BREWERS WON'T BUDGE DODGERS MISS CHANCES, FALL IN 10TH MILWAUKEE 4, DODGERS 2.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

The Brewers can't seem to figure out their designated role in this weekend's little get-together with the Dodgers, but major-leaguers tend to have this aversion to being labeled a pushover.

The Dodgers need to get some momentum going, need some comparatively easy wins, but the Milwaukee Brewers keep playing them tough and messing up their plans.

Saturday night the Brewers played them tough enough to come away with a 4-2 victory in 10 innings, when light-hitting catcher Henry Blanco hit a two-run homer off reliever Mike Fetters.

A Dodger Stadium crowd of 42,580 saw the Dodgers miss an opportunity to pick up ground on the Giants and Diamondbacks in the NL West. They both lost, but the Dodgers remain 2 1/2 back of San Francisco.

Then there are the Brewers, who entered the game 20-34 on the road, 45-64 overall and 14 1/2 games back in the NL Central. And wouldn't play the patsy.

Not with Geoff Jenkins hitting a pair of solo home runs off Chan Ho Park, who otherwise pitched a strong six innings. And certainly not with baseball's unexpected pitching sensation, Jeff D'Amico, holding the Dodgers to a pair of solo home runs from Gary Sheffield (his major-league leading 35th) and Shawn Green (his 19th) in his eight innings.

``They've got a good, young team,'' Green said. ``They're obviously building for next year when they get their new stadium. They're just out playing, having fun.''

Alas, at the Dodgers' expense Saturday.

Fetters and Juan Acevedo reversed roles from Friday night's game, this time Acevedo (2-4) picking up the late win and Fetters (4-2) the loss.

Dodgers manager Davey Johnson normally doesn't pitch Fetters on consecutive days.

``We're getting to the time of year, I don't consider anybody unavailable,'' Johnson said.

Fetters started the 10th well enough, before Jose Hernandez looped a single to right for his third hit.

Blanco, who also threw out three would-be base stealers, took his .222 batting average to the plate and jumped on Fetters' first pitch for his sixth home run of the season.

Park and D'Amico were long gone by the time the Dodgers entered their 10th extra-inning game of the season.

D'Amico, the 6-foot-7 right-hander who missed all of the 1998 season following shoulder surgery, was an odd puzzle for the Dodgers throughout the night. A big man who doesn't try to overpower hitters, he kept the Dodgers ofalance with slow curves and change-ups.

``You have to realize that's the best pitcher in the National League over the last month,'' Eric Karros said. ``It's not about how hard you throw, it's about mixing it up and keeping hitters guessing.''

When D'Amico did start Sheffield off with a fastball in the fourth inning, however, he regretted it in a hurry.

Sheffield originally came up with the Brewers - the only team in the majors of the 29 he had faced that he hadn't homered against. Until Saturday, anyway.

Sheffield jumped on D'Amico's fastball and delivered it several rows into the left-field pavilion.

Jenkins had given the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the first when he homered to right off Park. After Sheffield tied it, Jenkins gave Milwaukee the lead back with his second solo shot - this one to left in the sixth - his 21st of the season.

DODGERS vs. MILWAUKEE

Time: 5:10 p.m., at Dodger Stadium

TV/Radio: No TV; 1150-AM and KWKW-AM (1330 Spanish)

Matchup: Right-hander Ismael Valdes makes his first start at Dodger Stadium since being reacquired by the team last week. Valdes is only 2-4 with a 5.32 ERA this season, but has reason to be optimistic. He is 34-23 with a 2.50 ERA lifetime at Dodger Stadium. And one of his best outings this season for the Cubs was when he beat the Brewers 5-4 on July 23, allowing two runs in seven innings. He'll be opposed by right-hander Jimmy Haynes (9-10, 4.87).

- Steve Dilbeck

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Box: Dodgers vs. Milwaukee (see text)