[0] DODGERS SEND MESSAGE; PARK FLAWLESS IN ROMP OF GIANTS : DODGERS 11, SAN FRANCISCO 0.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

Chan Ho Park glanced at the runners on first and third, then looked in at batter Jeff Kent.

In the past, he would have let his mind wander, stopping to think about Kent's 18 home runs and 64 RBI this season and about his own penchant for allowing homers. But Park is starting to act like a veteran. He is starting to talk like a veteran.

``I've got a good fastball,'' Park said of his mid-90s heat. ``So I use a fastball to get him out.''

He struck out Kent, ending a sixth-inning threat, the Giants' only threat.

In the biggest game of this season, which is barely past its midpoint, the Dodgers sent Chan Ho Park, who is barely 24 years old, to try to bring down the Giants in front of 42,942 at Dodger Stadium..

The Dodgers were looking to set a tone for this series and perhaps the rest of the season with a victory Thursday. An 11-0 rout, which moved them to within five games of the first-place Giants, might have accomplished that. Maybe not. It was just the day after the All-Star break.

Moreover, this could do wonders for Park, and in turn for the Dodgers, who need the rest of their starting rotation to step up in the wake of injuries to Ramon Martinez and Ismael Valdes.

``Coming out of the break, he gets the nod as the Opening Day pitcher so to speak,'' manager Bill Russell said. ``We needed a well-pitched game and he gave it to us. It's got to be a plus for him. I know it is for us.''

The Giants got just three hits as Park equaled his season high by going seven innings. His 119 pitches prevented him from going further.

``He threw with a lot of confidence,'' said Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza, particularly impressed with Park's sixth inning.

Said Kent of his missed opportunity: ``I'm still dumfounded I missed it. I was right on that pitch. That's why he won - he made pitches like that.''

Darren Dreifort pitched the eighth inning and Antonio Osuna the ninth to get the Dodgers off to the right start in this four-game series that is as crucial as it can be given the timing.

On any other night, it might have been just a losing streak-stopping win for Park, who had not won in four starts or lasted until the seventh inning in his previous three starts. The first of those three was a 4-2 loss at San Francisco last month, in which he allowed four runs in 6-1/3 innings. His last victory was June 11.

Dodgers pitching coach Dave Wallace has seen Park mature in the last few weeks, while he has struggled but maintained poise. The Dodgers have won three of his past five starts.

``For sure it was a big win for me,'' Park said. ``The last five or six games have been hard for me. Today's game was a little easier.''

The Giants bumbled and showed the Dodgers none of the pitching that held the Rockies to one run in three games last week. It all seemed easy for the Dodgers as they achieved their first seven-game winning streak since May of 1994. It was the third time in their past four meetings the Dodgers scored 11 runs against the Giants.

The Dodgers reached double digits in hits, with 16, for the sixth time in the past seven games. More significantly, they bunched them.

After Brett Butler started the game with a single and Roger Cedeno followed with a double, Piazza and Eric Karros drove in the first two runs with a sacrifice fly and grounder, respectively. Todd Zeile's single up the middle scored Raul Mondesi, who had doubled, in the fourth. Piazza led off the sixth with a solo home run. Karros and Mondesi followed with successive singles and a double steal. Karros scored on a sacrifice fly by Zeile.

The Dodgers scored six runs in the eighth, including three on a home run by the no-longer-surprising Tripp Cromer, to complete the rout.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--color) Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park looks for the call as he covers first, but Giants' Jose Vizcaino was called safe.

(2) Dodgers' Brett Butler high-fives Mike Piazza after scoring on Piazza's sacrifice fly in the first inning.

Myung J. Chun / Daily News