DODGERS NOTEBOOK: WILLIAMS WANTS FRIDAY'S START.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

PITTSBURGH - The club's braintrust hopes to make a decision by Wednesday on who will start in place of injured starter Kevin Brown in the series opener Friday at Colorado's Coors Field. Left-handed reliever Jeff Williams wants the call.

Williams, 29, said he's eager for an opportunity. He started 11 games for Las Vegas this season and was 5-3 with a 4.90 ERA before being recalled. He was 2-0 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts with the Dodgers in 1999.

``I've said all along that starting is something I feel much more comfortable with,'' said Williams, who is 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA in 10 relief outings. ``It's something I've done pretty much my whole professional career and what I'll be doing in the future. It's a shame this is the way I might get an opportunity.''

Right-hander Giovanni Carrara is also in the mix, though Williams is the favorite.

Carrara was 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts earlier this season but was passed over in favor of Williams when Luke Prokopec missed his July 8 start with a blister. Tracy said Carrara was more valuable in the bullpen.

Certainly, the Dodgers lack any kind of pitching depth at the minor-league level. Their most consistent starter with Triple-A Las Vegas has been former major-leaguer Russ Springer. The knuckleballer is 4-5 with a 4.23 ERA with the 51s and remains an unlikely choice to join the rotation.

``One name for certain is obviously Jeff Williams,'' said Dodgers manager Jim Tracy. ``Is he the guy? Or is there somebody in the minor leagues? What is our best fit?

``I think Jeff Williams also serves another very important role for us, in that he fills those middle innings pretty well. He affords us the opportunity to use (situational lefty) Jesse Orosco the way I like to use him. Which makes him as effective as he can possibly be. Are we better served putting him in the rotation and adding a reliever, or are we better served in leaving him there and putting someone in the rotation to replace Brownie?''

--Orosco is hot: Jesse Orosco didn't make the Dodgers roster out of spring training and sat home for three weeks until Kevin Malone was ousted as general manager. Something was amiss because Orosco has been the situational lefty the Dodgers needed.

After a slow start, Orosco has not allowed a run in his past eight appearances. It covers 4 1/3 innings and Orosco hasn't allowed a hit and has six strikeouts, including Oakland's Jeremy Giambi and Jason Giambi, in that span.

Orosco's ERA is 1.86 and he's struck out the first batter he's faced in seven of his 18 outings.

DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH

Time: 4:05 p.m., at PNC Park.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish).

Matchup: The Dodgers conclude their six-game road trip by sending RH Terry Adams (4-3, 5.05 ERA) to the mound to face Pirates LH Jimmy Anderson (5-8, 4.67). Adams is 2-1 with a 5.01 ERA in eight starts. He's coming off a loss Thursday to Oakland in which he allowed four runs on 12 hits in six innings. Ten of the Athletics hits came with two outs. Anderson pitched 8 1/3 shutout innings in his last outing against Kansas City. He allowed six hits and didn't walk a batter.

- Brian Dohn

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DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH (see text)