NOMO LIFTS GIANT WEIGHT HE THROWS BETTER, ENDS SKID VS. S.F. DODGERS 3, S.F. 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - Strike one.

To Dodgers manager Jim Tracy, that was the reason right-hander Hideo Nomo wasn't successful against the Giants in his season debut last week. He didn't get ahead early in counts.

Ball one, ball two, ball three and ball four contributed mightily, as well.

Nomo's first-strike count Tuesday wasn't as lofty as Tracy wanted, but Nomo's ability to throw strikes, and to get Barry Bonds out, was crucial. Nomo allowed four hits in 7 2/3 innings and Shawn Green had a homer and two RBI to lift the Dodgers past the Giants 3-0 at sold-out Pac Bell Park.

After getting whacked by the Giants in a three-game sweep by a combined 24-2 count to begin the season, the Dodgers have won four in a row. The Giants' winning streak was stopped at six and kept L.A.'s rivals from beginning a season 7-0 for the first time 1930.

Green, who set a franchise record with 49 homers last season, hit his first off reliever Tim Worrell in the eighth inning. Dave Roberts added his first RBI as a Dodger.

Bonds, who wrecked Dodgers pitching last week in Los Angeles with four homers and nine RBI in three games, went 1 for 4. But with two on and two out in the eighth, he grounded out to second on a 2-0 pitch against reliever Jesse Orosco. Bonds is 3 for 23 lifetime against Orosco.

Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his second career save and second in as many games.

Nomo, whose last victory with the Dodgers came April 28, 1998, against Milwaukee, struck out three as he continued an impressive streak by Dodgers starters, who haven't yielded a run in their past 27 1/3 innings.

The effort was in deep contrast to Nomo's first start, in which he lasted just three innings, allowed four runs and showed extreme wildness in walking six and yielding six hits.

``I think sometimes we run into situations where we overanalyze,'' Tracy said before the game. ``I'm not an overanalyze-type guy, and the core issues just look at it and recognize it as ball one and ball two. Major-league hitters narrow their scope when they're hitting from a 2-0 count or a 3-1 count. The plate gets a lot smaller for them. You can't be effective.''

Nomo was much more efficient this time against the Giants. Of the 29 batters he faced, he threw 14 first-pitch strikes.

Nomo's only two walks came in the fifth inning, the only inning in which he was in trouble. He retired 10 in a row before a leadoff walk to Reggie Sanders. Benito Santiago singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Ramon Martinez lined out and pitcher Russ Ortiz walked to load the bases, but Tsuyoshi Shinjo grounded to second to end the inning.

A Dodgers lineup that scored just twice in the first three games but broke out for 23 runs in sweeping Colorado at least had opportunities against Giants starter Ortiz (Montclair Prep of Van Nuys) this time. The Dodgers had runners on base in six of the first seven innings, and had two runners on base on four occasions.

However, Ortiz, who pitched seven shutout innings in beating the Dodgers a week ago, continually battled out of trouble. He was aided by a pair of double plays.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first, but it could have been more. Cesar Izturis, who has nine hits in his past four games, singled with one out and went to third on Paul Lo Duca's double. Green grounded meekly to second base to score Izturis and break a 24-inning scoreless streak against the Giants, but Brian Jordan flew out to center to end the inning.

The Dodgers had a pair of one-out singles in the second, but Nomo struck out trying to bunt and Roberts flied out to right to end that threat.

A pair of one-out walks fell silent in the sixth, but the Dodgers scraped across a second run in the seventh.

DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO

Time: 7 p.m., Pac Bell Park.

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

Dodgers update: LH Odalis Perez (0-1, 4.76 ERA) makes his second start as a Dodger and second against the Giants. Perez allowed five hits and three runs in a loss last week to Giants RH Ryan Jensen (1-0, 0.00), who pitches again for the Giants. Perez held Barry Bonds homerless last week, an accomplishment in itself for a Dodgers pitcher. Bonds is 3 for 5 with a homer lifetime against Perez. Jensen will make his ninth career start. In his eighth start he shut out the Dodgers for seven innings.

- Brian Dohn

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Hideo Nomo scattered four hits in 7 2/3 innings Tuesday in San Francisco, winning for the first time as a Dodger since April 1998.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Box:

DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO (see text)