Piazza Is a Hit in DH Role

OAKLAND — If Mike Piazza’s legs ever give out from catching, he can always switch leagues and become a designated hitter.

Piazza doubled in the go-ahead run with one out in the ninth inning Friday as the Dodgers came back from a two-run fifth-inning deficit to defeat the A’s, 6-4, before 28,235 at the Oakland Coliseum.

That gave Piazza five hits in nine at-bats as a designated hitter as the Dodgers split the two-game interleague series against Oakland.

Piazza just missed getting his 12th home run of the season, drilling a double off the top of the right-field scoreboard against relief pitcher Dane Johnson to drive in Wilton Guerrero, who had led the inning with a double off reliever Aaron Small.

Raul Mondesi was intentionally walked, and Eric Karros walked to force in a run.

“I like [being the designated hitter], but I wouldn’t want to do it every game,” Piazza said. “I think it’s a nice option, especially for guys like myself who catch a lot of games. It keeps your legs fresh.

“I don’t know what the big controversy is. I think the only benefit to it is that it would probably make games shorter because the pitcher doesn’t hit. You can look at it 10 different ways.”

Karros, off to the worst start of his career, hit a one-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning to tie the score, 4-4.

Steve Karsay, who has given up two home runs in each of his last three starts, gave up his team-high 14th home run to Karros, who belted a two-strike pitch into the left-field bleachers. Karros has 15 RBIs in his last 20 games and has hit in six consecutive games.

Closer Todd Worrell worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save in 18 chances.

Outfielder Karim Garcia, recalled from the minors Thursday night after the Dodgers demoted Todd Hollandsworth to triple-A Albuquerque, drove in two runs with a bases-loaded, two-out first-inning single.

The Dodgers recalled Garcia, who was hitting .298 with 16 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 56 RBIs in 63 games for the Dukes to inject some life into their offense.

“We hope to get some run production out of him,” Dodger Manager Bill Russell said. “Karim was having a excellent year in triple-A and hopefully he’ll continue hitting up here.”

Garcia, who didn’t learn he had been promoted until Friday morning, arrived here Friday afternoon, flying in from Phoenix, where the Dukes had played Thursday night.

“The flight was the longest hour and a half I’ve ever spent,” Garcia said. “I was a little surprised when they told me I was coming here. I didn’t know who was going to go down and I was surprised when they told me that Hollandsworth had gone down because he was rookie of the year.”

After taking early batting practice, Garcia started in left field, where Hollandsworth had started 33 games. Garcia produced immediately, slapping a one-and-one pitch into left field, to drive Zeile and Piazza, who had singled.

Russell used his 43rd different lineup and his 25th in the last 27 games, moving Mondesi to the cleanup spot.

It was the third time that Mondesi, who had a seven-game hitting streak coming into Friday’s game, has batted cleanup this season.

Mondesi, who had two hits in his first three at-bats to extend his streak, has 10 hits in 17 at-bats in his last four games, with six RBIs.

Dodger starter Pedro Astacio, who was involved in an angry exchange with Russell after being pulled from Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings with six strikeouts and three walks before he was relieved by Darren Hall, who worked a scoreless eighth to earn his first victory of the season.

After walking Mark McGwire to open the eighth inning, Hall struck out Jose Canseco, induced Matt Stairs to fly out to left and got George Williams to ground out.