DODGERS NOT MAKING IT EASY PIAZZA HAS TWO RBI IN METS VICTORY NEW YORK 5, DODGERS 3.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

Like Kevin Brown has said for the past five days, his side appeared fine.

The Dodgers' season, however, is nothing of the sort. It's in dire trouble, and that could may be an optimistic account.

They began the day a season-high seven games out of first place in the National League West, then went out and did the kind of things that will make it near-impossible to get back anywhere close to the top.

The Dodgers committed three errors, batted around in one inning but managed to score just three runs it, yet somehow found a way to beat the Mets 5-3 in the ninth inning Friday at Dodger Stadium. It was their ninth loss in 12 games.

Brown battled through six innings and allowed three runs, two of which were earned. Pitching on three days rest and coming off a disastrous 1 1/3 inning, nine-run outing in Florida, Brown yielded six hits and struck out five.

The Mets took a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh off reliever Terry Adams. Joe McEwing began the rally with a leadoff single to center. He advanced to third on Adams' errant pickoff throw, which first baseman Eric Karros chased down the right field line. Darryl Hamilton struck out and Derek Bell walked before Edgardo Alfonzo singled to right to give the Mets the lead.

Several Dodgers voiced concern throughout the night with the strike zone of home plate umpire Mike Everitt, and it bubbled over for Todd Hundley in the eighth inning. He was ejected after arguing a call third strike.

Mets catcher Mike Piazza continued to torture Dodgers fans with a two- run homer in the third inning. Dodgers left fielder Gary Sheffield, who went 4 for 25 during the recently completed six-game road trip, had a pair of hits for the Dodgers, including his 38th homer. His home run to lead off the sixth inning leaves him one shy of Chicago's Sammy Sosa, who leads the major leagues.

But while Brown did his job to keep the Dodgers close, poor defense allowed the Mets a pair of vital runs.

Brown appeared to be out of a jam in the second inning when he got Mets pitcher Al Leiter to ground to Kevin Elster at shortstop. But Elster let the slow roller go between his legs and allowed Jay Payton to score and give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

In fact, the first ball the Mets hit out of the infield was Edgardo Alfonzo's line drive into right field with one out in the third.

Piazza, one of the leading MVP candidates, then crushed Brown's 1-1 pitch into the left field bleachers to give the Mets a 3-0 lead. It was Piazza's 32nd homer, and gave him 99 RBI. He got his 100th RBI in the ninth, giving the Mets a two-run lead.

The lifeless Dodgers broke out of their funk in the bottom of the sixth inning. In five innings they had two hits against Leiter, but they pounded him for four hits and scored three times in the sixth to tie it 3-3.

Sheffield started the rally with his homer, and Karros singled to left. Shawn Green hit a grounds rule double to center field, and Adrian Beltre's single to center scored Karros to pull the Dodgers within 3-2. Hundley made it 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to shallow center field, and when Payton's throw from center field home hit Green, Beltre advanced to second.

But even in an inning when the Dodgers show some life, they manage to squander chances. Elster was intentionally walked and Jim Leyritz, pinch-hitting for Brown, worked a walk to chase Leiter and load the bases. But F.P. Santangelo, batting .200 on the season, was struck out for the third time in four plate appearances, this time by reliever Rick White.

White then got out of the inning when first baseman Todd Zeile made a diving stop on Mark Grudzielanek's grounder down the line.