AT FIVE GAMES DODGERS 5, SAN DIEGO 4.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer

Perhaps the news of Orel Hershiser being waived left the Dodgers numb on Tuesday night. It took seven innings for them to wake up, before Dave Hansen, Todd Hundley and Eric Karros came through.

Karros, who homered earlier in the game, singled to left-center to score Mark Grudzielanek in the 10th inning and give the Dodgers a 5-4 comeback victory over the San Diego Padres in front of 41,897 beach towel-waving fans at Dodger Stadium.

Karros' hit came off Matt Whiteside (2-1) and helped the Dodgers end a losing streak at five games. Mike Fetters (3-0) got the win.

Hansen's two-run, pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the seventh and Hundley's leadoff homer in the ninth lifted the Dodgers into a 4-4 tie.

Hansen connected on a 3-2 pitch from San Diego reliever Carlos Reyes and drove it to right for his fourth homer of the season. All have come via pinch-hits, and it was the 10th pinch homer of Hansen's career. He has nine as a Dodger, tying him with John Frederick for the most in franchise history.

Dodgers reliever Matt Herges (5-1) couldn't hold the tie, however. He walked Ryan Klesko, who went to third on Phil Nevin's single and scored on Bret Boone's single through a drawn-in infield.

Hundley's home run in the ninth was his 14th and came off an 0-2 pitch from Trevor Hoffman, who blew his third save in 22 opportunities this season.

For most of the night, the only thing Dodger fans had to cheer was the appearance of the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who threw out the first pitch.

The Dodgers made San Diego starter Will Cunnane look like, well, Orel Hershiser - for six innings at least.

Cunnane, who was recalled Monday from Triple-A Las Vegas, made his first start since May 20 at Atlanta and just his second start since 1997.

Cunnane had a three-hitter through six innings, having pitched his way out of two jams.

He gave up consecutive singles to Grudzielanek and Gary Sheffield but got Shawn Green to ground into a force play and Karros to ground into an inning-ending double play.

In the sixth, Cunnane put the same two batters on base with two out but again got Green to ground out.

But he lost his shutout bid when he gave up Karros' 22nd home run of the season in the seventh and a ground-rule double to Hundley. In came Reyes (2-3), who retired Adrian Beltre and Kevin Elster before giving up Hansen's home run.

Reyes retired the other four batters he faced. So in came Hoffman, who retired Karros to end the eighth but gave up Hundley's homer.