DODGERS UNCORK VINTAGE BROWN ACE DOMINATES FLORIDA AFTER SHAKY FIRST INNING DODGERS 3, FLORIDA 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

MIAMI - Despite already having the stingiest starting pitching staff in the National League, the Dodgers realize there is a certain comfort level that comes from knowing the staff ace is back in form.

Kevin Brown gave his teammates that feeling Saturday, shutting out the Florida Marlins 3-0 at Pro Player Stadium and making Mark Grudzielanek's three-run double in the fourth inning hold up. Brown allowed three hits, walked one, hit a batter and struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings.

``To see him healthy is big for us,'' Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca said. ``He's the kind of guy it doesn't matter who's the opposition, how hot they are. He can shut you down. He's got no-hitter, perfect-game potential every time he walks on the mound.''

Lately, Brown said, his timing and rhythm have been off, but that wasn't the case against the Marlins, who had won five in a row and led the National League East.

``It was definitely better than it has been,'' said Brown, who has a 2.37 ERA in three starts since returning from the disabled list. ``Hopefully, it will still be there next time. It's one of those things where you have ups and downs even when you haven't had surgery. I'm encouraged by the fact that it felt a lot better.''

It is Brown's first victory since April 7 and the first since he returned from the disabled list after stretching scar tissue in his right elbow. It also was, by everyone's account, a vintage Brown performance in which Lo Duca said he had difficulty with some of the pitches because of the extreme movement.

``(Mike) Lowell came down to first base in the first inning and said that's as much as he's ever seen the ball move,'' Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros said. ``Brown doesn't need to throw 96 (mph). When he has that movement, that's better than having velocity any day of the week.''

Paul Quantrill pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Eric Gagne survived a leadoff double from Cliff Floyd in the ninth to earn his 12th save.

``(Brown) came out and he had an agenda,'' said Florida catcher Charles Johnson, a teammate of Brown's on the 1997 World Series champion Marlins. ``The first inning, we got a couple hits on balls hit hard, but other than that it was lights out. His sinker was devastating. I've seen him like that before. It was almost like it was unhittable.''

The game didn't begin that way. Luis Castillo led off with a bunt single and Alex Gonzalez doubled, but Brown struck out Preston Wilson and Floyd, walked Lowell and struck out Derrek Lee to end the inning.

The next hit the Marlins got off Brown was a one-out triple from Lee in the seventh inning, but Eric Owens and Johnson grounded to third to end the inning. Before that, Brown had retired 16 of 17 batters, with Wilson reaching base when he was hit by a pitch in the third inning.

``After that first inning, (Brown) looked like he got a little (ticked) off and he was tired of getting hit around a little bit,'' Grudzielanek said. ``That's the kind of Brownie we like to see and hope that it continues. His ball was moving all over the place. He was whipping it, and it definitely looked like the old Brownie. That was a huge game, not only for our team, but him, too, and his confidence.''

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(color) Kevin Brown allowed three hits and struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings against the Florida Marlins on Saturday.

Alan Diaz/Associated Press