DODGERS NOTEBOOK: POOR HITTING SENDS PENA TO ALBUQUERQUE.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

Angel Pena, the rookie catcher who platooned with Todd Hundley much of this season, was sent to Triple-A Albuquerque after Sunday's game.

Pena, considered the Dodgers' top prospect, was demoted after going 1 for 11 on the seven-game homestand. He will be replaced by Paul LoDuca, who opened the season with the Dodgers but batted just .056 in 14 games before he was sent back to the minors.

LoDuca, 27, struggled so much at the plate it appeared he might never make it back to the big leagues. His situation wasn't helped when he missed seven weeks at Albuquerque with a broken right hand. But he returned to action July 20 and hit .459 (17 for 37) with two doubles, a home run and four RBI in the last 11 games.

Pena, 24, batted .208 with the Dodgers, but the club was excited with his throwing arm and occasional power. He threw out a respectable 28 percent of baserunners but upset the Dodgers with his habit of throwing to second from his knees.

Pena's conditioning also concerns the Dodgers. He is 5-foot-10 and weighs 228 pounds. In Saturday's loss to the Diamondbacks, Pena had trouble getting to a pitch in the dirt by Alan Mills. Mills was charged with a wild pitch, but the play illustrated Pena's lack of mobility.

``He is a quality big-league catcher and he'll be back one day,'' said Hundley. ``He just needs to play.''

Shaw returns: On top of all the Dodgers problems, Jeff Shaw has been struggling. He had dropped consecutive save opportunities for the first time since April 1996 and both were painful losses to the Reds and Diamondbacks on this homestand.

But Shaw rebounded Sunday with a scoreless ninth inning in the Dodgers 4-2 victory over Arizona for his 22nd save.

``It is the life of a closer,'' said Shaw, who had recorded 13 consecutive saves before blowing up earlier this week. ``You go through little stretches like this, but you have stay confident in your ability and it will turn around.''

Quick hits: Dodgers starter Chan Ho Park remains winless at Dodger Stadium this season after lasting just five innings and allowing two runs and five hits. He made some mistakes that concerned manager Davey Johnson, who took him out after 104 pitches. ``I wouldn't call it a quality start, but he kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win,'' Johnson said. ``He showed good command and that pleased me; he just missed a few pitches, so I got him out of there.'' Park, 9-4 with a 2.75 ERA last year at Dodger Stadium, is 0-6 with a 6.25 ERA this season. . . . The Dodgers leave this morning for a 10-game trip that begins with three games in Houston, continues with four in New York against the Mets and concludes with three in Montreal.

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PHOTO JEFF SHAW

After dropping consecutive save opportunities for first time since April 1996, he rebounded Sunday with scoreless ninth inning for 22nd save.