MAYBE HE CAN KEEP HIS JOB GRUDZIELANEK LEADS RALLY DODGERS 7, PHILADELPHIA 6.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

A month ago Mark Grudzielanek was about to lose his starting second base job because, of all things, he wasn't hitting.

Manager Jim Tracy made it known. In meetings with Grudzielanek, and in the use of middle infielder Alex Cora. The only thing that could keep Grudzielanek in the lineup was his bat.

Suffice to say, Grudzielanek's earned his spot in the lineup.

His two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning off reliever Mike Timlin took the Dodgers from a disgusting, disheartening loss to a euphoric 7-6 win over Philadelphia on Friday in front of 40,688 at Dodger Stadium.

Grudzielanek also bailed out reliever Paul Shuey, who suffered through another miserable outing in giving up an eighth-inning grand slam to Pat Burrell that transformed a 4-2 Dodgers lead to a 6-4 deficit.

Grudzielanek's heroics came after Paul Lo Duca singled with one out off reliever Rheal Cormier and pinch-hitter Eric Karros singled off Timlin. Grudzielanek then crushed an 0-2 pitch over the center-field fence for his sixth homer, and second in less than a week off Timlin.

Eric Gagne closed out the ninth for his 38th save, and the Dodgers' third consecutive win. It's the first time since a four-game winning streak June 25-28 that the Dodgers won more than two in a row.

Of course, for a moment in the top of the eighth inning it looked like a different type of night for the Dodgers.

There was the slow grounder shortstop Cora couldn't come up with that extended the inning. There was the two-strike pitch to Pat Burrell that was oh-so close to being a third strike.

But with that all said and done, the only thing that mattered to a groaning and disgusted crowd was the pitch Burrell skied a few rows into the left-field seats just inside the foul pole.

It was Burrell's fourth career grand slam and made Shuey's indoctrination into the National League even more painful.

Though Cora booted Placido Polanco's grounder with two outs and a runner on base to extend the inning, Shuey was ahead of Bobby Abreu 0-2 but walked him to load the bases. That set the stage for Burrell, who hit his 28th homer of the season in the second inning off Dodgers starter Omar Daal.

Burrell hit a 2-2 pitch a few rows behind the short left-field fence. This comes as Shuey has tried to endear himself to his new teammates and a new city, but with much difficulty. Since his acquisition days before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, Shuey hasn't been the dominant set-up man the Dodgers thought he would be. He has a 7.94 ERA in seven appearances, and he met a similar fate last weekend in Philadelphia.

Burrell's second homer and five-RBI outburst overshadowed a two-homer game for Dodgers outfielder Marquis Grissom, who started in place of injured Brian Jordan. Dodgers right fielder Shawn Green hit his 33rd homer, a two-run shot in the third inning, but that also was glossed over by Burrell's heroics.

Daal might be heading back to the bullpen in the next week, but he's giving Tracy plenty to think about before that decision becomes final.

Daal allowed seven hits and two runs in improving to 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA in his last five starts. He's pitched at least six innings and allowed two earned runs or less in each of his last four starts.

However, Daal's outing was hardly a breeze. Burrell hit a solo homer to lead off the second and Tomas Perez added an RBI grounds rule double later in the inning as the Phillies took a 2-1 lead.

The Phillies had at least one runner on base in five of the seven innings Daal pitched, but double plays got Daal out of trouble in the first, second, fourth and seventh.

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