DODGERS' SHIP STARTING TO SINK BRAZOBAN GIVES UP WALK-OFF HOMER TO WHITE SOX WHITE SOX 5, DODGERS 3.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

CHICAGO - During the six-week period of Eric Gagne's first stint on the disabled list, rookie right-hander and fill-in closer Yhency Brazoban showed stunning precociousness. He converted all but one of his dozen save opportunities, and even his lone failure came in a game both he and the Dodgers eventually won.

This time around Brazoban learned what it feels like to cough up a game, surrendering a two-run, walk-off home run to A.J. Pierzynski in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox in front of 36,067 at U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday. The loss marked the lowest point yet in what is beginning to look like an ill-fated season for the Dodgers.

In addition to taking the loss Saturday, Brazoban also learned what it feels like to take the blame for someone else's failure.

Brazoban walked the leadoff man to begin the ninth. He got two strikes on each of the last three batters but failed to retire any of them. He allowed pinch-runner Willie Harris to steal second base uncontested and then score the tying run. He gave up a game-losing, two-run homer to Pierzynski on his final pitch. It's likely that after all of that, most fans had forgotten that the Dodgers left the bases loaded twice in the first four innings against an unusually wild Freddy Garcia.

Those in the Dodgers clubhouse, the ones searching for answers in the midst of a five-game losing streak that has given them a sub-.500 record for the first time since they lost their season opener on April 5, remembered it vividly.

``This wasn't (Brazoban's) fault,'' catcher Jason Phillips said. ``We had lots of chances to put the game away. Freddy had trouble finding the strike zone, but we just kept him around and kept him around, and the next thing you know, he's still hanging around in the (eighth) inning.''

After Jeff Kent's two-run homer in the first inning gave the Dodgers a lead, Garcia walked three consecutive batters with two outs, only to wriggle free when Mike Edwards fouled out. After Oscar Robles fell behind 0-2 and worked a walk in the fourth, the fifth of six walks issued by Garcia, the Dodgers had the bases loaded with one out. Garcia escaped again, this time getting Antonio Perez to foul out to first and Jayson Werth, on the first pitch no less, to ground into an easy force at second.

Dodgers manager Jim Tracy was the first to remind everyone of those failures after the game, but he was the last to give a pass to Brazoban, who was pitching for the first time in six days.

``That's not an excuse for not getting the job done,'' Tracy said.

With Gagne now back on the DL and possibly done for the year, Brazoban might be called upon to do that job many times over the next 3 1/2 months. Then again, if the third-place Dodgers (33-34) continue what to this point has been a gradual, two-month implosion, maybe he won't.

Brazoban (2-2) now has three blown saves, but this is the first time he has walked off the field with his head down. It came at the end of an evening when Elmer Dessens returned from the disabled list to pitch six spectacular innings and Duaner Sanchez got it to the ninth with two dazzling innings of his own.

The key now is to make sure Brazoban's head doesn't stay down for long.

``You can't worry about it,'' Sanchez said. ``He's young, but he doesn't act like it. He's a grown man. He knows how to pitch. This is just one of those things every one of us goes through.''

Cliff Politte (4-0) pitched in relief of Garcia to start the ninth and kept the game within reach, but not without help. After walking Robles with one out, Perez failed to execute on a hit-and-run play, stranding Robles between first and second before eventually being picked off. In a perfect example of too-little-too-late hitting, Perez then singled to right, but Politte struck out the slumping Werth to end the inning.

Brazoban came in and walked Tadahito Iguchi to begin the ninth.

``(That) was a mistake, but it's understandable because he hasn't pitched in a while,'' Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn said.

Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko appeared to do Brazoban two favors by making first-pitch outs, with Iguchi taking second on Thomas' grounder to short. The rest of the White Sox's lineup wasn't so hospitable. Carl Everett singled home Iguchi, and pinch runner Harris stole second. Aaron Rowand then singled home Harris, and Pierzynski turned out the lights on the ninth pitch of his at-bat by depositing one into the front row in left-center. All three hits came with two strikes.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Despite struggling on Saturday, Yhency Brazoban will be the Dodgers' closer with Eric Gagne on the DL.

(2) The White Sox celebrate after A.J. Pierzynski's walk-off homer against the Dodgers' Yhency Brazoban Saturday.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Box:

(1) DODGERS at WHITE SOX

- Tony Jackson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC

(5) LONG ROAD AHEAD