BROWN COMES THROUGH AGAIN; AFTER A ROUGH START, DODGERS ACE SETTLES IN AND TAKES OUT PHILLIES : DODGERS 3, PHILADELPHIA 2.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

Just as Kevin Brown had stopped acting as though he were the only one on the Dodgers who could be counted on, stability returned to their stormy seas.

And Phillies started going down faster than tired ``Austin Powers'' jokes.

Coming off his worst outing of the season, Brown struggled in the first inning Sunday afternoon before settling down and recording 18 consecutive outs on the way to a 3-2 Dodgers victory before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 46,347.

He was helped along the way by three solo home runs - two by Eric Karros and one by Devon White - and having two Phillies thrown out at the plate, but Brown was in complete control after surrendering two runs on the only five hits he allowed in the first inning.

``He was all over the place in the first inning,'' Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said. ``He made about three mistakes, and they got 'em all. But then he settled in and was pretty much perfect from then on.

``The big thing was Brownie putting seven zeros up after a shaky start and a shaky last outing.''

It was the first time the Dodgers had managed consecutive victories in more than two weeks. They have won more than two straight only once this year after a season-opening, three-game winning streak.

With most of his regulars back in the lineup after going largely with reserves Saturday, Johnson hardly saw the Dodgers play perfect baseball. There was this little problem remembering how many outs there were.

In the fourth, catcher Angel Pena started walking off the field after Brown struck out Kevin Jordan . . . for only the second out.

Then in the eighth, after Brown walked pinch-hitter Kevin Sefcik with one out to snap his 17-consecutive batter streak and Sefcik was sacrificed to second, Brown forgot how many outs there were.

Pena flashed the sign for a fastball, but thinking there was only one out, Brown thought he called for a slider. Surprised by the pitch, Pena let the ball sail past deep to the backstop.

``It was a real bad play on my part,'' Brown said. ``I crossed Pena up. It was my fault, and then we came out smelling like a rose.

``I was brain dead right there.''

Sefcik charged around third and tried to score. Pena retrieved the ball and fired to Brown at the plate; Brown's tag just beat the sliding Sefcik.

Brown left after eight innings, having allowed two runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out five. Jeff Shaw pitched a scoreless ninth for his 16th save.

``Brown kept us close all game long and we were able to scratch back,'' Karros said.

The Dodgers had to turn to their comeback routine because Brown (8-4) again struggled to open the game. In his previous start, Brown gave up eight runs (four earned) on eight hits in just three innings.

It looked as though it would be more of the same in the first when Doug Glanville opened by bouncing a hit up the middle. Rob Ducey doubled to left, and when Todd Hollandsworth tried to field the ball, spin and come up throwing, he threw about 10 feet for an error to allow the first run to score and Ducey to take third.

After Ducey scored on a Bobby Abreu groundout, Scott Rolen singled. Brown struck out Mike Lieberthal, but Kevin Jordan and Marlon Anderson added base hits.

Second baseman Eric Young made a nice stop up the middle on Anderson's hit and fired off-balance to home, where he just nipped Rolen trying to score.

After Brown gave up a one-out walk in the second, he induced Glanville into a double play to begin his string of 18 consecutive outs.

The Dodgers came back against Chad Ogea (3-6), who entered having won only one of his past 10 starts.

Karros homered in the second, White in the fourth, and Karros for a second time in the seventh for his 12th home run of the season.

Brown did the rest, giving the Dodgers a little something to count on.

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Photo

PHOTO Jose Vizcaino (5) congratulates Eric Karros after the first of his two home runs.

Reed Saxon/Associated Press