DODGERS NOTEBOOK: WORRELL LOSING THE CONFIDENCE GAME.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

The quiet in the Dodgers clubhouse Monday, after what they called the biggest win of the season at that time, was due in part to the fact they'd just played baseball for almost five hours.

But it was also a product of fear that closer Todd Worrell's continued troubles will cost the team dearly in the pennant race.

``If he doesn't start getting the job done, we're not going very far,'' one teammate said Tuesday.

Also, Dodgers pitching coach Dave Wallace said Tuesday what teammates have quietly beeen saying for two weeks.

``I think his confidence is shaken,'' Wallace said of Worrell.

Worrell and Wallace met for about 10 minutes Monday after Worrell blew a save opportunity for the 10th time this season - a career high. Worrell has blown three of his past five save opportunities and five of 13 since Aug. 3.

Worrell, who lives in St. Louis during the offseason, was told to skip pregame workouts Tuesday and arrived at the ballpark an hour before the game.

Manager Bill Russell reiterated his pledge to keep giving the ball to Worrell in save situations. He also said again that he would call on another reliever to save a game if the situation dictated it.

The natural: Lost among the heroics of Tom Prince, Mark Guthrie and Darren Hall in Monday's game was the three innings of one-hit pitching by Dennis Reyes. The 20-year-old Reyes, who was 2-2 in four starts for the Dodgers this season and will likely join their rotation next year, has been continually effective in pressure situations.

``You don't teach what he's brought here,'' Russell said. ``He's very confident and relaxed.''

Hair of their chin: Numerous Dodgers have suddenly sprouted facial hair. Mark Guthrie, Billy Ashley, Eric Karros, Brett Butler, Raul Mondesi and even Todd Zeile are in various stages of growing goatees.

There is a longstanding unwritten team policy that prohibits any facial hair below the corners of the mouth. But winning evidently has veto power.

``We'll go with whatever works,'' executive vice president Fred Claire said, smiling widely after his club took a two-game lead. ``They all look good to me. I've never seen them look so good.''

Recovery? Chan Ho Park, who will start tonight in San Francisco, has been extremely beatable lately. He has long admitted to being distracted by the pressures of being Korea's most popular person. And after his last start, in which he allowed Houston five runs on eight hits in just four innings, he said the pressure of the pennant race caused him to try too hard.

``Admitting a problem is the first step to recovery,'' Russell said. ``(Park) makes adjustments. He'll be a different pitcher (today).''