GAME OF GIVE-AND-TAKE BRADLEY MAKES UP FOR ERROR WITH HOME RUN DODGERS 8, MILWAUKEE 6.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

MILWAUKEE - Thanks in large part to Milton Bradley's glove, the streaking Dodgers found themselves in an early six-run hole on Tuesday, the largest deficit they had faced all season.

Thanks in large part to Bradley's bat, the Dodgers conjured up more magic in the late innings, marking the first time in six years they rallied to win after trailing by such a large margin.

Bradley's two-run homer high off the center-field scoreboard gave the Dodgers an 8-6, 10-inning victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in front of 11,029, completing a sweep of a two-game series played within a 24-hour span.

With that, the Dodgers ran their winning streak to seven games, improved the best record in baseball to 11-2 and, barely two weeks into the season, won for the third time after trailing with two outs in the ninth.

The stage for this latest improbable comeback had been set by Bradley himself, with an assist from Miller Park's notoriously choppy outfield.

With the bases loaded and two outs in what already had been a catastrophic bottom of the fifth inning, Brewers first baseman Lyle Overbay drove what should have been a two-run single over the infield and into left- center field. Bradley ran to the spot and put his glove down for a routine pickup, but the ball skipped under it and rolled to the wall, allowing Brady Clark to score all the way from first.

Bradley wasn't charged with an error, an obvious nod to the seam-ridden patchwork quilt of sod he was playing on. Hours later, having pushed his hitting streak to seven games and his average to .373, Bradley was able to laugh off his miscue.

``On my initial approach to the ball, I underestimated the velocity off the Milwaukee terrain,'' Bradley said, completely straightfaced. ``Therefore, I was rendered defenseless to field the aforementioned ball.''

The play made the Brewers' lead 6-0 instead of 5-0, a difference that would loom large when both Olmedo Saenz and Cesar Izturis went to two- strike counts with two outs and the tying run on second in the top of the ninth. Saenz eventually walked, and Izturis poked a looping single to shallow left. Ricky Ledee never hesitated around third, sliding into the plate just as the throw from left fielder Carlos Lee was arriving.

``It was a fastball away, and I hit it the other way,'' Izturis said. ``I was looking for a slider, because I had fouled off a couple before that. When I got the fastball, I just reacted.''

After Giovanni Carrara (2-0) retired the Brewers in order in the bottom of the ninth, Milwaukee's Tommy Phelps (0-1) began the 10th by walking J.D. Drew. One out later, Bradley made him pay for it, hammering a 1-2 changeup after swinging late on two fastballs.

Yhency Brazoban got into trouble in the bottom of the inning, walking Overbay and giving up a single to Lee. But he got out of it by striking out Damian Miller and Jeff Cirillo before getting Magruder to pop up to shallow left. That earned Brazoban his third save in the absence of the injured Eric Gagne.

This game, though, was the ultimate team victory.

``From the fifth inning on, we kept taking good at-bats and not giving any at-bats away,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``You don't have a chance to come back from six down if you don't approach your at-bats that way.''

Jason Grabowski's pinch-hit homer leading off the fifth finally got the Dodgers on the board. They pulled to within a run with a four-run rally in the seventh.

From there, the key for the Dodgers was their bullpen, which started off shaky but quickly got into a groove.

After starter Elmer Dessens left in the fourth inning because of a muscle spasm behind his right shoulder, Buddy Carlyle, pitching for the first time in a week, allowed four runs in the fourth. He finally settled down and retired the final four batters he faced, getting the Dodgers through the fifth.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Ricky Ledee slides home with the tying run in the ninth inning Tuesday, eluding the tag of Milwaukee catcher Damian Miller.

(2) Milwaukee's Chris Magruder rounds second base after hitting a three-run homer in the fourth inning Tuesday off Dodgers reliever Buddy Carlyle.

Darren Hauck/Associated Press

(3 -- color) no caption (Milton Bradley)

Box:

(1) DODGERS at SAN DIEGO

- Tony Jackson

(2) STORY LINES

(3) GAME RECAP

(4) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(5) ALMANAC 

(6) IT AIN'T OVER TILL...