CANDIOTTI HAS REASON FOR HOPE.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

From the mound, Tom Candiotti looks over his right shoulder and sees Greg Gagne. From the bench, he looks out and sees runs at the top of the lineup, run producers through the middle of the order. From any perspective, he sees change.

A guy who has won no more than eight games in any of the past three seasons and whose worst ERA in that time is 4.12, Candiotti can't knock change.

"It's over and done with," Candiotti said.

Of course he's talking about defense. Well, bad defense, anyway. And he's talking about criminally low run support.

When he pitched last season, 19 baserunners scored as a direct result of a Dodger error. No one in baseball was more afflicted. When he pitched, his offense didn't participate either. No one in baseball had less sustenance.

"I thought about it a lot over the last four years," Candiotti said.

These sorts of things have plagued him for years. In 1992, his first season in Los Angeles, he had a 3.00 ERA and lost 15 games. Last season, teammate Ramon Martinez had a 3.66 ERA and won 17 games. And on it goes for Candiotti, whose knuckleball makes for a lot of pitches and therefore a lot of standing around on defense and therefore a lot of tedium and mistakes, according to a few experts.

"All that stuff, I can't control that stuff," said Candiotti, who has a 3.47 career ERA and yet a losing record (117-124). "If you can't control it, you can't worry about it."

So he doesn't, and he takes heart in the belief that this is the year he gets back what he's been giving for so long. He gets grounders to shortstop caught and runs scored and maybe a few victories. He and his rotation mates, too.

"I think everybody's going to be successful," he predicted. "I'm excited about going out there."

Notes: Raul Mondesi twisted his knee in Wednesday's game, did not play Thursday and probably will not play today. Mondesi said it would be "a couple days" before the inflammation subsides. . . . The Dodgers defeated the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 on Thursday. Candiotti allowed three hits and one run in six innings. Brett Butler homered. . . . Eric Karros played six innings, had two hits and drove in a run. "If I keep moving along, playing for six or seven innings, I don't know why I'd be in jeopardy for Opening Day," said Karros, who pulled a hamstring before spring training began and just Wednesday played in his first major-league exhibition game. . . . Left fielder Billy Ashley, who has a sore hamstring and a stomach ailment, did not play. Todd Hollandsworth started in left field against Orioles left-hander David Wells and was hitless in three at-bats. Roger Cedeno started in right field and was 0 for 4. . . . Catcher Carlos Hernandez played six innings against the Orioles, who are considering adding a catcher to their roster. . . . The Dodgers play the Houston Astros today at Kissimmee.