DODGERS NOTEBOOK: ACUPUNCTURE BENEFITS PARK.

Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer

Acupuncture treatment might not be totally accepted in the United States. But if it can help his players, Dodgers head trainer Charlie Strasser doesn't care what the rest of America thinks about it.

Dodgers right-hander Chan Ho Park, who left Tuesday's home opener after six innings with a stiff lower back, is scheduled to start tonight's 5:05 p.m. game against Houston. To help heal his injury, the Korea native received acupuncture treatment from a private doctor Wednesday and Thursday and seems to be recovered.

Strasser believes the last Dodger other than Park to use acupuncture was Pedro Guerrero, who played in Los Angeles from 1978-88.

``(Acupuncture) is just another form of treatment used in (Asian countries). A lot of it is believing that it is working,'' said Strasser on Saturday. ``But we're not that narrow minded to think that we have all the answers. It is something that (Park) believes in.

``A lot of people say it relaxes them, and then there is some that say it doesn't help them at all. Chan Ho thought it was going to help, so he went and got it done as part of our program in conjunction with what we are doing in our training room.''

Although his back is still a little sore, Park said that he feels much better and is ready to pitch today. On Friday, he showed proof of his recovery by throwing in the bullpen. Before his injury in his last outing, Park struck out six and gave up just one unearned run on seven hits over six innings against Arizona.

Where's Biggio: Houston second baseman Craig Biggio entered Saturday's game with an active consecutive games streak of 392, which is a distant second to Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. Biggio also hasn't missed a game since July 31, 1995. To his surprise, he wasn't in the starting lineup for Saturday's game, which included the possibility of being canceled because of rain. However, he did enter the lineup in the bottom of the ninth inning at second base.

DODGERS vs. HOUSTON

Game time: 5:05 p.m.

TV/Radio: ESPN; KXTA-AM (1150), KWKW-AM (1330 Spanish).

Matchup: In the third of a four-game series at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles right-hander Chan Ho Park (1-0, 1.69) will face Houston left-hander John Halama (0-1, 11.25). Park earned his first win in the Dodgers' home-opening 9-1 victory over Arizona on Tuesday. The Korea native struck out six and gave up just one run on seven hits over six innings but left the game with lower-back stiffness. The rookie Halama took a no-decision in his last appearance, on April 7 at San Francisco, and allowed four runs on six hits in the Astros' 5-4 loss.

--- Marc J. Spears

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BOX: DODGERS vs. HOUSTON (see text)