GAGNE LEADS DODGERS : DODGERS 5, SAN DIEGO 2.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

The little guys won a big game for the Dodgers.

The middle of the order was shut down Friday night, but Tripp Cromer and Greg Gagne each had two-run doubles in a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres in front of 47,518 at Qualcomm Stadium.

``Those are the kind of guys who keep rallies going,'' Dodgers manager Bill Russell said of Gagne and Cromer. ``You win ballgames with them. They don't get the credit they deserve.''

Gagne and Cromer made a winner of Pedro Astacio, who won his second consecutive start after going a month without a victory. Although he raised his season mark to just 5-7, Astacio is 5-0 against the Padres lifetime.

The victory moved the Dodgers into second place in the NL West - six games behind San Francisco and a half-game ahead of Colorado - for the first time since May 26. It was also the Dodgers' fourth straight win, a feat last accomplished May 2. At 43-42, they are above .500 for the first time since June 1.

Eric Karros, Raul Mondesi and Mike Piazza were a combined 2 for 14, but Gagne, the 35-year-old shortstop who has considered after and during this season, extended his hitting streak to eight games by going 2 for 4 with a two-RBI double Friday.

Roger Cedeno, the 22-year-old center fielder getting his longest look in the majors, extended his hitting streak to seven games with a and scored the deciding run.

And Cromer, called up two weeks ago to spell Gagne but currently filling in at second base for the injured Wilton Guerrero, gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the second inning with his own two-RBI double. Billy Ashley, the frustrated left fielder making just his 23rd start of the season, was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

A ground ball by Karros scored Cedeno with the third run and Zeile was 2 for 3 and scored twice.

``It takes everybody,'' Gagne said. ``One, two, three guys are not going to carry the club. It's kind of like a different hero every night.''

And with two games left before the All-Star break, the Dodgers are hoping to capture some momentum heading into the second half.

``We've dug ourselves a hole,'' Russell said. ``We've got to dig ourselves out of it and try to go into the break on a positive note.''

So maybe the coming together of all facets the Dodgers have been waiting for is finally happening. Maybe the Dodgers should be thankful they've faced Danny Jackson (1-7) twice in the past week and three times in the past month. They are 3-0 against him.

For the sixth time in their eight meetings this season, the Padres scored in the first inning on Friday when Rickey Henderson led off with a single, advanced to third on a single and a grounder and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wally Joyner.

The Dodgers took the lead in the second inning with consecutive hits by Mondesi, Zeile, Ashley and Cromer. If Mondesi wasn't thrown out trying to go to third on Zeile's single, Cromer's double inside the third base bag would have scored three instead of two.

After Quilvio Veras' home run tied the game in the third inning, the Dodgers took the lead for good in the fifth. Cedeno led off with a single and went to third on a walk and a grounder. Karros hit a hard grounder back to the mound that slowed after ricocheting off Jackson's glove, allowing Karros to beat out a double-play attempt and Cedeno's run to count.

The Dodgers loaded the bases on consecutive singles by Zeile, Ashley and Cromer in the sixth, and Gagne continued his recent tear by doubling home two runs to give the Dodgers the 5-2 edge. Gagne is hitting .387 during the streak and has back-to-back two RBI games.

``We need to finish off strong before the break,'' said Gagne, the only one of the unlikely heroes left in the clubhouse a mere 10 minutes after the game, as most of the Dodgers cleared the clubhouse in an attempt to beat the post-fireworks crowd out of the parking lot.

``We need to make up some games, have a good feeling going into the break.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Padres center fielder Steve Finley leaps above the fence to take a home run away from the Dodgers' Raul Mondesi.

(2) Dodgers right fielder Raul Mondesi is tagged out by Archi Cianfrocco while trying to advance on a grounder in L.A.'s victory over San Diego.

Associated Press