A GREAT EIGHT FOR DODGERS DEFEAT ROCKIES CONVINCINGLY DODGERS 14, COLORADO 5.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE Staff Writer

The Dodgers' list of things to do this month begins and ends with winning the National League West division championship.

But just below that formidable assignment remain a handful of sub- category tasks, and to be sure the successful completion of those goals will go a long way toward determining the most prominent objective.

The Dodgers hope they took a gigantic step in that direction Saturday, as they led 14-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning the Colorado Rockies in front of 48,984 at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers' eighth straight victory would moves them a season-high 11 games over .500 and keeps them four games ahead of second-place San Diego in the National League West.

Just as important, it featured the re-emergence of Nomar Garciaparra and J.D. Drew's power game.

Garciaparra has struggled through a severe hitting funk over the past two months, watching his average tumble from .358 to .312 after hitting a meager .215 since the All-Star break in early July.

The hitting slump was aided by a knee injury that sidelined him for two weeks between late July and early August, then compounded by his overcompensating for the injury since returning from the disabled list Aug. 9.

But he looked perfectly fine in the third inning against Colorado starter Aaron Cook, muscling a three-run home run to centerfield that traveled an estimated 417 feet and gave the Dodgers a 5-0 lead.

Then in the sixth, Garciaparra worked Colorado reliever Ramon Ramirez for a bases-loaded double into left field to drive in three runs and put the Dodgers ahead 12-5.

Garciaparra finished with two hits and three RBIs.

Drew had an RBI double in the second and a solo home run in the fifth to put the Dodgers ahead 7-0 Much like Garciaparra, Drew has struggled since the All-Star break while hitting .255 with five home runs and 27 RBIs.

Prior to that, he was hitting .288 average with nine home runs and 50 RBIs.

The seven-run lead should have been ample enough for starter Brad Penny to cruise, but the big right-hander couldn't get make it to the seventh after Colorado lead-off hitter Kaz Matsui led off the sixth by outrunning a lazy throw by Jeff Kent to first to set the stage for a five-run inning.

The big blow came on Cory Sullivan's three-run double to deep center to pull the Rockies to within 7-5.

Penny was pulled at that point in favor of reliever Elmer Dessens, who got Clint Barmes to strike out and pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborghs to ground out to end the inning.

Despite the sixth-inning stumble, Penny was in line to pick up his league-leading 15th win and his fifth over the Rockies this year.

It's the first time a Dodgers pitcher has won five games against Colorado in one season, and it's the first time a Dodger has beaten an opponent five times in one year since Orel Hershiser beat the Braves five times in 1988.

He's got Garciaparra to thank most.

Ironically, Dodgers manager Grady Little talked extensively about Garciaparra's struggles before the game and hinted he might give his first baseman the day off today in the series finale.

"He just hasn't been able to get back into a groove since (injuring the knee) and he's working doubly hard to get it going," Little said.

Little admitted Garciaparra may have thrown his swing out of whack by making adjustments to compensate for the affects of the injury, but was confident the extra work he was putting in with hitting coach Eddy Murray would eventually straighten things out.

"He's going to get it going," Little said.

He sure did Saturday night.

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Jeff Kent, right, runs home past Colorado catcher Yorvit Torrealba and scores on an infield groundball.

(2) The Dodgers' Nomar Garciaparra hits a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies pitcher Aaron Cook in the third inning Saturday.

Francis Specker/Associated Press

Box:

DODGERS VS. COLORADO