A NEW LOWE FOR DODGERS WINLESS STREAK CONTINUES SAN FRAN. 6, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Derek Lowe, usually all smiles and laughs in the clubhouse even in the hours leading up to a start, remained oddly quiet Friday afternoon. Perhaps Lowe had an premonition of what was coming.

Lowe, still revered in Boston for his playoff heroics last fall, quickly is wearing out his welcome in Los Angeles, and his status in this city took another big hit Friday, as did many of his pitches.

Another poor outing from Lowe put the Dodgers on the brink of the unthinkable after a 6-0 loss to San Francisco in front of 51,057 at Dodger Stadium. With another loss this afternoon, the Dodgers will fall into fourth place in the National League West, a half-game behind the Giants.

San Francisco's Ray Durham hit three doubles and drove in four runs and Michael Tucker went 4 for 5 as the Dodgers were dominated by Giants starting pitcher and former Pepperdine standout Noah Lowry and dropped to 40-50, their worst record after 90 games since an identical mark in 1992.

Injuries haven't helped the Dodgers, but Lowe, who signed a four-year, $36-million contract in January, has been a major anchor sinking the Dodgers in the standings in the last five-plus weeks.

Lowe (5-10) is now 0-5 in his last seven starts, with a 7.29 ERA in that span. For the second time in his last three starts, Lowe failed to complete the fifth inning Friday, when the Giants battered him for six runs on 10 hits, including two home runs, in 4 2/3 innings. Lowe hasn't won a game since June 6.

A brief delay took place in the second when Dodgers second baseman Antonio Perez required attention on the field for a contact lens problem. Maybe Perez should have requested a blindfold, so he didn't have to see the ugliness the Dodgers put forth, both on the mound and the batter's box.

Manager Jim Tracy put together what he thought was a solid lineup. Right-handed hitters were batting .290 against Lowry, so Tracy wrote down the names of seven right- handed hitters and lefty Oscar Robles, who entered Friday with eight hits in 16 at-bats against lefties this season.

It sounded good in theory, but didn't work in practice. Lowry, who entered the game with a 5.07 ERA, didn't allow a hit until Jason Phillips doubled down the left-field line with two out in the fourth inning.

Lowry (6-9), who also took a 7.57 road ERA into the game, dominated the Dodgers as he has this year. Lowry allowed only Phillips' double, Jason Repko's fifth-inning single and three walks. Lowry left with one out in the eighth after allowing walks to Jayson Werth and pinch-hitter Hee-Seop Choi.

Lowe is still very much a ground-ball pitcher. It's just that now, an alarming percentage of the balls fly over a fence before they touch the ground. Lowe has now given up a career-high 17 home runs this year.

Friday's blasts, solo shots by Tucker, to lead off the game, and Pedro Feliz, in the second, gave the Giants a 2-0 lead, but ironically enough, it was a ground ball in the third that did in Lowe.

Consecutive singles by Tucker and Omar Vizquel put runners on first and second, and with two outs, Moises Alou loaded the bases with an infield hit just out of the reach of shortstop Cesar Izturis.

Ray Durham then lined a 1-1 pitch just inside first base and down the line. The ball took an odd bounce off the wall in foul territory and all three runners scored easily. Durham was thrown out by right fielder Jayson Werth trying to stretch the hit into a triple, but the damage was done and the Giants led 5-0.

The Giants chased Lowe from the game in the fifth. With two out, Alou singled to put runners on first and second, and Durham then blasted a RBI double to right-center for a six-run lead.

Scott Erickson did an admirable job in relief of Lowe, as he pitched three shutout innings and left the bases loaded in the seventh when he struck out Jason Ellison to end the inning.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Giants starter Noah Lowry may have had a 7.57 road ERA coming into Friday's game, but he took a two-hitter into the eighth inning against the Dodgers.

Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO

- Rich Hammond

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC