Brown, Jordan Nearly Come to Blows

Dodger pitcher Kevin Brown and Atlanta Brave outfielder Brian Jordan had to be separated Tuesday during the Dodgers’ 7-3 victory at Dodgertown.

Brown hit Jordan with a pitch on his left forearm in the first inning, and the players grabbed each other and exchanged words near the visitors’ clubhouse after the fourth inning, eyewitnesses said.

The benches cleared, but no one was ejected.

“He was upset,” said Brown, who gave up five hits and two runs in four innings. “[The count] was one and two, I’ve got a man on first and nobody out. I don’t know. I don’t claim to understand it.

“He was standing out there [near the visitors’ clubhouse], and I walked by, I thought he was out there to give me a hard time. It’s not like I tracked him down.

“He wanted to know if I was trying to hit him on purpose. I said, ‘Good gracious, you tell me, why would I hit you on purpose in that situation?’ He was upset. That was about the gist of it.”

Jordan, who left the game after being hit, said Brown hit him with a pitch last spring training.

“We just had a conversation, no punches were thrown,” the outfielder said. “Of course, I was angry I got hit. When you get drilled, and your arm swells up, you’re angry.

“You can only get hit so many times before you take offense to it. I know he has better control than that, but everyone blew it [the altercation] out of proportion.”