Brown Effort Goes to Waste

It’s one line in that tiny type in the back of the sports section, buried amid the scores and the advertisements. Under the heading of “Transactions,”there it is: DODGERS--Activated pitcher Kevin Brown.

It’s easy to overlook that one line, at least without a magnifying glass. But there’s no overlooking the importance of the move. On Tuesday, the Dodgers activated the man they believe can make the difference between October baseball in person and October baseball on television.

And Brown showed why. In his first appearance in six weeks, Brown pitched five shutout innings, although he was long gone when the Colorado Rockies rallied for two runs off closer Jeff Shaw in the ninth inning of a 4-3 victory.

The Dodgers were three outs away from tying the San Francisco Giants for the National League wild-card lead when they handed Shaw a 3-2 lead. Shaw gave up four hits in the ninth inning, including a run-scoring double to Juan Uribe and a run-scoring single to pinch-hitter Terry Shumpert, and blew his seventh save in 44 chances this season.

The Dodgers trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 41/2 games in the NL West. The Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals all are within three games of the Giants for the wild card.

In a pennant race--two races, really--that could come down to one final game, the Dodgers believe Brown is the man who can pitch, and win, that one game.

The Diamondbacks cherish Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, but the Dodgers will be happy to hand the ball to Brown five or six times in September. For Brown, who led the Florida Marlins into the World Series in 1997 and the San Diego Padres into the World Series in 1998, the statistical indicators all are positive: His earned-run average last September was 1.98, and his career ERA in September--2.85--is his lowest in any month.

The Dodgers have seven games remaining against the Diamondbacks, six against the Giants. Brown is 3-1 with a 1.68 ERA in his career against Arizona and 8-1 with a 1.86 ERA against San Francisco.

Brown worked five innings and held the Rockies to two singles, walking two and striking out two. He pitched in even when he wasn’t pitching, with a single that drove in one of the Dodgers’ two runs in the second inning.

Brown had not pitched since July 15, when he tore a muscle in his right elbow. He has not pitched into the seventh inning since May 29, sitting out four weeks after that start because of nerve irritation in his neck. Still, he is 8-4 with a 2.80 ERA this season.

The Dodgers planned to limit Brown to 75 to 90 pitches Tuesday, with the hope he could pitch five or six innings. That hope was a faint one in the first inning, when Brown required 24 pitches before subduing the Rockies without a run. But he retired the side in order on seven pitches in the second inning and five pitches in the third, working so effectively that he had thrown only 68 pitches through five innings when Tracy called it a night for Brown.

That decision left Brown in position for the victory, but victory turned into no decision faster than you could say Giovanni Carrara.

Brown gave up two hits in five innings. Carrara gave up two hits within four batters, and he gave up the lead as well.

Carrara replaced Brown to start the sixth inning and inherited a 2-0 lead. With one out, Jose Ortiz singled. With two out, Todd Helton hit his 40th home run of the season, tying the score 2-2. Helton has now driven in 119 runs, most of any major leaguer not named Sammy Sosa.

In the bottom of the sixth, Gary Sheffield hit his 32nd home run of the season, off Colorado starter Shawn Chacon, for a 3-2 lead.

The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. With one out, Paul Lo Duca and Eric Karros had back-to-back singles. After Marquis Grissom struck out, Alex Cora dropped a bloop single into left field, scoring Lo Duca. Brown then laced a single into center field, scoring Karros.

Chacon, a rookie who has not won since July 24, gave up three runs and eight hits over 51/3 innings.

He walked two and struck out six.