GIANTS AGAIN SWAT DODGERS L.A. 7 1/2 GAMES BEHIND WEST LEADERS SAN FRAN. 5, DODGERS 1.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

There will not be a formal concession speech - not in April, at least - but at this moment, there is little reason to believe the Dodgers won't make one to their northern neighbors at some point late in the summer.

The Dodgers' season is just 17 games old, and the way the Dodgers are faring is already old.

Kevin Brown, usually a Giant killer, was mediocre for the second consecutive outing as San Francisco first baseman J.T. Snow had three hits and drove in three runs and the Giants opened a three-game series with a 5-1 throttling of the Dodgers in front of a sellout crowd of 54,799 Friday at Dodger Stadium.

Less than three weeks into the season, the Giants (14-2) lead the Dodgers (7-10) by 7 1/2 games in the National League West. After scoring fewer than three runs for the seventh time, the Dodgers are last in the NL with 55 runs scored.

Moreover, San Francisco has won all four matchups with the Dodgers, and in doing so the Giants tamed the Dodgers' top three pitchers. Neither Hideo Nomo, Odalis Perez nor Brown could pitch the Dodgers to a win last weekend at Pac Bell Park, and one-time Giants nemesis Brown (1-1) lost his third decision in a row to the boys from the Bay in this series opener.

``I don't think anybody wants to see a club get way out ahead of them,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``Yet, I also think these (17) games, especially the series we played against the Giants, I think they're very aware that we're talented enough that we can close the gap. To weigh a season in the first month, you can look down the road at the defending world champions (Anaheim). They lost 14 of their first 20 and won 99.''

The magnitude of the series was significant to some of the participants.

``It's not big because we started 7-9, but because of their record,'' Dodgers right fielder Shawn Green said. ``We just need to play better. We've given away some outs. We've made some mistakes running the bases. Not getting guys over. It's some things, when you're losing, you have to do.''

Again, the Dodgers didn't do them. They committed three errors, Green was involved in a costly double-play lineout in the first inning, and the Dodgers wasted a big chance to get back into a 3-1 game in the second when Cesar Izturis popped meekly to shortstop with runners on second and third and one out.

Izturis, in fact, symbolizes the Dodgers' offensive problems. The shortstop is 2 for 21 with runners in scoring position.

Giants starter Jason Schmidt (2-0) allowed one run on four hits and struck out a season-high eight in 7 1/3 innings and was aided by sensational diving catches by Barry Bonds in left field and Jose Cruz Jr. in right field.

Brown, whose velocity rarely topped 91 mph, allowed five runs on eight hits in five rocky innings. Benito Santiago had an RBI single in the first inning before Snow singled to right to score two.

Green singled home Dave Roberts in the first inning to trim the Dodgers' deficit to 3-1, but Green was doubled off first on Brian Jordan's lineout to right field.

The Giants couldn't capitalize on back-to-back errors by second baseman Alex Cora and Izturis in the second, but Snow made it 4-1 in the third with an RBI double into the right-field corner.

Former Dodgers outfielder Marquis Grissom victimized his old mates for the second time in a week with a two-out homer to center field in the fifth inning to put San Francisco ahead 5-1.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Alex Cora, top, turns a double play, but at the plate J.T. Snow struck the big blows for San Francisco.

(2) Second-base umpire Angel Hernandez, left, calls Alex Cora safe as Rich Aurilia looks on after the Dodgers' second baseman doubled in the second inning.

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press