Park Pitches Past A's

First, Chan Ho Park had to beat the flu. Once he did that, the Oakland Athletics were no problem.

Park pitched eight strong innings to earn his first victory since May 13, and the Los Angeles Dodgers took advantage of some shoddy Oakland fielding to beat the Athletics 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Park (5-3), who retired the first 10 batters, scattered six hits while walking none and striking out six before being relieved by Scott Radinsky, who blanked the A's in the ninth.

Park was sent home from Monday night's game because he wasn't feeling well. He said that when he awoke at 10 a.m. Tuesday after 12 hours of sleep, he felt better.

"I was a little worried about this game," said Park, who had allowed only four runs in 15 innings in his last two starts but came away without a decision both times. "I really wasn't strong, I was just following the catcher."

Park came out for a pinch hitter after throwing 115 pitches 70 of them strikes.

"He pitched a very good ballgame," Dodgers catcher Charles Johnson said. "He started out in a groove and stayed in it. He really stayed consistent with his approach the entire game."

The Dodgers, who have won five of their last seven games, scored three unearned runs with two outs in the first off Jimmy Haynes (4-3) thanks mainly to a pair of mistakes by Oakland catcher Mike Macfarlane.

Eric Young scored from third and Jose Vizcaino went from first to third on a passed ball to make it 1-0.

Raul Mondesi then drew a walk and stole second, and Vizcaino and Mondesi both scored when Macfarlane threw the ball into center field.

In Oakland's 7-3 victory over the Dodgers on Monday night, Johnson's error in the first paved the way for four runs, only one of which was earned.

"It happened last night and we returned the favor tonight," Macfarlane said.

"It's weird, man," Johnson said. "It's part of the game. That's why we have one-sixty-something games, crazy things happen."

Young's two-out RBI double in the second made it 4-0, and the Dodgers got another run in the fourth on a two-out RBI double by Vizcaino.

Mike Blowers, a former Dodger, opened the fifth with his fifth homer to spoil Park's shutout bid, but the A's wouldn't score again.

"He was throwing hard, and throwing strikes, especially early in the count, and after that, he was throwing a pretty good breaking ball," Blowers said of Park. "When he's throwing strikes, as hard as he throws especially early in the count he's awfully tough."

Macfarlane said the A's were "like a bunch of chickens out there with our heads cut off" in the first inning.

"Jimmy battled his control again tonight, but that's going to happen," Macfarlane said. "It wa up to me to bring him back under control, and I didn't do it. He didn't pitch badly, but then again, when you hand a team three runs, basically gift-wrap them and get a guy out there (Park) throwing very well, that's what happens."

Haynes allowed six hits and five runs, two earned, in four innings.

Notes: The loss was just the second in six games for the A's. ... Oakland's Scott Spiezio singled with one out in the fourth to extend his hitting streak to 18 games. He was the first baserunner for the A's. ... Young aggravated a strained quad in his right leg when he was thrown out at the plate while trying to score on a single by Vizcaino to end the second, and came out of the game in the fourth. Manager Bill Russell expects Young to be back in the lineup Friday night against Colorado. ... The A's traded infielder Kurt Abbott to Colorado for cash and a player to be named later, and recalled infielder Mark Bellhorn from their Edmonton farm club of the Pacific Coast League. ... Dodgers reliever Darren Hall, sidelined since April 8 due to a tear in his right rotator cuff, pitched for about 10 minutes in a simulated game Tuesday afternoon. Pitching coach Glenn Gregson said he was "very encouraged" by Hall's work, and Hall said he hopes to get a rehab assignment shortly. ... The A's, who committed 51 errors in their first 61 games, made three in this one two in the first and the other in the third.

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