[0] ONE BAD INNING BURNS DREIFORT; FIVE-RUN FOURTH ALL ARIZONA NEEDS : ARIZONA 5, DODGERS 3.

Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer

Darren Dreifort's two career landmarks were spoiled by one bad inning.

The Dodgers right-hander established a pair of career-highs by striking out 10 batters and hitting the first home run of his career on Saturday night.

But those accomplishments meant little in light of his bad fourth inning, in which he allowed five runs during the Dodgers' 5-3 loss to the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in front of 38,937 at Dodger Stadium.

``Other than walking two guys and giving up five hits (in the fourth) inning, it wasn't a bad outing,'' said Dreifort, who pitched seven innings, allowed five hits and only gave up runs in the fourth. ``The pitches in the fourth weren't bad pitches.''

The loss dropped the Dodgers (53-51) five games behind the wild card-leading Chicago Cubs and kept them from climbing four games over .500 for the third time this season. Arizona, which owns the majors' worst record, also snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.

It was just last Monday when Dreifort worked the most impressive start of his career by keeping the visiting Cincinnati Reds scoreless on just one hit in eight innings. During the first three innings Saturday, he mimicked that performance by fanning five and only allowing a game-opening single to Andy Fox.

Than came the fourth inning.

The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with no outs on three singles. Devon White followed with a two-run double that put Arizona up 2-0.

``That was a key part of the game,'' said White. ``In that situation, I'm trying to hit the ball hard and drive in some runs.''

With Jay Bell at the plate with no outs, Dreifort then threw a costly wild pitch that scored David Dellucci from third and White, who came in from second and barely slid under Dreifort's tag at the plate.

Dreifort (6-9) said, ``I don't think I was positioned right at the plate.''

``It was a big risk with no outs, but fortunately it gave us a big lift,'' said Arizona manager Buck Showalter, who preached to his club before the series about the large mass of backstop space at Chavez Ravine.

The damage was completed when Tony Batista's sacrifice fly scored Bell to give Arizona a 5-0 advantage.

The Diamondbacks entered the game as the major leagues' worst offensive team with a .247 average. But at least in the fourth inning the Diamondbacks temporarily shed that image with five hits and batted around.

``(Dreifort) looked awesome except for that one inning when he got the ball up,'' said Dodgers manager Glenn Hoffman. ``That one bad inning got him.''

In the bottom of the fourth, Eric Karros hit a no-out RBI single off Arizona starter Omar Daal that scored Raul Mondesi from second and trimmed the Dodgers' deficit to 5-1. Karros' hit also gave the Dodgers two men on base, but neither would score.

While a collegian at Wichita State, Dreifort was known for more than just pitching. He once was a second-team All-Missouri Valley Conference designated hitter in 1993 and also batted a career .318 with 25 home runs and 89 RBI in 314 at-bats.

Dreifort's leadoff home run came on a full-count pitch from Daal in the fifth that trimmed Arizona's lead to 5-2. The 430-foot shot landed in the left field bleachers and was the first home run by a Dodgers pitcher since now-New York Met Hideo Nomo's against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 28. Dreifort also became the first pitcher ever to hit a home run off Arizona.

The Dodgers came within two runs of Arizona in the seventh, 5-3, when Mondesi's RBI sacrifice scored Roger Cedeno. After a wild pitch that moved Wilton Guerrero to third was followed by a Gary Sheffield walk, Karros came to the plate with two outs representing the go-ahead run for the Dodgers. But Arizona reliever Bobby Chouinard got Karros to hit into a forceout to end his club's threat.

Daal (4-5) took the win and allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in 6-1/3 innings.

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PHOTO Arizona's Devon White is ruled safe at home by umpire Mark Wegner after Darren Dreifort's wild pitch in the Diamondbacks' five-run fourth.

Kevin Karzin/Associated Press