[0] DODGERS STILL BLOWING OPPORTUNITIES PADRES MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR L.A. SAN DIEGO 9, DODGERS 6.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

One of the league's least productive offenses and a patchwork pitching staff weren't any more helpful to the Dodgers when such a description applied to the opposition than when it describes themselves.

Facing one of the few teams in the National League with a team batting lower than their own - which ranks 12th out of 16 - as well as a rotation that contains only one pitcher with a winning record, it should have been an easy opportunity for the Dodgers to stop their slide in the NL West standings. Instead, the Dodgers opened a three-game series against last-place San Diego by spending Friday night playing catch-up in front of 35,169 at Dodger Stadium.

The teams were tied 4-4 after eight innings.

San Diego entered the series having lost seven of its previous 10 games and losing eight consecutive series, the team's longest streak without winning a series since 1994. The third-place Dodgers weren't on a much more encouraging streak. They had lost 11 of 23 games since dropping out of first place.

The sixth inning was indicative of the Dodgers' struggles.

They loaded the bases with none out when Adrian Beltre bunted and reached on an error following singles by Gary Sheffield and Eric Karros. However they failed to score as two of the next three batters struck out and the other grounded out, leaving the score tied 4-4. The Dodgers also stranded a runner at third in seventh inning and left another on in the eigth.

Paul Lo Duca's home run for the Dodgers in the fifth inning created the tie.

San Diego took a 4-3 lead in the top half of the fifth on a two-run double by Phil Nevin. Woody Williams and Ryan Klesko both scored easily on the two-out play as right fielder Shawn Green misplayed the ball, allowing Nevin to reach third.

The Dodgers had taken the lead an inning earlier on a rally capped by atwo-run single by Marquis Grissom. Hiram Bocachica opened the inning with a single. When he stole second, the Padres opted to intentionally walk Sheffield. A two-out walk to Beltre loaded the bases and Grissom partially cleared them with a drive just out of the reach of diving second baseman Cesar Crespo.

Dodgers starter Terry Adams, making just his fourth career start since being moved from the bullpen to aid a rotation that has only two of its original five starters, lasted just five innings. He gave up four earned runs on seven hits and three walks in addition to striking out five.

One of his biggest contributions came at the plate.

Adams drove in the Dodgers' first run with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Grissom from third and giving Adams his first career RBI. The run cut the Padres' initial lead to 2-1 in the third inning after the Dodgers were retired in order without the ball leaving the infield in the first two innings.

The most effective Dodgers pitcher of the night was Giovanni Carrara, who struck out the side in a scoreless sixth. He was replaced by Jeff Williams in the seventh. Williams was removed with two out and two on, needing a come-backer to Matt Herges to get the Dodgers out of the inning without giving up a run.

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Photo:

(color) Alex Cora and Gary Sheffield collide while chasing a fly ball in the fifth inning Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News