Dodgers Come All Way Back : Baseball: They shake off forfeit, rally to beat Pirates, 3-2, and catch Rockies in NL West.

Oh, so that’s what can happen when you play an entire game.

The Dodgers, still seething over their forfeit, showed the Pittsburgh Pirates and the National League office that anything is possible in late innings, pulling off a 3-2 victory Friday night in front of a paid crowd of 34,899 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers’ comeback victory enabled them to move into a first-place tie with the Colorado Rockies for the first time since July 1.

“This is what it’s all about,” said catcher Mike Piazza, who drove in the game-winner with a one-out single in the eighth. “That’s why I just hope and pray that forfeit doesn’t cost us. If we lose the division by a game, man, you’re going to have some upset people around here.

“That’s why we’ve got to get a comfortable lead, so we don’t have to think about that game anymore.”

The Dodgers realize they can’t do anything but lodge a formal protest with the league office after forfeiting Thursday night’s game to the St. Louis Cardinals.

At least the fans came back.

They cheered when starter Ismael Valdes (9-7) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning. They screamed when closer Todd Worrell struck out Steve Pegues for the final out in the ninth, recording his 23rd save. And they yelled even louder when the scoreboard immediately displayed the National League West standings.

The Dodgers, who have won 16 of their last 23 games, set up the comeback in the top of the eighth. The Pirates loaded the bases with one out when Nelson Liriano stepped to the plate.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda kept Valdes in the game, believing he still was pitching well. Liriano hit a screaming line drive toward the left field line, but third baseman Dave Hansen--who will return to the bench today for Tim Wallach--dove to his knees, speared the ball, and nearly doubled up Jacob Brumfield off third.

Valdes applauded, and then stepped back on the mound and struck out Jay Bell looking. Valdes pumped his fist all the way to the dugout.

The rest was easy. Pinch-hitter Delino DeShields led off with a single to left, his first hit since July 17. Mitch Webster sacrificed. Chad Fonville walked.

Jose Offerman tied the game with a single to center, and Fonville took third when Brumfield’s throw to the plate was late. Piazza then stroked a single to left for the game-winner, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.

Worrell, and not any members of the umpiring crew, officially declared the game over by striking out the side in the ninth.

“The significance now is that we can go ahead of [the Rockies],” Lasorda said. “Before today, we had to catch them. Now, we can jump over them.”

The Dodgers didn’t know whether to be more excited for their victory or the idea that they were able to complete a game. Yet, despite the baseball-throwing incident Thursday night that caused the forfeiture, there was not so much as a beach ball thrown onto the field this night.

“The fans were great,” Piazza said. “Really, except for a few people [Thursday], they were great too. We want them to keep coming out, but just leave your balls at home.”

Said first baseman Eric Karros, the first player to be ejected in Thursday’s game for arguing with umpire Jim Quick: “I just hope that game doesn’t come back to haunt us. It was just a case where everybody got too emotional. It got the best of me. The best of the fans. The best of the umpires. Everybody.”

This night was completely different. There was not a single complaint the entire night toward home-plate umpire Harry Wendelstedt and his crew.

The umpires, in fact, were teased by most of the players, who asked if they feared for their safety. First base umpire Brian Gorman even received a red batting helmet in his locker for protection.

“I don’t know what the big deal is,” said center fielder Raul Mondesi, who broke his 0-for-19 hitless skein with a seventh-inning single. “That was nothing. In the Dominican when that stuff happens, we keep playing. They’re crazy over there.

“You just want to make sure you don’t lose, because when you do, they throw rocks at your car and everything.

“Now that’s pressure.”