BROWN HELPS SALVAGE SPLIT ACE WINS ON THREE DAYS' REST DODGERS 6, FLORIDA 4.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

MIAMI - Perhaps the Dodgers should rethink that old-fashioned notion of a five-man pitching rotation.

For the second consecutive game, the Dodgers got an outstanding effort Thursday afternoon from a pitcher throwing on just three days' rest, but unlike the night before they came through with enough offense to support Kevin Brown and beat the Florida Marlins 6-4 in front of 12,561 at Pro Player Stadium.

``We were in a situation where we had somebody go down, and we had to do something, so I told them I was available,'' said Brown, who was scheduled to pitch today but threw 112 pitches in seven strong innings. ``They had to make a decision about what was the best fit. I was going to be facing a good team either way.''

With the exception of a wind-aided three-run home run by Miguel Cabrera, the Marlins were stifled by Brown (12-6), as they were the night before by Wilson Alvarez. The difference was on the top half of the scoreboard, as the Dodgers got home runs from Adrian Beltre and Jeromy Burnitz and split the four-game series.

``That's another step-up performance from a guy pitching on short rest,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``I don't think you could ask anybody to do it better than we saw it done the last two days. ... This was a great four-game series between two teams that have a lot at stake.''

With any help from the offense during extra-inning losses Tuesday and Wednesday, the Dodgers easily could have swept the series and put themselves near the top of the wild-card standings, but now they face a tough three-game series in Chicago.

Still, Thursday's victory allowed them to take some momentum out of Miami and a potentially disastrous situation caused by Andy Ashby's inability to pitch because of severe flu symptoms. Brown, at age 38 and still feeling the effects of an abdominal strain, responded well to the challenge.

Besides Cabrera's homer, which gave the Marlins a 3-1 lead in the second inning, Brown allowed four other hits in seven innings, walked two and struck out seven.

``When you give up a three-run home run, it's hard to keep your concentration sometimes, but he did,'' pitching coach Jim Colborn said. ``I couldn't be happier.''

After Cabrera's home run, Brown retired 11 of the next 12 Marlins and went into the seventh inning, even though he had already thrown 95 pitches. Brown stranded a runner on second, then Tom Martin and Paul Quantrill got the Dodgers through the eighth.

Eric Gagne struck out the side on 10 pitches for his 40th save, even though he had pitched three innings the two previous nights in non-save situations.

``It was a big game,'' Burnitz said, ``and it was big for us to come out of this with a split after those tough games we had the last couple of nights.''

Ron Coomer, making his first start since July 6, singled home Paul Lo Duca to put the Dodgers ahead 1-0 in the first, but Cabrera's homer put them in a two-run hole. The Dodgers cut it to 3-2 in the fourth when Burnitz had a one-out infield single, stole second and scored on Jolbert Cabrera's double into the right-field corner.

With two outs in the fifth, Shawn Green walked and Beltre lofted a 1-1 pitch to center field. Florida's Juan Pierre went back on the ball and appeared ready to make the catch, but it drifted just over the fence in straightaway center to put the Dodgers up 4-3.

Green had one of his three singles to lead off the seventh and scored on Burnitz's two-out, two-run home run, his 24th of the season and sixth in 26 games with the Dodgers.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

Eric Gagne needed just 10 pitches to strike out the side in the ninth inning Thursday, earning his 40th save and preserving a 6-4 Dodgers victory.

Richard Patterson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) STANDINGS

(2) DODGERS vs. CHICAGO CUBS

- Rich Hammond