CHOPPER STOPS DODGERS : METS WIN IN 12; L.A. LOSES GROUND NEW YORK 3, DODGERS 2.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

Mike Piazza called it ``poetic justice,'' this baseball hit nearly straight down that beat the Dodgers on Wednesday night at Shea Stadium.

The ball ricocheted out toward the right side, out toward second baseman Delino DeShields, and did not come back to Piazza perfectly. Therefore, the New York Mets defeated the Dodgers 3-2 in 12 innings.

On a road trip in which the bullpen either deserted the offense or was carried by it, the bullpen this time was sound, only to have the offense produce one run in the final nine innings.

On a hot, muggy evening, the Dodgers lost ground to the San Diego Padres, at least in part because of the hard ground that belongs to the Mets. Carl Everett's one-out infield chopper to DeShields allowed Alvaro Espinoza to score from third base just ahead of DeShields' errant, though difficult, throw.

``The whole game,'' Piazza said wearily, ``was kind of in slow motion, I guess.''

They lost the last one on this nine-game road trip, and they lost in the last inning, so the Dodgers return to Los Angeles a game out of first place in the National League West, exactly where they were when they left.

Though 6-3 trips usually mean advances in the standings, the Dodgers shrugged at the stagnancy and trudged away from the smell of sewage that drifts in and out of this ballpark. They won each of the series in Montreal, Philadelphia and Flushing by scores of two games to one, and that's a solid road trip.

``We had a chance to win every game,'' said Dodgers manager Bill Russell, 21-12 since Tom Lasorda retired. ``We're doing fine. We had an excellent road trip.''

Not bad, anyway. They did blow leads of five and two runs in the previous losses.

But, heck, Brett Butler is supposed to return to the lineup Friday and a 10-game homestand awaits, so the idea of getting back was as comforting as the 12 innings of work going toward a defeat stung.

These things happen when an offense strings 10 hits over 12 innings and makes two errors besides. That leaves a club a Baltimore chop from first place.

``It's always nice to go home,'' Russell said.

The Dodgers forged the 2-2 tie in the eighth inning on a sneak attack by Eric Karros and another RBI by Raul Mondesi, who had nine on the road trip.

Karros reached on a fielder's choice, namely shortstop Rey Ordonez's. With one out and Piazza at first, Karros hit a bouncer through the middle that Ordonez reached but did not catch. Ordonez, seated behind the bag and with his back to the infield, flipped the ball over his head for the force play. The relay to first was late.

Karros then stole second base, an oddity unless Mondesi is at bat and there are two out. He was, and there were. The strategy: From first base, Karros needed at least a double and probably more to score. If Karros were thrown out, the fleet Mondesi would lead off the ninth inning.

Before Mondesi's at-bat, Mets manager Bobby Valentine replaced right-hander Jerry DiPoto with left-handed closer John Franco. Big mistake.

``I know all of Mondesi's 40 (tickets) were excited by it,'' Russell said.

Mondesi drove a 1-and-2 fastball into center field and Karros loped in from second base, just ahead of Lance Johnson's throw.

That RBI allowed Mondesi to break even in regulation. In the fifth inning, the Mets scored their first run when Mondesi, the strong-armed right-fielder, strong-armed one right over the cut-off man and past catcher Piazza. The error was charged to Piazza, but it belonged to Mondesi.

``That's why the cut-off man's there,'' Russell observed.

Butch Huskey, who stopped at third base before the throw, raced home when the ball skipped away. It tied the score 1-1 and Dodgers starter Tom Candiotti allowed another run in the sixth, when he walked Todd Hundley to lead off the inning and Huskey drove him in with one out.

The Dodgers scored their first run in the third inning, when Juan Castro walked and scored on Dave Clark's single to right field.

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Photo

PHOTO (color) New York's Edgardo Alfonzo turns a double pla y as the Dodgers' Wayne Kirby slides late into second.

Associated Press