GUTHRIE, DODGERS CATCH A BREAK : L.A. SWEEPS REDS TO STAY TIED FOR 1ST DODGERS 3, CINCINNATI 2.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

The baseball found Mark Guthrie's glove, and then it found Tim Wallach's, and while the Dodgers can't seem to shake the San Diego Padres, neither can the Padres lose these Dodgers, who on Wednesday night won for the 15th time in 19 games.

Their 3-2 victory against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium was founded in a masterful eighth inning pitched by Guthrie, one dramatic defensive play by the same left-handed reliever, and a few early runs that held up because of that.

``When things like that start breaking your way,'' Guthrie said, ``you hope it's an indication of destiny. I'm sure the Padres are thinking the same thing, with their late-inning homers.''

Guthrie pitched out of a none-out situation in that eighth inning, and with the Dodgers leading by a 3-2 score. Runners were at second and third bases, until Guthrie took a comebacker and picked off Lenny Harris, who drifted too far away from third. Barry Larkin, last season's MVP, then grounded into an inning-ending double play that started with Wallach at third base.

``It looked so grim,'' Guthrie said.

It turned out as their first home sweep of the Reds in three years. Ismael Valdes (13-7) rejoined the pennant drive with seven sturdy innings and Todd Worrell pitched a perfect ninth for his 42nd save.

Aside from the catcher who apparently will win the National League batting crown and in the process draw a few MVP votes, the left fielder who could be their fifth consecutive Rookie of the Year and the closer who has run his save total into the 40s, all coordinated by the rookie manager, the Dodgers remained atop the National League West, in a virtual tie with the Padres.

``When you win a game like this, a lot of good things have to happen,'' Dodgers manager Bill Russell said. ``You gotta have a little luck on your side.''

Against Reds left-hander John Smiley, Russell started Billy Ashley in left field, Chad Curtis in center field and Chad Fonville at second base.

Russell said that his decision to stay with his left-field platoon, and therefore bench rookie Todd Hollandsworth, was ``the hardest I've thought about it, the decision I made not to play him.''

As it was, Ashley struck out twice, once in the middle of the Dodgers' three-run fifth inning, and was replaced by Hollandsworth for defensive purposes in the top of the sixth inning. Hollandsworth will start today against St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Donovan Osborne, his first against a fellow lefty.

Fonville and Curtis - in place of Delino DeShields and Brett Butler - went a long way toward finishing the Dodgers' sweep of the Reds, who formerly dreamt of wild-card playoff berths.

DeShields, who has one hit in his last 29 at-bats and has had his average fall to .224, nearly 50 points below his career average, sat in the clubhouse before the game and found the career averages of Mark Belanger and Bud Harrelson in a baseball encyclopedia. He groaned and wondered how he had become them so quickly, in what is supposed to be the prime of his career.

He was rested in favor of Fonville, and probably won't play today.

In the absence of Butler, who broke his hand Tuesday night, Curtis is back in his center-field platoon with Wayne Kirby.

In the Dodgers' three-run fifth inning, Fonville drove in a run, Curtis drove in another, and the other scored as a result of Fonville's two-strike single followed by center fielder Eric Davis' throwing error. All three runs were unearned, since third baseman Willie Greene committed two prior errors.

This came in support of Valdes, who allowed five hits, including Davis' 25th home run, in seven innings. After a month in pitching seclusion, Valdes has pitched well in consecutive starts, and this was by far his best performance in a month.

``I was happy, man,'' Valdes said. ``It just came from nowhere. It's good to have the confidence back, especially when you have your stuff back.