DODGERS BLOW 7-0 LEAD, WIN IN 10TH : DODGERS 11 SAN FRAN. 7.

The Dodgers would really be in trouble without that great offense.

Huh?

As the invincibility has leaked from the pitching staff there may be cause for worry.

But as the inability has left the offense, there is no cause for panic.

The Dodgers scored seven runs in the first three innings, then watched a remarkable comeback by their opponent before scoring four more in the 10th for an 11-7 victory over the first-place Giants on Friday at 3Com Park.

``That was a big game for us to be able to turn the momentum around,'' said Dodgers closer Todd Worrell, who gave up a two-out home run to Barry Bonds that tied the game 7-7 in the ninth.

``Even after that,'' Worrell said, ``to be able to hang in there and get it back in our favor, the guys stepped up.''

Todd Zeile, who had singled and advanced to third on two walks by Giants pitcher Doug Henry, scored the winning run on a passed ball that got by Marcus Jensen. Eric Karros and Raul Mondesi, who had both walked, scored on Nelson Liriano's pinch-hit double, and Liriano scored on Wilton Guerrero's single.

Mark Guthrie got the Giants out in order in the bottom of the 10th to end the game.

With the victory, the Dodgers (35-36) moved back to within six games of the Giants (41-30), who have been atop the NL West since May 11. The Dodgers also moved within a game of the .500 mark, where they have not been since they were 28-28 on June 4.

Ismael Valdes, he of the legendary lack of run support, seemingly got enough backing Friday to get his first victory since May 25 and just his fourth in 15 starts this season. But Valdes allowed the Giants back in the game. Then his relievers allowed them to get even.

On five hits, three of them home runs, the Giants turned a 7-0 romp into a 7-4 squeaker with two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. After Bonds and J.T. Snow homered in the fifth, the Giants loaded the bases on two walks and a single but left them full when Valdes struck out Jose Vizcaino.

The ``Beat L.A.'' chants grew more hearty with every home run.

Valdes, who was replaced by Scott Radinskly with one out in the sixth, allowed four runs for the fourth time in his past five starts. In that span his ERA has soared from 2.25 to 3.51.

After Shawn Estes shut them down on four hits Thursday, the Dodgers knew nothing short of a sweep of the remaining three games would be satisfying. A split of the four games will mean the Dodgers go home Sunday night in the same spot they were when they came here - six games back.

``That makes this one we've got to win even more,'' Russell said before Friday's game. ``You don't want to say it's a must-win, but you see.''

Executive vice president Fred Claire, who has refused to acknowledge this as a series of any great import, even talked of not wanting the season to get away from the Dodgers.

``You don't want to get so far back you don't feel you have any realistic way to catch up,'' he said.

For a night, the Dodgers made the Giants play catch-up.

Back-to-back singles by Karros and Mondesi started the second inning. Both scored on Karim Garcia's home run out of right-center field. Greg Gagne followed with a solo shot out of right.

In the third, the Dodgers got three more runs on singles by Zeile, Karros and Gagne, a double by Mondesi and a grounder by Guerrero.

After Radinsky walked Rich Aurilia and Vizcaino, Stan Javier's bloop single scored Aurilia in the seventh inning to make it 7-5.