LO DUCA HAS A BLAST DAAL PITCHES CLUTCH GAME DODGERS 1, SAN DIEGO 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

The Dodgers are used to these finishes, to their season hinging on late-inning at-bats. They lived it for the past week, but never to the extent they did Friday.

Already set in the notion they must win the rest of the their games, the Dodgers continued their late-inning heroics when Paul Lo Duca homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning to power the Dodgers to a 1-0 victory against San Diego at Dodger Stadium.

But the excitement surrounding the team that spilled out of the dugout to mob Lo Duca at home plate was tempered before most of the players even reached their lockers. Moments after Lo Duca's homer gave the Dodgers hope, San Francisco closer Robb Nen finished off a 2-1 Giants victory against Houston to push the Dodgers to the brink of elimination.

The Giants lead the National League wild card by 2 1/2 games. They reduced their magic number to one and will clinch the playoff berth with their next victory or the Dodgers' next loss.

The Dodgers (91-69) could miss out on the playoffs despite their first 90-win season since 1996.

``Our season hangs by a thread,'' Dodgers left fielder Brian Jordan said. ``What's his name, Salarsis (actually, Houston pitcher Nick Saarloos, who pitches against the Giants today)? Holy (cow). It's in his hands right now. All I can say is whatever his name is, he holds our destiny. Or should I say fate? One or the other.''

Actually, the Dodgers' season rests on the right arm of Kevin Beirne - who will make his fourth career start for L.A. this afternoon - as well as Saarloos, the former Cal State Fullerton product who grew up in Long Beach cheering for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers have two games remaining against the Padres, and the Giants play Houston twice more. If needed, the Giants will play a Monday make-up game in Atlanta.

``I hit the home run and come in and see the Giants won,'' Lo Duca said. ``You're happy. I hit the home run to win the game, and then you're like, `Oh, man.' I think the whole clubhouse is Houston Astros fans right now. You can't say we're not scoreboard watching because I'd be lying. We win (today) and Houston wins (today), it'll be interesting with (Houston's Roy) Oswalt going on Sunday, but we still have to win two games.''

What the Dodgers will take from Saarloos is an Omar Daal-type performance. Daal allowed two hits in eight innings Friday, striking out six and walking three.

Dodgers closer Eric Gagne (4-1) pitched two scoreless innings to win for the second time in three days. He hasn't allowed a run in 9 1/3 innings against the Padres this season.

``We're just trying to make it harder (for the Giants),'' Daal said. ``Our chances are little now. We know that, but you can't give up. We've still got a chance. I know it's very hard, but they're still there.''

Lo Duca's homer off Padres reliever Jeremy Fikac into the left-field pavilion seats, his first since Sept. 15 and 10th of the season, gave the Dodgers their fifth victory in six games. Each of the five wins have come in their last at-bat, and each with similar drama to what Lo Duca provided.

However, Lo Duca admitted a certain level of disappointment that the Dodgers, despite their late-inning rallies, actually have lost ground to the Giants in the past week.

The Giants lost to the Dodgers in the finale of a four-game series Sept. 19 and haven't lost since. San Francisco has won six in a row, beating Milwaukee three times, the Padres twice and Houston to pull within one victory of the postseason.

``It's frustrating,'' Lo Duca said. ``It's not like we're giving it to them. We're playing well, but they just keep winning.''

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Photo:

Paul Lo Duca celebrates after his game-winning home run in the 10th inning Friday night that keeps the Dodgers' playoff hopes alive.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer