LATE SHOW BECOMING A HIT FOR DODGERS L.A. WINS, EXTENDS NL WEST LEAD DODGERS 3, SAN FRAN. 2.

Byline: RICH HAMMOND Staff Writer

Back when Eric Gagne ruled this town, the ninth inning was showtime at Dodger Stadium.

Now it seems that the Dodgers are turning the late innings into something special again. For a second consecutive night, they came up with a late rally, as Julio Lugo's eighth-inning sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers a 3-2 victory over San Francisco in front of 53,695 Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers won for the 13th time in their past 14 games and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of Arizona and San Diego for first place in the National League West, thanks to some more late-night mettle.

With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth and left-handed hitters J.D. Drew and Andre Ethier due up, the Giants turned to lefty reliever Mike Stanton (3-6), but the strategy worked far better for the Dodgers.

Drew doubled into the right-field corner and Ethier, who entered the game hitting .370 (17 for 46) against lefties, including an eighth-inning homer Thursday, moved Drew to third with a sharp single to left.

That brought up Lugo, who was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts on the night. Lugo hit a towering fly ball to center field off reliever Brian Wilson, deep enough to score Drew with the go-ahead run.

``We executed some simple fundamentals and it paid off for us,'' Dodger manager Grady Little said. ``That at-bat with two strikes, to come back and get a sacrifice fly, that was very big.''

Unlike the night before, when regular closer Takashi Saito blew an eighth-inning lead, the Dodgers turned to Jonathan Broxton, who pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his second save.

Saito had pitched in three consecutive games and four of the past five.

``Right now, we'll take as many pitchers down there as we can find,'' Little said. ``We feel comfortable with two or three who can do that job, but Saito will be the closer for us until further notice.''

By the ninth inning, starting pitcher Mark Hendrickson was gone, but his effort was not forgotten. Going into Friday's game, Hendrickson had made three starts at Dodger Stadium, losing two and allowing 12 earned runs in 18 innings. Hardly inspiring, especially in a park that's supposedly kind to pitchers.

Hendrickson fared far better Friday night. He allowed just two runs in seven innings, scattered 10 hits, walked four and struck out three. Brett Tomko (8-6) pitched the eighth to earn the victory.

For his fourth consecutive start, Hendrickson formed a battery with catcher Toby Hall, his former teammate in Tampa Bay, and the results have gotten better with each start together.

``Toby knows me, he knows how I pitch,'' Hendrickson said. ``I work well with Russ (Martin) as well. It's just one of those things where the manager figured out we work well together. As long as we keep working well together, we'll keep doing it.''

The game was close throughout. Jeff Kent broke a 1-1 tie with a leadoff home run in the fourth, but Barry Bonds tied it again in the fifth when he slapped an RBI single through the left side of a shifted infield.

Hendrickson built on his previous outing, Sunday at Florida, when he threw six strong innings for his first Dodger victory. Friday's game got off to a solid start for Hendrickson and the Dodgers, as Nomar Garciaparra's first-inning sacrifice fly off Giants starter Noah Lowry (Pepperdine) gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning, Ray Durham singled to drive in Omar Vizquel and tie the score 1-1.

Lowry lasted 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on six hits, walked three and struck out five.

``He was very strong tonight, with the cool weather and (playing) outdoors,'' Giants manager Felipe Alou said of Lowry.

The Giants had a chance to break the 2-2 tie in the seventh. With Bonds on first, Ray Durham hit a ball in the gap. Bonds advanced to third but Durham was thrown out at second by Andre Ethier.

``They make a great throw to get Ray at second base, and that's a big play,'' Alou said. ``With two outs, you try to extend it. It looked like the (play) was safe. (Ethier) made a good play.''

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Photo:

Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent vaults over the Giants' Ray Durham after recording a force at second.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box:

DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO

- Rich Hammond