BELTRE BLASTS OFF : DODGERS 3, SAN DIEGO 2.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

Adrian Beltre is considered part of the solution, but his story is not without problems.

He is the Dodgers' future at third base, a quick glove and a quicker bat. His talent titillates new general manager Kevin Malone.

But the three-run homer Beltre crushed in the fourth inning Tuesday night to give the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over the National League West-champion San Diego Padres is not a guarantee he will be at third next year.

Bobby Bonilla is the incumbent, although the Dodgers have decided to shut down his season to begin rehabbing his many injuries. Beltre will play the final week, but Bonilla has two years and $11.8 million left on his contract.

``A lot of things this winter will dictate what happens next spring,'' said Malone, who has conceded it will be difficult to move Bonilla. ``But Beltre is definitely worth the price of admission. When I was in Montreal, we moved some players along quickly and they performed. He reminds me of them.''

For Beltre, it was his sixth homer and gave Chan Ho Park (14-9) the victory despite a shaky ninth inning from Jeff Shaw, who earned his 45th save.

It was just Beltre's fourth start in the last 32 games, and he came in with a .217 average. Many think he was rushed from Double-A when he arrived at midseason. But every time he plays as he did Tuesday night, smacking Dodgers killer Joey Hamilton's first pitch off the left foul pole to give Park all he needed, no one wonders what all the fuss is about.

``All I can do is stay ready,'' Beltre said. ``I take extra batting practice to stay in shape. Tonight was great. I helped get a win for the team.''

Hamilton (13-13) came in with an 8-1 lifetime mark against the Dodgers. He wasn't as sharp as he was in his 1-0 victory over the Dodgers two weeks ago in San Diego, walking Mark Grudzielanek and Charles Johnson before facing Beltre.

``I was trying to throw a sinker in and just got it up,'' Hamilton said. ``He hit it.''

Park has done some heavy lifting for the Dodgers the past two weeks.

In his last start, a 5-4 loss to Colorado last Tuesday, Park pitched a complete game and threw 137 pitches. In his two previous starts, both victories, Park threw 136 pitches in each game.

Tuesday, Park, who threw 107 pitches, spotted the Padres a 1-0 lead in the second. With one out Wally Joyner singled to left and took third on a single by former Dodger Carlos Hernandez. Joyner scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Gomez.

Until the eighth, that was it.

Greg Vaughn, in search of his 50th homer this season, nearly got it in the second with a drive that just hooked in front of the left-field foul line. Park came back to strike him out. He limited the Padres' Nos. 3-4-5 hitters to one hit in 10 at-bats in the first seven innings.

Tony Gwynn doubled with two outs in the third, but was stranded. Joyner walked with one out in the fourth and was erased on a double-play grounder by Hernandez.

Park sailed until the eighth, retiring 11 consecutive batters during one stretch. But after retiring Gomez to open the eighth, Park allowed back-to-back doubles by pinch hitter John Vander Wal to cut the Dodgers lead to 3-2.

The Padres had the tying run in scoring position with one out, but Park retired Steve Finley on a grounder to first and got Gwynn on a fly to left.

Shaw came on to pitch the ninth and immediately gave up a double to former Angels catcher Greg Myers. After Vaughn flied to left, Joyner reached on an infield single to short. But Shaw came back and got Hernandez and Gomez to end the game.

Although the Dodgers have been far out of the race in the West, they wanted to keep Bonilla in the lineup until they were mathematically eliminated.

That happened Friday night in San Francisco, but Bonilla remained at third because the Giants were still in contention.

Now, the final week belongs to Beltre.

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Photo

PHOTO San Diego's Ken Caminiti argues with home plate umpire Greg Bonin after being called out on strikes.

Kevin Karzin/Associated Press