DODGERS' WILD WIN; ERRANT PITCH SCORES MONDESI IN NINTH : DODGERS 2, SAN FRANCISCO 1.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

After three and half months and eight and a half innings, Dodger Stadium finally was rocked to its core.

It happened Tuesday night as Raul Mondesi scored on a wild pitch by San Francisco closer Robb Nen that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 victory and a crowd of 41,513 a chance to let loose.

It happened because the fans realized that regardless of how disappointing this season has been, the Dodgers have shaved 3-1/2 games off the Giants' wild-card lead in the last six games.

Suddenly, it seems they have more to come back for today than Orel Hershiser's first start here since leaving the Dodgers in 1994.

``There was electricity in the air in the ninth inning,'' Dodgers manager Glenn Hoffman said. ``It just seemed something good was going to happen.''

The victory didn't change the Dodgers' place in the National League West. They trail division-leading San Diego by 12-1/2 games. But by handing the Giants their fifth consecutive loss since the All-Star break, the Dodgers moved to within 4-1/2 games of the top wild-card spot.

``The losing streak isn't planned,'' said Giants manager Dusty Baker, who dropped three to Colorado to start the second half. ``I'm bewildered why we lose to teams in the West. Concerned, yes. Worried, no.''

Mondesi reached base after doubling off the glove of diving third baseman Bill Mueller. Giants reliever John Johnstone (2-5) then intentionally walked Gary Sheffield before giving way to Nen. Eric Karros struck out and pinch hitter Matt Luke should have ended the inning with a ground ball to short. But Rey Sanchez bobbled the ball in a hurried attempt to get a force at second.

Rookie third baseman Adrian Beltre was next and got ahead in the count 1-0. Nen's next pitch was a breaking ball away and ticked off the glove of catcher Brian Johnson. The ball rolled 15 feet from home plate, but it was enough to score Mondesi.

Not to be overlooked in the victory was Scott Radinsky, who blew away the Giants in the final two innings for his fourth victory in eight decisions.

Radinsky, who had six blown saves during two months as the Dodgers' closer, was brilliant in holding down the Giants after Charlie Hayes tied the game at one in the seventh with an RBI single against Antonio Osuna.

Radinsky struck out five overall and held off the Giants until Nen's wild pitch scored Mondesi.

``Tonight I saw great velocity and a lot of confidence,'' said pitching coach Charlie Hough, who played with Radinsky on the Chicago White Sox. ``When he came off the mound, you could see in his eyes that the confidence was back.''

For six innings, the only run was a fifth-inning homer by Dodgers catcher Charles Johnson, who looks like he might be climbing out of one of his painful-looking batting slumps. Johnson entered the game just 2 for 19 on this homestand, but he lined a sharp single to left to open the third. This is the same Johnson who went hitless in 35 at-bats after reaching base on his first at-bat as a Dodger. He broke that slump with a May 28 home run against Cincinnati.

Tuesday, he came up again in the fifth with two outs and drove a 1-0 fastball from Mark Gardner 433 feet into the left-field stands for his 12th home run.

For six innings, Chan Ho Park looked like the big-game pitcher of a year ago when he was 5-0 in July and finished tied for the team lead with 14 victories. He entered the game with a 5-0 record at Dodger Stadium and was undefeated here in his last 10 decisions.

Most of the time he cruised, striking out Hayes to end the second, Johnson to end the fifth and Sanchez to end the sixth. And though he has been receiving 7.53 runs support per outing, Park looked like he could make Johnson's home run stand up. One reason was his control. Park did not walk a batter until he reached the seventh.

Then he walked three, setting up Hayes' game-tying single.

``I felt that I could pitch well tonight,'' Park said. ``But even better was that we won the game as a team.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo

PHOTO (Color) Raul Mondesi of the Dodgers was out on this steal attempt, but he made it to home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.

Tina Gerson/Daily News