PEREZ MAKES PITCH FOR '99; WORK PROVIDES HOPE FOR L.A. ROTATION : DODGERS 1, SAN FRAN. 0.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

Kevin Malone says he doesn't need to go out and find an ace this winter. Carlos Perez agrees.

Malone, the Dodgers' new general manager, says he is comfortable with five quality pitchers who will keep him out of the free-agent bidding for Kevin Brown or Randy Johnson.

Perez says Malone already has his No. 1 starter and continued to prove it Sunday by defeating the San Francisco Giants 1-0 for his fourth consecutive complete-game victory.

Perez said he learned a lot about being an ace watching Pedro Martinez win a Cy Young Award last year when the two were teammates in Montreal. He learned how to pitch inside, challenge hitters and go deep into a game when the bullpen needed a rest.

``I like everyone to know that when they give me the ball, they are getting nine innings out of me,'' said Perez, who has seven complete games. ``The next time I pitch I am going to throw another nine.''

Perez (11-13) was facing the same Giants that went through six Dodgers pitchers and scored 18 runs the day before. Sunday, no relief pitchers even got up to get loose.

The Giants are clinging to faint playoff hopes and were given a boost with eight innings of two-hit pitching by left-hander Shawn Estes, last year's 19-game winner who has been derailed most of the season with shoulder problems.

Estes' only mistake came two batters into the game on a homer by Trenidad Hubbard that stood alone on the scoreboard for nine long innings.

The crowd of 40,184 at 3Com Park desperately wanted a victory, but instead settled for a classic.

``That was a great baseball game,'' Estes said. ``The guy just outpitched me.''

Now the Giants are four games behind the New York Mets for the National League wild-card spot with seven to play. The Mets, who lead the Chicago Cubs by a game, have five games left.

The Dodgers were eliminated Friday night and proved it by getting crushed Saturday. But as the next-day pitcher, Perez charted the game and learned a few things. He saw that Dodgers starter Ismael Valdes never came inside with a fastball that is much better than his own.

And he thought the Giants needed to pay for beating the Dodgers so badly.

``They treated us like a minor-league team,'' said Perez, who did not win in his first six starts after joining the Dodgers on Aug. 1. ``I wanted to prove we are still a quality team.''

Even with so little margin for error, Perez was rarely challenged Sunday. The Giants didn't get a runner to third until the eighth, when Brian Johnson opened with a triple to right over the head of Raul Mondesi.

But Perez retired pinch hitter Marvin Benard on an infield out, walked Ellis Burks, then got Bill Mueller to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Perez, who allowed four hits and three walks, broke into a dance that often infuriates opposing teams. But Malone, who was Perez's GM in Montreal, said he would never want to curb the left-hander's emotions.

``He was like that in '95 when he broke in, and I told him he doesn't want to lose who he is,'' Malone said. ``But I don't need him to be a No. 1 pitcher. My view here is that five quality starters will get the job done with this team next season.''

As Perez was speaking after the game, Valdes poked his head past the crowd and gave him a high five. Valdes made 86 pitches Saturday and never got out of the third inning.

``He needed to come inside and he never did,'' said Perez, who made 122 pitches Sunday. ``He has great talent, but he needs to let the hitters know who is in charge.''

Perez said he learned that watching Martinez, who took his Cy Young to Boston, where he became a $75 million pitcher.

``He told me when you are the ace of the staff, you are going to get a lot of people watching your every move,'' Perez said. ``The fans, the media, even your teammates. But he said that is where you want to be as a pitcher. You want the responsibility.''

The Dodgers haven't had that since Pedro Martinez's brother Ramon was lost for the season in early June with a torn rotator cuff. Chan Ho Park has won his last three starts and 13 overall. Brian Bohanon and Dave Mlicki have pitched well since coming over from the Mets. But there hasn't been that one guy to take the ball in big games.

``It took a while to get comfortable here,'' Perez said. ``But now everything is great.''

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Photo

PHOTO Carlos Perez contorts his body to deliver pitch during complete-game 1-0 victory over San Francisco.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press