GAGNE EFFECTIVE, BUT GETS NO RELIEF ARIZONA 3, DODGERS 2.

Byline: Steve Dilbeck Staff Writer

And things were looking so good.

The Dodgers had all but thrown Eric Gagne to the wolves, starting him against Randy Johnson, and then - surprise, surprise - watched the young right-hander leave after five innings with a one-run lead.

Only when Dodgers manager Jim Tracy decided it was the perfect time for the major-league debut of left-hander Jose Nunez, it quickly came undone.

The 22-year-old Nunez, who never had pitched above Single-A, gave up a double to Mark Grace, and on a 2-2 pitch, a two-run homer to Luis Gonzalez, and the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Diamondbacks on a cool Tuesday night in front of a thin Dodger Stadium crowd of 22,927.

Nunez came back to retire the next three batters, the last two on strikeouts, and Tracy still said he came away encouraged.

``He was one pitch away from doing a fabulous job,'' Tracy said. ``For a young kid going out there for the first time, I admire how he came back. We saw what we learned in camp, he's not afraid. He threw nothing but strikes. To me, that's encouraging.''

Things hardly got off to the best of starts for Gagne when the game's opening batter, Tony Womack, beat out an infield single and later scored on a Matt Williams single.

It was 1-0 Arizona with Johnson on the mound. On a lot of nights, that's the end of the story.

Certainly, the Dodgers did little to suggest they would rally against the intimidating 6-foot-10 Johnson.

Meanwhile, Gagne tiptoed out of trouble in each of his next four innings. The Diamondbacks kept threatening, and kept being pushed away. Gagne stranded eight runners in five innings.

``I got into trouble three of four times, but I got out of it,'' Gagne said. ``It's encouraging, but you don't want to get in trouble too often.''

Particularly every inning.

Then in the fourth, the unexpected happened. After Johnson gave up consecutive one-out walks to Shawn Green and Jeff Reboulet, catcher Paul LoDuca lined a two-run double into the left-center gap.

``You can't be intimidated,'' LoDuca said. ``It's fun. He's going to come right at you.''

Gagne left after his five innings with a 2-1 lead. He gave up seven hits and two walks, striking out six.

But the lead couldn't hold up, and Johnson could. Gregg Olson gave the Dodgers one scoreless inning of relief before Tracy called on Nunez, their only left-hander, to face Arizona left-handed hitters Grace and Gonzalez.

By the book, a right move. By the results, bad news.

After Grace doubled, Gonzalez homered into the right-field pavilion, and there went the Dodgers' lead over Johnson.

``He just got one a little up,'' LoDuca said. ``He's nasty. He's going to be a great pitcher for a long time.''

Johnson threw 132 pitches in his seven innings, allowing four hits with four walks and striking out 10.

DODGERS vs. ARIZONA

Time: 7:10 p.m, at Dodger Stadium

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

Matchup: Right-hander Darren Dreifort will make his first start since signing his five-year, $55-million contract in the offseason. Dreifort is trying to pick up where he left off last season, when he went 8-2 with a 3.14 ERA after the All-Star break. He kept it up during the spring, going 5-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts. He is 2-3 with a 2.38 ERA in seven career appearances vs. Arizona. Right-hander Curt Schilling, who ended last season on a five-game losing streak, starts for the Diamondbacks.

-Steve Dilbeck

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Dodgers pitcher Eric Gagne was thrown to the Diamondbacks but did find. His replacement, inexperienced Jose Nunez didn't fare so well.

(2) Arizona Diamondbacks ace Randy Johnson was his usual nasty self, holding Dodgers batters well in check. He allowed four hits in seven innings.

Michael Caulfield/Associated Press

Box: DODGERS vs. ARIZONA (see text)