Suddenly, Dodgers Lose to Giants, 3-2 : Baseball: Mitchell’s homer wins game in 11th inning after Williams homers with two out in the ninth inning to tie the score, 2-2.

The Dodgers’ impressive two-week home stand collapsed in the final minutes Wednesday night when the San Francisco Giants’ Kevin Mitchell hit an 11th-inning home run that punished Ramon Martinez for a ninth-inning mistake.

Mitchell’s first home run since May 6, a two-out shot against reliever Tim Crews, gave the Giants a 3-2 victory before 43,735 at Dodger Stadium.

Two innings earlier, the Dodgers were one batter away from a 2-0 victory and Martinez was one out away from a two-hitter when a rather untimely thing occurred.

Matt Williams hit a 400-foot home run deep into the left-

field bullpen with Mike Felder on first base, tying the game, 2-2, and leaving Martinez hunched over the mound, running his hands through the dirt.

“Yeah, I knew it when I threw it,” Martinez said. “I just went, uhhh . I wanted it to tail outside. . . . Just one pitch away.”

The Dodgers tried to regroup by advancing runners to second base in the ninth and 10th innings, and Brett Butler made it to third in the 11th.

But Stan Javier, who drove in the Dodgers’ second run with one of his two singles, grounded out to end the ninth and struck out to end the 11th. Alfredo Griffin struck out to end the 10th.

This made a winner of reliever Jeff Brantley and a hero of Mitchell, who has been on the disabled list with knee problems.

“I was just looking for the ball,” Mitchell said. “I never thought he’d throw a ball where I could pull it. It felt good just to be back in the lineup.”

The Dodgers ended the home stand at 8-4 after losing for only the second time this season after taking a lead into the ninth inning.

It also marked the first time they have been swept in a series since April 30-May 1 in Montreal. It was the first time they have lost consecutive games since May 29-30.

Their lead in the National League West was shaved to four games for the first time since June 17 when the second-place Cincinnati Reds defeated San Diego. The Atlanta Braves, whom the Dodgers visit for four games this weekend, also won to move to six games behind.

“You guys act like someone died. We lost a game. We are still four games ahead,” Butler said to reporters. “We just lost two games in a row, and now we just have to take it out on another team.”

And to think Martinez, who had allowed only one solid hit before the ninth inning, nearly had a masterful escape and victory.

Martinez started the ninth by walking Felder. Mitchell, who did not start because of an inner-ear infection, popped out on the first pitch he faced as a pinch-hitter.

Martinez then fell behind Will Clark, 2-and-0, threw a strike, then induced Clark to fly to center field.

All Martinez needed to do to finish the game was retire Williams, who had one hit in his previous nine at-bats in this series. Moments later Williams had his 10th homer, matching Dodger runs scored in the fourth and seventh innings against starter Bud Black.

“The way Martinez was throwing, I didn’t think we’d ever get anything,” said Giant Manager Roger Craig.

Martinez was hoping to tie Atlanta’s Tom Glavine for the National League lead in both victories, 11, and complete games, five. But this start probably had no effect on the selection of the NL’s starting pitcher for the July 9 All-Star game, because Martinez probably won’t be able to start anyway.

If he keeps his spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, he will probably pitch July 7, two days before the game, meaning he could not start two days later.

Concern about Martinez’s collapse was matched by concern caused by the time Wednesday’s game was four innings old. The Dodgers were missing two active regulars because of injury.

Mike Scioscia did not start because of a swollen left hand, which was injured when it was hit by a foul ball Tuesday. Then Kal Daniels limped off the field after his run-scoring fly ball in the fourth with an apparent injury to his right knee.

Daniels was sent to Centinela Hospital Medical Center for examination, and he is scheduled to travel with the team today to Atlanta. Daniels, who has arthritis in both knees, underwent arthroscopic surgery on the right knee on Aug. 9, 1990, and missed the rest of his first season with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers can hardly afford to have Daniels out of their lineup, particularly because Darryl Strawberry is already gone. After struggling early this season, Daniels is hitting .310 in the last 16 games with five homers and 13 runs batted in. He leads the Dodgers with nine home runs and is second with 39 RBIs.