Dodgers Pen Blows Lead

Andre Ethier smacked his third home run and ninth double, while Chris Capuano went 6 strong innings. Unfortunately, the pen allowed 8 runs over the final three innings to take the loss.

With Ted Lilly headed to the disabled list, Chris Capuano is moving into the No. 3 spot in the Dodgers' rotation.

Capuano caused a stir in his first outing in his new role, throwing a pitch behind Ryan Braun that earned both benches a warning in the Milwaukee Brewers' 9-4 win over a Los Angeles split squad Friday night.

Capuano pitched six innings.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Lilly, who had a bullpen session Friday morning for the first time since March 21 because of a stiff neck, will begin the season DL.

''I knew Teddy has had an issue with that neck,'' said Capuano, who gave up two hits, including a home run to Braun, while striking out seven. ''If Teddy needs a couple of extra games, I told him I'm here.''

Lilly was confident after his bullpen session. He said he threw without feeling any pain. However, he conceded he was behind because he had missed two starts in spring training. Capuano threw 55 strikes in 83 pitches. One pitch went behind Braun and both dugouts were warned. Braun homered in the first.

''It's irrelevant,'' Braun said. ''I'm sure it wasn't intentional. You'd have to ask him.''

Braun called Capuano a friend.

''Yeah, he knows we're friends.'' said Capuano, who said he lost control of an inside pitch to the National League MVP.

Braun was booed by the Camelback Ranch crowd of 5,714 when he was introduced before his first at-bat. Braun has heard boos since his 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs was overturned early in spring training. He answered the initial boos in the first inning with a towering home run.

''It was an inside changeup,'' Capuano said. ''I was trying to work him inside. In the sixth, the pitch just went a little too far.''

Braun said the boos don't bother him.

''I have no control over any of that,'' he said. ''I don't think about any of those things. Everybody has a right to their own opinion. It's just unfortunate that a lot of them don't know the whole story.''

When asked he would tell his side of story, Braun said no.

''It wouldn't do any good for anybody,'' he said.

Chris Gomez hit a three-run homer in the eighth and the Brewers added four more in the ninth off Dodgers reliever Todd Coffey.

The Dodgers led 4-1 through the first six innings. Andre Ethier staked them to an early lead with a two-run double in the first. He hit a two-run homer in the third.

NOTES: Mattingly said he has spoken to Stan Kasten, who is part of the group that purchased the Dodgers for $2.15 billion Tuesday night. Kasten is expected to run the team's business side. ''I heard from him,'' Mattingly said. ''He said he'd be around a lot, said he'd do whatever he could to help us.'' Mattingly has yet to speak to Magic Johnson, the ownership group's biggest name. .Mattingly is lobbying to have games at night instead of mid-day during the final week of camp. He said it would break the spring-training routine and also help players get ready for regular season. . Dodgers Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to make his final start Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale, Ariz. Right-hander Ian Kennedy is the Diamondbacks scheduled starter. .The Brewers plan to start left-hander Chris Narveson Saturday against the San Diego Padres in Peoria, Ariz. The Padres are expected to counter with right-hander Tim Stauffer.