Another 1-0 Those Days for Dodgers

Kevin Brown provided another typically strong performance in returning to the mound Tuesday night.

But his suddenly struggling teammates didn’t provide much support against left-hander Tom Glavine--getting only three hits in the Atlanta Braves’ 1-0 victory at Turner Field.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was outstanding in tossing his 19th career shutout before 35,046. Glavine helped the Braves win their eighth in a row while ruining Brown’s first outing since breaking his right pinky finger April 8.

“We came up against a guy who was throwing the ball great,” said Brown (1-1). “He didn’t make any mistakes.”

Brown didn’t make many either.

He pitched seven strong innings despite being bothered by his still-healing finger, impressing the Dodgers and Braves. Brown gave up only five hits--including leadoff batter Quilvio Veras’ fifth-inning, run-scoring single.

The right-hander’s nemesis got best of him again. Veras is batting .524 (11 for 21) against Brown, his teammate with the Florida Marlins and 1998 National League champion San Diego Padres.

Veras drove in Walt Weiss from second base with the game’s only run on his two-out hit to shallow center field.

That’s all Glavine (4-0) needed. And he set up the run with a sacrifice bunt.

He was in top form again, holding the Dodgers hitless for 4 1/3 innings and lowering his earned-run average to 1.95. Glavine retired five in a row after Adrian Beltre’s one-out single in the fifth, and escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the seventh when Beltre grounded into a double play.

And then Glavine finished fast. He retired the side in order in the final two innings, striking out Shawn Green swinging to complete a difficult two days for the road-weary Dodgers.

The New York Mets also shut out the Dodgers, 1-0, Monday at Shea Stadium.

After getting three singles--all by Todd Hundley--against the Mets the day before, the Dodgers had a double by Green among their hits Tuesday in being shut out 1-0 in back-to-back games for the first time since June 1937.

That’s not the progress Manager Davey Johnson had hoped for, and Brown’s wasted effort made him feel worse.

“Brownie was outstanding,” said Johnson, whose team is scoreless in its last 21 innings. “I really tried to hook him after five [innings] because he hasn’t thrown in two weeks. He told me he was fine, I left him in the game, and he gave me everything he has as usual.

“But you have to tip your cap to Glavine. He just made a lot of quality pitches, and it’s not the first time he’s done that.”

Glavine struck out seven and walked one in his first shutout since Sept. 19, 1998 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“This is more typical of what I’m capable of doing,” said Glavine, alluding to his often-difficult 14-victory ’99 season. “As a pitcher, I know when I’m feeling good. I just want to ride that as long as I can.”

Glavine also usually benefits from favorable calls because of his success, and Monday’s game held to form.

Umpire Greg Gibson angered several Dodgers with his generous strike zone. Of course, the Dodgers have seen this show before.

“He just kept hitting his spots all night,” said cleanup batter Gary Sheffield, hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout. “He wasn’t making any mistakes around the plate, and when he’s hitting his spots like that, you know he’s going to be tough.”

Brown was tough too.

He struck out four and walked three while throwing 67 strikes in 111 pitches. He acknowledged that his finger affected his pitching, though wouldn’t reveal how much.

“What he did was more than impressive,” Sheffield said. “For a guy to only throw a couple of [bullpen sessions], and shut down a lineup like this, it’s unbelievable.”

Brown doesn’t believe in moral victories.

“You recognize [the effort], but the fact of the matter is that we still lost the game,” he said.

“There’s still room for improvement.”