Dodgers Almost Get Their Man in Ninth

Just when the Dodgers were about to make Mel Rojas their newest best friend, leave it to Chicago Cub Manager Jim Riggleman to be the party pooper.

Riggleman, not about to let Rojas cost him his job, yanked his closer in the ninth inning Saturday night and the Cubs hung onto a 2-1 victory in front of 44,519 at Dodger Stadium.

The Cubs, winning for the seventh time in 28 games, nearly watched yet another game dissipate, but Wayne Kirby’s hopper was snared by Gold Glove first baseman Mark Grace for the final out.

“I’m standing there thinking, ‘This is beautiful, a nice, simple shutout,’ ” Grace said. “The next thing I know, I’m watching base hit, base hit, base hit.

“I’m going, ‘Oh, no, not again.’ ”

The Cubs, who had a 2-0 lead with veteran Terry Mulholland one out from his first shutout in four years, watched Eric Karros hit a single into left field for only the Dodgers’ sixth hit of the game.

Riggleman pulled Mulholland and brought in Rojas, who may have a three-year, $13.5-million contract, but he also walked four batters in the ninth inning Friday night, helping the Dodgers earn an 8-7, 10-inning victory.

“I couldn’t have slept if one of their power hitters had done it to us tonight,” Riggleman said. “If one of the power hitters hit one, it would have been against a right-hander.”

So in came Rojas, who picked up right where he left off.

Raul Mondesi slammed a single to right, and Karros stopped at second. Todd Zeile, who had been hitless this season with two outs and runners in scoring position, fouled off three full-count pitches before lining a single to left, scoring Karros and advancing Mondesi to third.

Riggleman had enough.

He went to the mound and called for Terry Adams, their right-hander who has pitched 16 1/3 shutout innings this season.

Kirby, who drew a run-scoring walk that tied the game Friday, never had faced Adams. On a 2-1 pitch, he guessed fastball and got it, pulling it down the line.

“I didn’t see [Grace] over there,” Kirby said. “Usually, he’s on the line pushing off and going in the hole. That one he didn’t push off.”

Said Grace: “I got it, and looked back at [first base umpire Rick Rieker] and just said, ‘Please call it fair. Please call the damn thing fair.’ ”

Grace stepped on the bag, saw Rieker’s arm gesture fair, and the game was over.

Ismael Valdes (1-4) was nearly as dominant as Mulholland during his 7 2/3-inning performance, but the difference was that his defense collapsed around him and the offense never showed up.

The calamity began almost from the outset when Ryne Sandberg hit a fly ball to left-center. Left fielder Billy Ashley ran toward the ball, began to settle under it, but when the ball hit his glove, center fielder Todd Hollandsworth crashed into him. The ball caromed away, and Sandberg was safe at second with the error being charged to Ashley.

With two out, former Dodger Dave Hansen made it hurt with a single up the middle for a 1-0 lead.

Hansen, who wound up with two hits and a walk, now is batting .385 this season.

As it turned out, the Cubs blew the game open in the fourth inning with one more unearned run.

Zeile booted Brooks Kieschnick’s grounder, then threw it over first baseman Karros’ head into the camera well. Kieschnick took second, and Zeile was charged with two errors.

Scott Servais walked, and then Rey Sanchez loaded the bases when he beat out an infield single to shortstop. Mulholland struck out, bringing up Brian McRae.

McRae hit a slow bouncer behind second base. Wilton Guerrero fielded the ball cleanly, but had no play, scoring a run. The Dodgers averted disaster when Ryne Sandberg struck out with the bases loaded.

Still, it proved to be enough.