ONE ANEMIC ATTACK DODGERS CAN'T BACK UP FINE PITCHING JOB BY PARK SEATTLE 2, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Staff Writer

SEATTLE - In a frustration-filled season, why would the final game before the All-Star break be any different?

The Dodgers mixed solid pitching by Chan Ho Park with more anemic hitting Sunday. The results were bitter: a 2-0 shutout by the AL West- leading Mariners before a sellout crowd of 45,251 at Safeco Field. This was the second time this season the Dodgers have been shut out in consecutive games.

Park gave up just three hits in seven innings, and all were to catcher Joe Oliver, including a two-run home run in the second inning. Park (9-6), foiled in his fourth try at 10 wins, gave up just one earned run with six strikeouts and three walks, and retired 16 of 18 Seattle batters in one stretch.

The only other hit Seattle got was an Edgar Martinez single off Antonio Osuna in the eighth.

``You would think you give up two runs, you should have a ballgame,'' catcher Jim Leyritz said.

Not this season. Not after suspensions, injuries and overall inconsistent play.

Sunday was just another day at the ballpark for the Dodgers, who with a $90 million payroll didn't think they would stand 44-42 at the break and trail Arizona by six games. That's a lot better than 39-47 and 10 behind last year, but it's far below what they expected at season's start.

``I feel we're a better team,'' Gary Sheffield said. ``We don't play with a lot of enthusiasm. We don't take it to the other team and put them on their heels. Can't play the whole season like that. Can't wait 'till September thinking we're going to catch them.

``This late in the season, you'd think we'd pick it up a notch.''

All general manager Kevin Malone and manager Davey Johnson can do is shrug their shoulders. Malone knows the July 31 trading deadline approaches, but at this point, any available players wouldn't be ``upgrades.'' Nor is he sure there's enough depth in the farm system to make a deal.

Johnson has had to deal with Chad Kreuter's eight-game suspension, injuries to seven pitchers, including Kevin Brown and Jeff Shaw, and five position players, including the still-disabled Devon White.

Plus, there are more suspensions to be served, Mark Grudzielanek and F.P. Santangelo are sick and Todd Hundley has a bruised thumb.

``We've had a lot of adversity,'' Malone said in echoing the season's theme. ``That's why in the second half we'll perform better. We've got a better team than we've performed. . . . Talent rises to the occasion, and the desire to win. Players will elevate their performance to the next level. It becomes a pride issue. They're frustrated.''

Park has reason to be frustrated. By many accounts, he made just one bad pitch and Oliver made him pay with his drive to left. He drove in David Bell, who reached on Shawn Green's error.

``He was the best hitter in the world today,'' Park said of Oliver. ``He was 3 for 3: a curve down (for) a double, 3-2 curve (for) a single; an 0-2 fastball and he hit (a) home run. . . . I pitched good. I concentrated one pitch at a time. . . . I believed we'd be back.

``Hard luck. Very hard luck.''

Adding to the Dodgers woes was Seattle starter Jamie Moyer (8-3), who scattered seven hits and struck out eight in seven innings.

In the fourth inning, Sheffield walked and Eric Karros singled with one out, but Leyritz hit into a double play.

In the seventh, Mike Metcalfe got his first major-league hit, and Adrian Beltre - who Johnson placed second in the lineup in an attempt to get him to shorten his swing - also singled with none out. But Moyer got Green to fly out, caught Sheffield looking and induced a pop fly out of Karros.

Jose Paniagua pitched a perfect eighth with a strikeout, and Kazuhiro Sasaki pitched a perfect ninth for this 19th save and ninth in his past nine games.

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Photo: Seattle's Kazuhiro Sasaki earned the save with a perfect ninth. Three Mariners pitchers held the Dodgers to seven hits, no runs.

John Froschauer/Associated Press