A ROUSING RETURN; VALDES' EFFORT LIFTS DODGERS PAST PIRATES : DODGERS 4, PITTSBURGH 2.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

Throughout his 21 days on the disabled list, Ismael Valdes was squirming to get back into the Dodgers' pitching rotation. For good reason.

He watched dumbfounded from the bench as the Dodgers began to score runs in bunches, a condition that was only the faintest of expectations over Valdes' first three months of the season, when the Dodgers' offense was . . . well, hamstrung.

The right-hander finally got back to the mound Monday night, recovered from a hamstring strain of his own, and wasn't let down. He limited the Pittsburgh Pirates to two runs in his six innings of work and, incredibly, left the game with a lead and the clubhouse with a victory.

The Dodgers won their fourth straight, 4-2 over the Pirates before a sellout crowd of 53,503 fans at Dodger Stadium.

The decision further tightened the screws on the National League West race. The Dodgers (57-49) moved to within one game of San Francisco (58-48), which was idle Monday night.

It's been quite a charge: The Dodgers, with a record of 18-7 in July, have gained seven games in the standings since June 30.

And now this team has Valdes, one of its most promising young pitchers, back in the mix.

He received some excellent aid from the L.A. bullpen. Antonio Osuna pitched scoreless ball over the seventh and eighth innings, working out of a mess of his own making in the eighth. And Todd Worrell closed it out in the ninth, earning his 25th save in 30 chances.

Valdes (6-9) appeared a bit rough around the edges in his first start since the July 4th weekend, but he repeatedly evaded trouble while scattering eight hits.

The Dodgers made it count for something. For a change. Over 14 of his 17 starts in the season's first three months, the Dodgers averaged just 2.1 runs per game.

In this one, they exceeded that by the fourth inning.

Shortstop Greg Gagne had the most to say about it, clubbing a two-run home run off Pittsburgh starter Jon Lieber (6-11) in the fourth.

The blast to left was a source of great relief for Gagne, who recently returned from a virus that attacked his vision. In his first 12 at-bats since returning to action, he got one hit . . . and struck out eight times. Then came the home run, offering instant atonement.

The Dodgers scored their first run when Raul Mondesi singled to lead off the second, moved to third when Lieber's pickoff throw was missed by first baseman Kevin Young, and scored easily when Tripp Cromer lined a single into center.

The unlikely Cromer continues to make judicious use of his hits. He is batting .583 with runners in scoring position and has collected 20 RBI in 86 at-bats.

Another run crossed the plate in the fifth when Brett Butler tripled to right and scooted home on Todd Hollandsworth's sacrifice fly to center.

The Dodgers entered the game with only modest limits on Valdes - mostly involving baserunning. He strained his hamstring running to first base just before the All-Star break, and, as a precaution, he's been warned to curb his enthusiasm for a while.

``We'll caution him about running the bases, not trying to run out a hit on the infield,'' said Pat Screnar, the Dodgers' physical therapist.

The club also didn't let Valdes try to be a hero in terms of his pitch count. He had worked up to the 100-plus range before suffering the injury but was pulled out of this game after delivering 81 pitches (impressively, 60 of those were in the strike zone) in six innings.

Pittsburgh took advantage of a Valdes curveball in the dirt to score its first run. With a runner at second and two out in the fourth, Jose Guillen struck out for what should have been the final out of the inning, but the pitch bounced wide of the plate and eluded catcher Mike Piazza for a wild pitch.

Kevin Polcovich followed with an RBI single to right.

In the next inning, doubles by Tony Womack and Al Martin produced another Pirates run.

The Dodgers had ample opportunities to build on their lead, but they left the bases loaded in the seventh inning and stranded two men in the fifth.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1--color) Dodger Raul Mondesi advances two bases after a misplayed pickoff throw to first.

(2) Dodgers pitcher Ismael Valdes cuts loose in his first game back after sitting out with a hamstring injury. He got the win against the Pirates.

Myung J. Chun / Daily News