Batters Turned Into Blade Runners : Baseball: Pitchers Tom Browning and Randy Myers usually have a razor’s edge when they combine for the Reds.

On the mound they’re a contrast in style--Tom Browning the calm, cool technician, Randy Myers a picture of frenetic energy.

The two Cincinnati pitchers combined for a 2-0, four-hit victory Sunday at Dodger Stadium. Browning pitched five hitless innings and improved to 5-4, and Myers came on in the eighth inning to earn his 11th save.

The victory was the Reds’ third in a row over the Dodgers, allowing them to leave town with a 11-game lead in the National League West.

In all four games, the Reds got sharp pitching from their starters, with Browning perhaps the sharpest. Through seven innings he gave up only two hits--one a long double to right-center by his counterpart, Fernando Valenzuela, the other a single by Mickey Hatcher that skipped past third baseman Chris Sabo.

When Browning ran into trouble in the eighth, giving up a single to Alfredo Griffin and a double to Mike Scioscia, Myers retired Mike Sharperson on a pop fly, struck out Kirk Gibson on three pitches, worked Kal Daniels carefully with first base open, walking him on a full count, then got Hubie Brooks to hit back to the mound.

Myers dispatched the Dodgers quietly in the ninth.

“It was the old formula: good starting pitching, timely hitting, and Myers did a hell of a job out of the bullpen,” Red Manager Lou Piniella said.

Browning, who lowered his earned-run average to 2.30 by giving up only two runs in his last 31 innings, threw only 84 pitches Sunday.

Browning, who threw a perfect game against the Dodgers in 1988, said a no-hitter wasn’t on his mind Sunday.

“My job is to keep them from scoring,” he said. “I did my job. I feel very comfortable right now. I knew it was going to be be a low-scoring game today.”

If Browning is a stiletto, Myers, who wore a camouflage shirt under his jersey, is closer to a commando knife.

“(Browning) was in a jam today, the bullpen was there to help out,” Myers said. “We’re part of a team. With two guys on my job was to keep guys from scoring. I was throwing what I had to throw to keep them from scoring.”

It was Myers’ 11th save in 12 opportunities, and gave the Reds’ bullpen 18 saves to go with a 12-5 record. Myers, who struck out two, has struck out 39 in 26 2/3 innings.

“We’ve won a lot of ballgames that were close,” Piniella said. “We’re playing good ball. But you don’t get any awards for being in first in June. We’re still in the hunt for a Red October.”