Park Can’t Stop Slide

The good news for the reeling Dodgers was that Barry Bonds did not add to his highlight-reel season against them Monday night.

Typically for the Dodgers, though, several of his San Francisco Giant teammates had starring roles in a 5-2 victory before 40,942 at Pacific Bell Park.

The major league’s home-run leader still has 39 after going hitless in two at-bats with two walks against Dodger starter Chan Ho Park and reliever Matt Herges.

But Jeff Kent was four for four, hit his 11th homer and had three runs batted in.

Mark Gardner (4-5) had his best start in almost a month, Armando Rios had a two-run double and Robb Nen recorded his 22nd save.

The Dodgers (38-37) dropped their fourth in a row and seven of eight despite another strong seven-inning, 10-strikeout performance from Park (8-5) and Paul Lo Duca’s 10th homer.

They had only five hits against the Giants (41-35), who are five games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West.

The third-place Dodgers are moving in the opposite direction.

Quickly.

“We struggled on the home stand, we’re struggling on the road . . . it’s definitely difficult right now,” Lo Duca said. “We just have to try to get going in the right direction somehow. We need to start having fun again.”

The Giants took command on Kent’s one out, bases-loaded, two-run double in the eighth against Herges to break open a 3-2 game.

After pinch-hitter Felipe Crespo struck out, Calvin Murray singled to left and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Herges walked Rich Aurilia with Bonds on deck, and pitching coach Jim Colborn initiated a mound conference.

Colborn told Herges to pitch very carefully to Bonds and Herges obeyed, walking him on four pitches far outside the strike zone to load the bases for Kent.

Kent hit a chopper to third. Adrian Beltre broke in and the ball went over his head and down the left-field line.

The Dodgers intentionally walked Rios to load the bases again and Benito Santiago grounded into a double play.

“We didn’t sustain any type of offensive pressure whatsoever,” said Tracy, whose club is 13-22 away from Dodger Stadium.

“Unfortunately, we got a bad bounce in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and that brought in the two additional runs. I can’t fault the effort that we gave, we’re just not swinging the bats well at all right now.”

Park (8-5) delivered his 13th consecutive quality start, giving up four hits and three runs.

The right-hander was a stabilizing force in a shaky rotation while No. 1 starter Kevin Brown was sidelined because of an irritated nerve in his neck, pitching at least seven innings in six consecutive starts.

In 43 innings, Park was 3-1 with two no-decisions, a 2.72 earned-run average and 47 strikeouts.

“He’s been nothing but a plus for this ballclub,” Tracy said of Park. “He’s done nothing but pitch great ballgame after great ballgame and he was good again tonight.”

Gardner was good Monday, but most opposing starters have been against this bunch lately.

In a 112-pitch outing, Gardner pitched at least seven innings for the first time since May 28.

He gave up four hits--including Lo Duca’s homer--and two earned runs. Gardner walked one and struck out six.

In the seventh, catcher Chad Kreuter had to be restrained after being ejected for arguing a called third strike.

Umpire Alfonso Marquez made the call on a full-count curveball that Kreuter thought was high.

Kreuter argued while he walked into the dugout and continued to dispute the call and Marquez tossed him.

Tracy raced from the dugout but was beaten by Kreuter, who shouted at Marquez while Tracy pushed him away, once grabbing him by the throat, with help from third base coach Glenn Hoffman.

“Totally uncalled for in my opinion,” Tracy said of the ejection. “He didn’t use a swear word. He never used profanity.”

Lo Duca pulled the Dodgers even, 2-2, in the fourth with a leadoff homer to left on Gardner’s first pitch.

The Giants, however, quickly reclaimed the lead in their half of the inning on Kent’s leadoff homer to left. Kent--the league’s most valuable player last season--homered on an 0-and-1 count.