[0] DODGERS TURN IT AROUND; PIAZZA, PITCHERS GANG UP ON GIANTS : DODGERS 5, SAN FRAN 1.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

It doesn't take much for the Dodgers pitching staff to overmatch an opponent. It seems they need a decided mismatch, however, to ensure a victory.

And that's what the San Francisco Giants presented them with Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Ramon Martinez, who ranks sixth in National League Cy Young voting in the 1990s, against . . . Keith Foulke?

It was no contest. Even for the Dodgers. They struck early against the Giants rookie, then rode their pitching staff's customarily superlative effort for a 5-1 victory before 30,357 fans.

``This was a big win for us, with the way we've been playing,'' said Dodgers manager Bill Russell. ``It shows if you score some runs for the staff, you're going to win a lot of ballgames.

``Ramon is our go-to guy. When we need a win, he'll get it for us.''

Martinez (5-3), who has seen the Dodgers win nine of his 13 starts this season, set an unmistakable tone. By the time the L.A. pitchers were finished with their night's work, they had struck out a season-high 14 batters.

And those were the National League West leaders they were facing?

``Everybody knows they're in first place,'' said Martinez, who matched a season high with nine strikeouts as the Dodgers (28-28) moved to within four games of the front-running Giants (32-24). ``But the first thing I wanted tonight was to pitch good and try to get the win. We want to have a good homestand so we can get closer.''

The Dodgers, who had dropped six of their previous seven games, ensured themselves an uplifting start to this homestand at the expense of Foulke, who didn't even get his first taste of Triple-A until this season, much less the major leagues.

The 24-year-old right-hander, pressed into the rotation because of Osvaldo Fernandez's disabling elbow injury, entered the game with an ERA pushing 8.00.

Then he gave up four runs over the first two innings, as Mike Piazza blasted a 454-foot home run to left in the first inning (No. 9 on the season) and the Dodgers used the two-run triple of Juan Castro and the infield RBI hit of Brett Butler to strike for three more in the second.

Amid all the postgame euphoria in the home clubhouse, however, Wilton Guerrero could not help but wear a sheepish expression. His use of a corked bat earlier this week, which led to an eight-game suspension, loomed even more idiotic when his replacement, Juan Castro, was felled by two leg injuries in this game.

Castro sprained his right knee and bruised his left leg while sliding into third in the second, and he had to leave the game. That left the Dodgers with only two middle infielders: shortstop Greg Gagne and Castro's replacement, Nelson Liriano.

A member of the Dodgers medical staff said he believed Castro's injury was not serious but that a more definitive diagnosis could be rendered today.

Still, it gave the Dodgers a bit of a scare. ``Hopefully, it's day to day. We're getting kind of thin there,'' said Russell, who admitted that his emergency option Wednesday night would have been to position reserve catcher Tom Prince on the infield. ``He could just get in front of (grounders) like a catcher,'' Russell said with a gallows smile.

The composition of the infield was rendered a moot issue in this game. Piazza, with his home run and subsequent RBI single, and the pitchers saw to that.

After Martinez blew down nine batters, allowing only one run, in his seven innings, Mark Guthrie and Antonio Osuna followed him with one strikeout each before Todd Worrell got the side on strikes in the ninth.

``I was told going in that his fastball rises,'' Giants first baseman J.T. Snow said of Martinez. ``And it did. That's why there were a lot of check swings. He pitched a great game.''

Of the uncommon prosperity of a 4-0 lead after two innings, Martinez said, ``It's very different. You go out there with a four-run lead . . . and it's not easy to beat us.

``I'm very positive with all the guys that everything is going to turn around. Hopefully soon.''

Now, if only the Dodgers could face a Keith Foulke every night.