Rodriguez Has Double the Fun : Dodgers: He hits two homers and knocks in all the runs as Candiotti goes all the way in first start, 3-2.

Darryl who?

In his second game as the replacement for Darryl Strawberry, put on the disabled list because of a substance abuse problem, left fielder Henry Rodriguez filled the role to perfection Wednesday night, smashing a pair of home runs to lead the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Marlins before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 44,393.

“I feel no pressure,” said Rodriguez, a big grin on his face as he talked to reporters after the game about the opportunity fate has placed before him.

Rodriguez drove in the first two Dodger runs with a towering home run over the 395-foot sign in right-center field in the fifth inning, picking on a 1-0 fastball off starter and loser Ryan Bowen after a walk to Tim Wallach.

That pushed the Dodgers ahead, 2-1, after Jeff Conine had given the Marlins the early lead in the fourth inning with a home run off starter and winner Tom Candiotti. It was Conine’s second home run in as many days.

The next time Rodriguez came to bat, it was the seventh inning and his club was tied. Bret Barberie’s first home run of the season in the sixth, a ball that barely made it to the seats in right field, had gotten Florida even.

But Rodriguez, on a 2-2 changeup, gave the Dodgers back the lead and, as it turned out, the victory, with a drive that landed in the right-field seats just to the left of the bullpen.

Three days ago, Rodriguez was comfortably settled in as the Dodgers’ fourth outfielder.

Then, Strawberry failed to show up for the Dodgers’ final exhibition game. When it was learned that Strawberry would be gone from the club indefinitely, Manager Tom Lasorda went to Rodriguez and told him he would be starting in Strawberry’s place.

“It all happened so fast,” Rodriguez said. “Everybody was surprised. When Tommy told me, I felt the pressure.”

But by the time he took the field for Tuesday’s opener, Rodriguez was relaxed.

“I was just going to play,” he said.

And play he has.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez, who batted .311 during the spring, was two for three with a single, double and walk.

After hitting his second home run Wednesday, Rodriguez said he started laughing.

After receiving the applause of the crowd and the congratulations of teammates, he sat in the dugout and watched the replay of his game-winning hit.

“I always watch home runs,” he explained. “I watch my swing to remember how I did it.”

The 26-year-old from the Dominican Republic has been in the Dodger organization since he was signed as a free agent in 1985. But Rodriguez has gotten a chance to play with the big club only in the last two seasons. Over that span, Rodriguez had appeared in 129 games, batting .220 with 11 home runs and 37 runs batted in.

“Henry has waited and waited,” Candiotti said. “He’s been very patient. It’s a great story.”

Candiotti’s story Tuesday, although overshadowed by Rodriguez, wasn’t so bad, either.

He became the first Dodger pitcher to get a complete game in his first start of the season since Tim Belcher in 1990.

Candiotti hadn’t gone more than six innings in the spring. But by the sixth inning, Candiotti wasn’t ready to surrender the ball.

“In a close game like that,” the knuckleball-throwing right-hander said, “You don’t want to come out. By the sixth inning, I felt like I was getting stronger. I felt locked in.”

The victory broke a five-game losing streak for Candiotti, who finished last season 0-5 with a 4.17 earned-run average, winding up the year 8-10.

A new feature in Lasorda’s office this season is four small birds in a cage.

When the Dodger manager walked into the office after the game, he said, “The birds were singing.”

And so is Lasorda, who has seen his season go from despair to delirium.

And it’s only two days old.