RIVALRY BOILS WHEN OSUNA PLUNKS BONDS.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

Any concern that apathy had infected the once-crackling Dodgers-Giants feud was dispelled late Saturday night in a finish that was, well, furious.

The Giants were two outs away from a third straight loss to the Dodgers and faced slippage to only a three-game lead in the standings. But after three home runs, seven runs scored, a plunking of Barry Bonds and a lot of consequent glaring and yelling, this rivalry appeared firmly reinstated in the wake of the Giants' 8-5 victory.

``Fine, man,'' said manager Dusty Baker, who spat in the direction of Antonio Osuna shortly after the Dodgers reliever bounced a pitch off Bonds' thigh, an action that touched off a bench-clearing finger-pointing session. ``I know my guys come to play. We aren't starting nothing, but we damned sure aren't taking nothing, either.''

``It's all part of the job,'' added outfielder Glenallen Hill, who had to be screened off by L.A.'s Eric Karros while barking some abuse at Osuna. ``This is the big leagues, with two very competitive teams, two high-spirited teams. When you have two teams with as much pride as these two, anything can spark off something like that.''

Osuna's action might have been prompted by an earlier pitch by Julian Tavarez that sailed over Karros' head. Baker said that if a pitcher was trying to knock someone down, ``he doesn't throw three feet over his head.''

As San Francisco produced its 24th come-from-behind victory of the year - but only its second in 33 opportunities in the ninth inning or later - Jeff Kent answered Osuna's plunking with a two-run bomb to left off the Dodgers reliever.

``It was real satisfying,'' said Baker, an ex-Dodger. ``Very rarely do you see that.''

Said Kent: ``I think it was a calling card to us what Osuna did. I don't think he should have been doing it. (Todd) Worrell (tagged for six runs in the inning) should have been doing it.

``But it's the nature of the game. Barry knows it. They know it. Just turn the page and go on.''

Indeed - turn the page to an apparent revival of full-scale acrimony between the Dodgers and Giants.

Brush with a legend: Baker, after hearing during the afternoon that Dodgers Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax was visiting the stadium, invited Koufax to chat with Shawn Estes, San Francisco's 24-year-old ace left-hander.

Estes, who was born seven years after Koufax's career ended in 1966, was so awed he asked for an autograph.

``It was a nice visit,'' said the Giants pitcher, who will take a Koufax-like record of 12-2 into today's start against the Dodgers. ``I would like to hang out with him for a night. Just ask him anything that came to mind.

``He was dominating. It would have been nice to see him pitch.''

Estes said the two talked about everything from curveball grips - he was amazed to hear that Koufax threw three different curves - to mental preparation for the late innings.

Mystery man: Dodgers left-hander Dennis Reyes, promoted to the major leagues to start today, is something of an unknown quantity to the Giants - perhaps because he has pitched for three minor-league teams in the last year and a half.

``We hear he's a lot like Fernando (Valenzuela),'' San Francisco hitting coach Gene Clines said of Reyes, who is a dead ringer for the former Dodgers folk hero - body type, carriage, pitching style . . . everything. ``He doesn't throw the screwball, but he's got everything else.''

Clines went on: ``Our scouts have given us a little bit of an idea what he's going to do, but pitching in the minor leagues and pitching up here is a different ballgame. We'll see what kind of composure he has.''