BROWN STRUGGLES IN FIRST START IN MONTHS GIANTS 5, DODGERS 2.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - The Dodgers admit right-hander Kevin Brown is not the Kevin Brown everyone is used to. He's not the ERA title winner of 2000. He's not the horse of 1998 that carried the San Diego Padres to the National League pennant. And he's not the pitcher who won 16 games for world-champion Florida in 1997.

He is a 37-year-old coming off two major surgeries in the past 12 months, trying to find his form. For the disillusioned who believed Brown was the savoir of the Dodgers' season, it took four batters in his first start in more than three months to say otherwise.

In a game for the NL wild-card lead, the first four batters reached base and the Giants scored four times in the first two innings as San Francisco beat the Dodgers 5-2 Tuesday at Pac Bell Park.

The Giants, winners of nine of 14 against the Dodgers, are back in the wild-card lead for the first time since Aug. 13 and can sweep the three-game series with a victory today.

The Dodgers have lost four in a row, their longest losing streak since dropping five in a row from July 16-19. San Francisco has won five in a row and turned a 2 1/2-game deficit in the wild-card race on Sept. 4 into a one-game lead.

Dodgers right fielder Shawn Green led off the seventh inning with his team-leading 41st homer off Giants starter Jason Schmidt (11-7), who had the Dodgers so tied up that speedy leadoff hitter Dave Roberts grounded into the first double play of his major-league career (564 at-bats) in the sixth inning. Schmidt limited the Dodgers to six hits and two runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Starting for the first time since injuring his elbow a second time this season May 26 in Arizona, Brown (3-4) allowed five runs on six hits in five innings. He walked two, struck out four and allowed a solo homer to Benito Santiago in the fifth inning.

It hardly was typical of Brown, who dominated the Giants in the past. Before allowing seven earned runs in four innings in the season opener, Brown was 8-1 with a 1.86 ERA against the Giants. He is 0-2 with 12.00 ERA against them this season.

However, the Dodgers viewed Brown's start as the next step in what they hope is a successful comeback not only from elbow surgery last September but from June 11 back surgery.

``Whether he's pitches well or not, it's going to help the rest of the season because it's another opportunity to be out there in situations we need him in,'' Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn said. ``You look for command, natural velocity, sharpness of his pitches. Basically, how the batter reacts to him. If they're hitting the ball, they're not hitting it hard.

``It's important to everybody on our team. We need him to pitch a good game, and that's the way it is with everybody right now.''

It started off miserably for Brown. Kenny Lofton singled to center and Rich Aurilia placed a perfect bunt down the third-base line. Jeff Kent walked and Barry Bonds singled in two runs with a line drive to left.

The Giants extended their lead to 4-0 in the second inning, and Schmidt began the rally. He singled with one out and went to third on Lofton's double. Aurilia grounded to shortstop Alex Cora, who threw home. It appeared Schmidt stepped on Paul Lo Duca's glove atop home plate, but umpire Ed Montague ruled the runner safe. Kent followed with an RBI groundout to give the Giants a 4-0 lead.

Santiago's homer made it 5-0 before Green homered off Schmidt. Mark Grudzielanek added a run-scoring fly ball to center field in the seventh inning as the Dodgers cut the lead to 5-2.

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Photo:

The Dodgers' Paul Lo Duca, left, places a tag on the shoe of San Francisco's Jason Schmidt in the Dodgers' 5-2 loss Tuesday. Schmidt was called safe.

John Todd/Associated Press