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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Who said pitchers can't hit for power?
Certainly not the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Chan Ho Park hit his first major league home run Thursday and
added an RBI single to back his seven shutout innings, leading the
Dodgers over the Montreal Expos 7-0 Thursday.
Gregg Olson pitched hitless relief for two innings to complete
the shutout. He struck out four, helping send the Expos to their
12th loss in 14 games.
Park (13-8) drove a first-pitch fastball 427 feet to
right-center for a solo homer to open the scoring in the third
against Javier Vazquez (8-6). It was his first homer in 256 career
at-bats -- and came just two days after teammate Ismael Valdes hit
his first homer in 318 big-league at-bats.
Dodger pitchers have hit five home runs this season, the most by
any staff in the majors and one more than San Francisco. Darren
Dreifort has homered three times, including two in his Aug. 8
victory over Chicago.
"Everybody says that pitchers aren't athletes," Olson said.
"But our guys are showing this year that we're still professional
athletes -- even though we don't get a chance to hit as much as
everybody else."
Shawn Green also homered and Adrian Beltre had three hits and
two RBIs for the Dodgers, who won a series for the first time in
six attempts by taking three of four from the Expos.
"This was a big series for us to get us going," Green said.
"Obviously, we're still a ways back, but we're looking to give
ourselves a chance to get really hot and sneak in there somehow.
"I think everyone's playing more relaxed than we were a couple
of weeks ago when we were only 2½{ games back. But now, we're just
going out there and playing, and better things are happening."
Park scattered five hits, struck out seven and walked one. He
allowed fewer than three earned runs for the sixth consecutive
start, and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth by striking out
pinch-hitter Fernando Seguignol and Peter Bergeron.
"That's about the best I've seen him throw," Expos first
baseman Lee Stevens said. "He spotted his fastball and was keeping
us off-balance with his changeup. And he made some big pitches when
we did get some guys on base."
With only seven starts remaining, Park is the only Dodger with a
mathematical chance of winning 20 games. If he doesn't, it would be
the first time in the franchise's 111-year history that the Dodgers
will go 10 consecutive seasons without a 20-game winner.
Dodger pitchers have won 20 games 38 times since 1900, but not
since Ramon Martinez went 20-6 in 1990. Fernando Valenzuela's 21-11
season in 1986 ended a nine-year drought by Los Angeles without a
20-game winner.
"I'm not going to say he's going to go 7-0 over his next seven
starts, but he's got a shot," Olson said. "But if he throws the
ball like he did today, I'd say, yeah.
"He's throwing unbelievable. He's really got his confidence
back, and you can tell. He feels like he can throw anything he
wants, anywhere he wants to, and get the guy out. He's done it over
the last six starts, and he's dominating. Even before that, he was
throwing the ball extremely well -- not getting the Ws, but keeping
us in the game," Olson said.
Vazquez gave up five runs and six hits in four innings and
remained winless over his last six starts, including five
no-decisions. It was the right-hander's shortest outing in 26
starts this season.
"He was unhittable the first two innings," Expos manager
Felipe Alou said. "But when Park hit the home run, it kind of
upset him and rattled him."
Vazquez, who beat the Dodgers with a one-hitter last Sept. 14 at
Dodger Stadium, surrendered hits to the first four Dodgers in a
four-run fourth inning that increased their lead to 5-0.
Green led off with an opposite-field drive to left-center for
his 23rd homer. Eric Karros singled, took third on Devon White's
single and continued home when the throw to third from right
fielder Wilton Guerrero sailed into the camera well.
Guerrero started in place of older brother Vladimir, who missed
his third straight game because of a strained left shoulder.
Beltre followed with an RBI single, Chad Kreuter walked and Park
capped the rally with an RBI single up the middle. With his two
hits, Park is 13-for-53 this season and has five RBIs.
Game notes
Vazquez's start was his eighth on the road in 10 outings.
He had not allowed a home run in 22 innings since giving up a
season-high three at Houston's hitter-friendly Enron Field on Aug.
4. ... The Dodgers placed OF F.P. Santangelo on the 15-day disabled
list, retroactive to Aug. 23, because of a torn ulnar ligament in
his left thumb. They also purchased the contract of INF Jeff
Branson from Triple-A Albuquerque and made room for him on the
40-man roster by designating RHP Apostol Garcia for assignment. ...
Expos RHP Tony Armas, on the disabled list since July 15 because of
a strained rotator cuff, will start a rehab assignment this weekend
with Triple-A Ottawa.
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