Park gains win no. 12 in 2nd complete game

Park Chan-Ho (27, LA Dodgers) finally gained his 12th win with a complete game.

Park started against the New York Mets at L.A. Dodger Stadium on August 20 and pitched all 9 innings, racking up 10 strikeouts and giving 4 hits, 1 run and 2 walks, leading his team to a 4-1 victory. This was Park¡¯s 5th complete game in his career and the 2nd for the season. He dragged his ERA down from 3.97 to 3.81 with the win.

Park was able to get his 12th win on his 4th attempt. There were concerns about his condition after he missed his start on the 17th due to flu symptoms, but he has seemingly recovered completely and is now on course to surpassing his one season win record of 15.

The game was a record setting game for Park Chan-Ho. He got his 800th career strikeout after taking down Jay Payton in the 2nd inning and, on a different note, gave away his 100th homerun to Derek Bell in the 1st inning. After finishing the game, Park had 808 strikeouts since his debut. He continued his record of completing all of his games, one of which was a loss, at home in Dodger Stadium.

Bell¡¯s homer to left field in the first inning was the only run he gave up in the game. Overcoming his momentary lapse, Park hurled a near perfect game by taking control of the Mets` batters. Except for the 5th inning, he got the lead-off hitter out, giving the Mets no real opportunity to score. Five of the lead-off hitters were struck out. Even in the 5th, when Payton got on base with a base hit, the inning was easily wrapped up as he was tagged stealing second.

Precise control was the backbone of Park`s brilliant performance. Giving up only 2 walks, Park overpowered the Mets batting line and used his low outside ball as his main weapon.

LA succeeded in taking the lead in the 3rd, 0-1 down, after Goodwin got a base hit and Gary Sheffield followed with a 2 run homer. Eric Karros increased the lead to 3-1 with another homer. Sheffield closed out the game in the 8th inning with a solo homerun. Gary Sheffield is now second in the National League homerun derby with 40, behind Sammy Sosa (41 homeruns) of the Chicago Cubs.

Park is expected to start his next game on August 25 against the Montreal Expos at home.