DODGERS STOPPED SHORT : NEW YORK 4, DODGERS 3.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

In Rey Ordonez's world, run-scoring singles look suspiciously like double-play balls. Eric Karros' did, just as many others have. It was no fluke. Karros was doubled up with a shrug and a grin, and it was part of the reason the Dodgers lost here Saturday afternoon.

Ordonez, the Cuban shortstop for the New York Mets, went into the hole in the eighth inning, came out with a baseball, and took away a run for the Dodgers in their 11th one-run loss of the season. The Mets won 4-3 at Shea Stadium in a game in which the Dodgers scored one run in the final eight innings.

In the eighth inning, with runners at first and second base and no one out in what had become a 4-3 Mets lead, Karros hit a sharp one-hopper between shortstop and third base. The Dodgers needed a run to tie, and Todd Hollandsworth broke from second base.

``When I hit it I thought it was through,'' Karros said. ``Then I heard the crowd.''

Karros was out by 10 feet, as pinch-runner Chad Fonville was at second base.

Ordonez had gone quickly to his right, his backhand side, with a half-dive, half-slide move, snared the ball and then released it toward second base as he fell backward. It is part of why the Mets won, and part of why Ordonez, at 23, can't shake these Ozzie Smith comparisons. Second baseman Jose Vizcaino completed the play, which by then had become routine.

``It's no routine play,'' Ordonez said of his end of it, through an interpreter, ``but I've made that play before on many occasions.''

Not against the Dodgers, he hadn't. Not on Fox's opener, right in the middle of the Dodgers' attempts to stay in touch with the San Diego Padres.

``After I dove for the ball, I caught the ball and made the play to second base, and I knew I had time to make the double play,'' Ordonez said. ``When I dive for any ball like that, I just try to make a quality throw, an accurate throw to second base.''

It was all of those things, and more, when Raul Mondesi made the final out of the eighth inning on a grounder back to pitcher Doug Henry.

The Dodgers bemoaned their inability to hit in the clutch, and they were only 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, 0 for 6 after Mondesi's first-inning double. And they praised the Mets, who scored all four runs on two-out hits off Dodgers starter Tom Candiotti (3-5). But the conversation always was drawn to Ordonez, the rookie shortstop.

``The boy is nice, there isn't any doubt about that,'' Dodgers second baseman Delino DeShields said. ``But it's a time thing. You can't start talking about greatness. He's showing everybody he's got some skills. Thing is, after he dives, I haven't seen anybody get rid of the ball that fast.''

``Perfectly,'' third baseman Mike Blowers said from a couple lockers over.

``On the money,'' DeShields said with a nod.

The Dodgers? Just to the left of the money. Just a run short again, in a position that allowed Ordonez to catch a ball, throw it, dust himself off, and win the game.

``It looks like it did because it was late in the game,'' Karros said. ``But we had opportunities in the game.

``It comes down to Ordonez makes a great play and that's where it looks like the game was won or lost. Obviously it had an impact. But we didn't come through.''

Afterward, Mets manager Dallas Green strolled into the clubhouse, laughed and said to left fielder Bernard Gilkey, ``What do you think, Gil, the SOB can play, can't he?''

``Oh man,'' Gilkey said, ``it's a blessing.''

``The SOB can play,'' Green said again.

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Photo

Photo: Rey Ordonez slides home for the Mets as Mike Piazzaawaits the throw in the third inning. Ordonez scored on a Lance Johnson single.

Associated Press