DODGERS LOOK SMALL AMONG GIANTS; PEREZ STILL OUT OF CONTROL AS BONDS' TWO HOME RUNS WIN IT : SAN FRAN. 6 DODGERS 3.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Adrian Beltre had a chance to atone for Carlos Perez. Instead he strained a groin muscle. What else is new with the Dodgers?

Beltre had a two-run homer Friday night at Dodger Stadium that shook the frustrated sellout crowd of 53,869 and appeared to give the struggling Perez a lift.

Instead, the Giants' 6-3 victory belonged to Barry Bonds, who had two of the four home runs off Perez. Bonds came in 3 for 18 lifetime against Perez with no homers and just one RBI.

He left after handing the Dodgers their fifth straight loss, one that dropped them 9-1/2 games behind the first-place Giants to open a mini, three-game homestand.

As for Beltre, one of the bright spots in the Dodgers' miserable season, he left after the fifth inning with a tight groin. He will be evaluated today.

There was no one to take up the slack. Todd Hollandsworth, starting in place of Gary Sheffield (flu) in left, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

In the seventh inning, the Dodgers had a chance to tie the game when Dave Hansen opened with a walk and Jose Vizcaino singled him to third. Pinch hitter Greg Counsell brought out the Giants left-hander Alan Embree to replace starter Chris Brock (5-6).

Counsell sacrificed both runners up, but Eric Young, who went 0 for 4, bounced to third and Hansen was thrown out at the plate. Hollandsworth took a called third strike to end the inning.

Marvin Bernard led off the top of the ninth with a home run off Dodgers closer Jeff Shaw. It was the Giants' fifth homer, the most in one game since August 1995 against Philadelphia. Robb Nen, who allowed a ninth-inning, game-winning homer to Todd Hundley last Saturday, pitched the ninth for his 21st save.

Friday night was a test for all the Dodgers, who came in with four consecutive losses and were still in last despite the fourth-place Colorado Rockies having lost eight straight.

Perez (2-9) was coming off his best outing last Saturday even though he received a no decision in the Dodgers 7-6 come-from-behind victory in San Francisco.

This time he showed improved velocity, especially in the strike zone. After retiring the first two batters in the first, Bonds launched a 2-1 fastball over the fence in right center.

Ellis Burks opened the fourth with a home run, his 12th. Two batters later, shortstop Rich Aurilia drove a 1-0 fastball into dead center for his 13th.

Trailing by three runs, the Dodgers came back. Hot-hitting Eric Karros lined a one-out double into the left-field corner off Brock Hundley followed with a sharp single to right. One out later, Beltre drove a 1-1 fastball into the left field stands to tie the game.

Karros came batting .410 (15 for 36) in his last 10 games and .357 (30 for 84) with six homers and 15 RBI in his last 23.

Beltre, batting over .300 most of his first full season, dropped to .290 with an 0-for-10 slump.

In the fifth, Perez retired the first two batters for the fourth time in the game before going to a 3-2 count on Bonds. Perez threw him a fastball and Bonds hit it into the right-field stands for a 4-3 Giants lead.

Jeff Kent followed with a double to left and scored on a single by Burks. Perez got out of the inning but was pulled after walking Aurilia to open the sixth. In five innings Perez threw 90 pitches, allowing six hits and five runs.

Bonds' fifth-inning shot marked the 34th multi-homer game of his Hall of Fame career. Last September, Bonds became the first player in major-league history to record 400 homers and 400 stolen bases.

After missing 47 games due to surgery on a torn left tricep tendon, Bonds is starting to show his old form. He was 1 for 17 after coming off the disabled list, but came to the plate in the first inning 12 for 40 (.300) with two homers, eight RBI and 10 walks since the slump.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--Color) The Dodgers' Todd Hundley can't interrupt a double-play toss by the Giants' Jeff Kent.

(2) Adrian Beltre's fourth-inning home run gives the Dodgers a brief moment of hope Friday.

Hans Gutknecht/Daily News