DODGERS NOTEBOOK: BROWN GETS OK TO START TUESDAY.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

CHICAGO - Dodgers right-hander Kevin Brown reported to Dodger Stadium on Sunday, had his right elbow examined and was declared fit to pitch Tuesday against Cincinnati.

The swelling in Brown's surgically repaired pitching elbow was negligible, and in his latest bullpen session Saturday he threw 90 pitches at a high-intensity level that impressed Dodgers senior vice president Dave Wallace and convinced the club he's ready to come off the 15-day disabled list.

``He's going as good as he can without a batter stepping in the box to face him,'' said Wallace, who oversaw Brown's sessions. ``No signs of a problem. He threw all his pitches: a cutter, split-finger fastball, breaking ball, fastball. He threw the ball well all week. He seems to be in line (for Cincinnati) without any problems, unless he gets caught in traffic.''

Brown, who is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA, missed two starts but returns against a club he's dominated. He won his only start against the Reds last season and is 7-1 with a 1.76 ERA in nine career games against them.

Dodgers general manager Dan Evans said the inflammation in the elbow, which sent Brown to the disabled list after scar tissue tore apart, is gone. The only inflammation remaining is from the normal rigors of pitching.

``I'm really happy for him because two weeks ago he was in the training room and everyone was wondering if this was a recurrence or whether this was a real serious situation,'' Evans said. ``As it turned out, he missed two starts, and that's what I'm really the happiest about after all the hard work he did rehabbing.

``I think it'll be a big pick-me-up for our club because he has so much spirit and just the way he attacks every pitch. It's going to be a lot of fun to have him back. I'm cautiously optimistic, but everything we hear is just really good.''

However, Dodgers manager Jim Tracy will keep close watch on his staff ace. Although Brown threw three bullpen sessions during the week, building up to 90 pitches Saturday, he last pitched April 13 and hasn't thrown more than 79 pitches in a game.

There will be a predetermined pitch count, but Tracy said Brown's demeanor on the mound and his ability to get ahead of batters will dictate the length of his outing.

``You must be ready because when Kevin's right, he's not inclined to throw a whole lot of balls, and so when things start to happen, they happen very quickly and you have to be ready for it,'' Tracy said. ``It can go very quickly, as evidenced by the fact that the league doesn't like to go too deep in the count. They don't like dealing with this guy a lot with two strikes, which means there's going to be a lot of early-count swings if he's right.''

--Gagne sets mark: It wasn't as easy or efficient as his past few saves, but Dodgers closer Eric Gagne established a club record with his ninth save in April by recording the last three outs against Chicago in the first game. He is nine for nine.

However, when Gagne walked Mark Bellhorn with one out in the ninth, it ended his string of 19 consecutive batters retired. An RBI double by pinch-hitter Roosevelt Brown marked the first run Gagne has allowed this season, but he struck out Todd Hundley and Fred McGriff to end the game.

``We had another taste of his poise as a young closer,'' Tracy said.

--Hitting his stride: Dodgers left fielder Brian Jordan's fifth-inning double in the second game extended his streak of reaching base safely via a hit or walk to 20 games in a row. The Dodgers are 16-4 in those games and Jordan is batting .320 (24 for 75) with three homers and 13 RBI.

``I'm almost there, but I'm not there. I'm waiting for that warmer weather,'' said Jordan, whose three-run homer in the ninth inning of the first game provided the winning margin. ``The homer was a splitter that (Jeff Fassero) got up, and I kept my hands back pretty good. I got it good. I had a couple of misses all day, so I finally got one.''

--Odds and ends: Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre has hit safely in all 15 road games. He was 3 for 8 in the doubleheader and is batting .397 (23 for 58) away from Chavez Ravine. ... Tracy's oldest son, Brian, accepted a scholarship offer to play baseball at UC Santa Barbara. He's a pitcher for Claremont High.

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KEVIN BROWN

Dodgers ace had minor swelling after throwing 90 pitches in Saturday's bullpen session, but he'll be back on the mound Tuesday against Cincinnati.