Thrill Is Gone: Giants Beat Dodgers : Baseball: Brantley makes a rare start on the mound as San Francisco scores a 7-3 victory in a rivalry gone tepid.

Under normal circumstances, a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Dodgers is a top attraction. Theirs has been an exciting, often tense, rivalry.

But this is not a normal season for either team and the final Dodger Stadium meeting this season Sunday drew only 23,265 for two losing teams.

Not only was it two teams merely playing out the string, but most of the players who make it an attraction were either sidelined or made brief appearances.

Dodger attractions Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis will undergo surgery this week and the Giants’ Will Clark made only a pinch-hitting appearance during the series.

The Giants, who may have uncovered a starting pitcher, won, 7-3, on a pinch double by Robbie Thompson and a two-run home run by Cory Snyder.

The victory in what might be the last time the Giants play in Dodger Stadium as a San Francisco-based team, pointed out a major difference in the teams.

The Giants have an over abundance of relief pitchers, while the Dodger relievers bring to mind to old-timers the Angels’ Arson Squad, which started more fires than it extinguished.

Jeff Brantley started, and although he didn’t last long enough to earn the victory, he earned another chance to start, probably against the Dodgers next weekend.

Bill Swift, who can either start or relieve, went three innings for the victory and Rod Beck, the Giants’ new bullpen ace, got the last five outs for his 15th save.

Bob Ojeda (6-8) was the loser, and relievers Jim Gott and Tim Crews were ineffective.

For four innings, Ojeda had the Giants under control. He gave up only a scratch hit and never went to a three-ball count.

But it all turned around during the fifth. The first batter on which he went to a three-ball count, Matt Williams, ended a 10-at-bat slump with his 18th home run, a drive deep into the Dodger bullpen. Two more full counts resulted in a walk and a hit before Thompson, batting for Brantley, hit the two-run double that put the Giants ahead to stay.

Brantley, making his first start in three years, gave up a run during the first inning on the first of Eric Karros’ three hits, but then pitched brilliantly. Six of his last nine outs were strikeouts and he was throwing a 92-m.p.h. fastball.

“If it hadn’t been a scoring situation, I would have let Brantley pitch another inning,” Giant Manager Roger Craig said. “He is not used to throwing many pitches in a game, so he wasn’t going much longer. But he will get a chance again. His future may be as a starter, especially now that I have my closer.”

Beck, a 24-year-old right-hander, showed promise late last season after coming up from Phoenix. This season he has given the Giants a closer who figures to be around for a long time.

Craig said that Beck has all the tools to be an outstanding relief pitcher. He compared Beck to two standouts Craig pitched with when the Dodgers first moved West--Clem Labine and Ed Roebuck.

“Just like them,” Craig said, “he doesn’t think anybody can hit him.”

The way Beck has been pitching, his thinking is understandable. In his last 14 outings, covering 16 2/3 innings, he has not given up a run. The last time he was scored upon was Aug. 8 in Cincinnati.

Brantley, getting the call because Dave Burba has a stiff elbow, was making his 243rd appearance for the Giants. All but two were relief assignments. The other starts were not an indication of what to expect. In the two, he pitched nine innings and gave up nine earned runs, losing both.

Swift (10-4) began the season by winning six consecutive starts before experiencing shoulder problems. Craig would prefer to use him as a starter.

After three innings he told Craig he was experiencing shortness of breath.

“I don’t care if you can breathe,” Craig told him. “Can you pitch?”

The one ineffective Giant was Dave Righetti. He gave up a pinch two-run home run to Mitch Webster during the eighth before Beck came to the rescue. It was the eighth pinch homer this season for the Dodgers, tying a club record set in 1983.

Dodger Attendance

Sunday: 23,265

1992 (70 dates): 2,319,799

1991 (70 dates): 2,875,430

Decrease: 555,631

1992 average: 33,140