[0] TWO FOR MONDESI; VALDES, TEAM MEETING INSPIRE A PAIR OF HOMERS : DODGERS 4, CHICAGO 3.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

The Dodgers held a team meeting before opening day and Raul Mondesi hit a pair of homers.

The Dodgers held a team meeting before Monday's game with the Chicago Cubs and Mondesi hit a pair of homers.

Both of Mondesi's homers came with a runner on base and, coupled with right-hander Ismael Valdes' six innings, gave the Dodgers a 4-3 win against the Cubs at Dodger Stadium.

Maybe the Dodgers should schedule a few more meetings.

Mondesi leads the Dodgers with 11 homers and 27 RBI. It's the 10th time in his career and second occasion this season in which he's hit two home runs in a game. Both came off Cubs right-hander Steve Trachsel, who fell to 1-4.

The players-only meeting was called after the Dodgers lost two of three to baseball's doormat, the Florida Marlins, over the weekend, after which left fielder Gary Sheffield said the team was lackadaisical.

Mondesi tried to breathe life into the Dodgers in the second inning when he walked and stole second, but he was stranded there.

Two innings later, Mondesi made sure there was no way he'd remain on the bases. Sheffield singled with one out and Mondesi hit Trachsel's second pitch to right-center to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa barely moved when the ball was hit.

The only offense the Dodgers were getting was from Mondesi, and he was also the only threat. He gave the Dodgers a 4-1 lead in the sixth when he smashed a Trachsel fastball over the left-field fence. Ahead in the count 1-2, Trachsel tried to throw a fastball low and away. Instead, it was belt high and down the middle. They were Mondesi's first homers since May 1 at Philadelphia.

The Cubs scored a run in the seventh off reliever Alan Mills. Mark Grace walked with one out and scored on Henry Rodriguez's double to the left-center-field wall. But Mills struck out Benito Santiago and got Tyler Houston, who homered early, to ground meekly back to the mound.

Mills got out of trouble in the eighth when Lance Johnson lined to second baseman Eric Young, who, in turn, doubled pinch-hitter Curtis Goodwin off first.

Dodgers closer Jeff Shaw then pitched the ninth for his eighth save but had to withstand a Cubs rally. Mark Grace singled with two outs, moved to second and scored on Rodriguez's single to right; however, Shaw struck out Santiago to end the game.

Following a splendid road trip in which the Dodgers went 7-2, they put forth an awful showing against the Marlins, losing two of three. The team meeting seemed to have an effect on the crispness of the Dodgers' play.

But the Cubs took an early 1-0 lead when Houston led off the second inning with a homer to center field. Valdes spent his six innings getting out of trouble, but Houston's second homer of the season was the only run the Cubs got off the starter.

He allowed nine hits and walked three. The Cubs had a pair of baserunners in four of Valdes' six innings and even had three hits in the fourth inning. In the first inning, Valdes got Santiago to ground into a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. In the fourth, Valdes juggled, then caught, Jose Hernandez's liner and doubled Houston at first. Trachsel singled and Johnson doubled, but Valdes struck out Mickey Morandini to end the inning.

First baseman Eric Karros provided a defensive gem in the sixth to protect the Dodgers' 2-1 lead. Houston and Hernandez singled to begin the inning and after Trachsel's fielder's choice, Karros made a diving stop on Johnson's grounder along the first base line, then raced to the bag for the second out. Morandini flew to center for the third out.

In a workmanlike six innings, Valdes threw 121 pitches.

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Photo

PHOTO Raul Mondesi makes it back to first as Chicago's Mark Grace tries to tag him out in the bottom of the second. Mondesi homered twice.

John Lazar/Daily News