Brewers Remain Lost Against Park

Maybe the Milwaukee Brewers should pay Chan Ho Park $20 million not to pitch.

It might be money well spent, considering how Park dominates the Brewers. He did it again Monday night in a 3-1 victory before a sellout crowd of 42,132 at Miller Park.

Park (10-6) overwhelmed the struggling Brewers (43-55) for the third time in as many starts, extending their season-high losing streak to 10 games in the series opener.

With Park setting the tone, the surging Dodgers (57-43) earned their ninth victory in 10 games, moved a season-high 14 games above .500 and pulled closer to the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

Setup man Matt Herges escaped a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the seventh, and closer Jeff Shaw worked a perfect ninth for his 29th save and second in as many days.

The Dodgers trail the Diamondbacks by only a half game, and Manager Jim Tracy has many reasons to smile.

“There are a lot of special things happening here,” Tracy said. “What we’re in the midst of right now, our offense is complementing our pitching staff.

“The big thing that you see in Chan Ho is his fastball command. That’s something I’ve been looking for from Chan Ho, which would separate him and send him into an elite class as far as pitchers.

“His fastball command has been awesome. When he’s pitching like he’s pitching right now, with the command of his fastball, he’s going to match up against anybody.”

The right-hander pitched 6 2/3 strong innings on a hot and humid evening, giving up his only run against Milwaukee in 22 2/3 innings this season.

Park improved to 6-0 with a 2.36 earned-run average in nine career starts against his favorite opponent, lowering his overall 2001 ERA from 3.00 to 2.93.

“I just feel better because I know their guys,” Park said. “I know what type of hitters they are.”

Tracy summoned Herges with two out in the seventh and runners on first and second because Park had thrown 105 pitches and appeared exhausted.

“I don’t know what the heat index was, but he was completely soaked through his uniform,” Tracy said.

“In his last couple of innings, his fastball command, he was losing it a little bit.

“I wasn’t going to allow another runner to reach base and then go get him. If we happened to mess it up out of the bullpen, he ends up with a loss.

“I wasn’t going to let that happen. I wasn’t.”

Herges hit pinch-hitter Luis Lopez with a pitch to load the bases, but former Dodger Devon White grounded out to end the inning.

“It wasn’t easy because of [the heat] and humidity,” Park said. “I had to change about four shirts and two uniform tops.’

Dodger batters provided just enough support.

McKay Christensen continued to stir things atop the batting order, getting three of the club’s 11 hits and driving in the Dodgers’ second run in the third.

In three games since being promoted from triple-A Las Vegas, Christensen has 10 hits in 14 at-bats with five runs batted in, four runs and two stolen bases.

“He’s a scrappy guy, and he does some things you like to see a leadoff hitter do,” Tracy said.

“What I’ve seen in McKay Christensen, in these first three days, is that not only is he a baseball player, but he’s an intelligent, winning-type baseball player. He understands how to play the game to win.”

Adrian Beltre hit his 11th home run in the second to tie the score, 1-1, against Brewer starter Allen Levrault (4-5), and Shawn Green closed the scoring with his team-high 26th blast against the right-hander in the sixth.

Green, who homered in his third consecutive game, left in the seventh because of a migraine.

“I was standing on the field and my vision started to get real blurry,” Green said.

“I’ve had it happen a few times in my life, so I knew what it was.

“The head is just barely hurting right now. It’s the vision.

“At the time, the head didn’t hurt at all, I just couldn’t see. When it happens, the vision gets screwed up for 30 or 40 minutes.”

Unfortunately for the Brewers, Park’s vision was perfect.

“Chan Ho pitched well against us all three times,” Brewer Manager Davey Lopes said.

“That’s about all I can say about him.”

NL WEST STANDINGS

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W L GB Arizona 57 42 -- Dodgers 57 43 .5 San Francisco 52 48 5.5

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