A TUMBLE DOWN CHAVEZ RAVINE OUSTED DODGERS AWAKEN FROM DREAM SEASON, CONGRATULATE CARDS ON FIELD ST. LOUIS 6, DODGERS 2.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

The end came quietly, and followed an all-too-familiar script.

Odalis Perez, who took a deer-in-the-headlights countenance to the mound for the opener of this National League Division Series, stuck with the same, somewhat flawed plan for Game 4. The Dodgers, who never really showed much semblance of an offense throughout the series, showed no semblance at all after Albert Pujols' three-run homer in the fourth inning put the Cardinals in front to stay.

And ultimately, predictably, the Dodgers' dream season came crashing down in a 6-2 loss to the Cardinals before a sellout crowd of 56,268, the largest in the 43-year history of Dodger Stadium.

When it was over, there was a little bit of the new - an unprecedented congratulatory gathering of both teams in the infield after the final out was recorded, and a little bit of the old - one final playing of Randy Newman's ``I Love L.A.'' over the public address system before the old yard was locked down until spring.

And with that, the Cardinals went home to the ballpark where the National League Championship Series will begin Wednesday regardless of who wins tonight's Houston-Atlanta showdown. The Dodgers went home for the winter after a season that went far better than anyone dreamed it would coming out of spring training.

``We'll go to spring training next year as the National League West champs,'' said general manager Paul DePodesta, standing in the same clubhouse where he had been soaked with champagne just eight days earlier. ``There will be a totally different set of expectations on ourselves. But I can't wait for (it). We have a great core here. I'm excited, and there are some things we can potentially do over the offseason to make this club even better.''

For some, it will be a longer offseason than for others.

Perez, in what might have been his final start for the Dodgers, wasn't much better than he was in Tuesday's 8-3 loss, kicking off a series in which the Dodgers effectively were buried from the outset. His only consolation was that this time, he didn't stick around long enough to give up six runs or get tagged with a loss.

He walked five batters in 2 1/3 innings. He walked two with two outs in the first, but got away with it by getting Edgar Renteria to fly out. He walked Jim Edmonds to lead off the second, but got away with that when Edmonds got thrown out trying to steal, even though Reggie Sanders followed with a game-tying homer. Finally, Perez walked two of the first three batters in the third before giving up a go-ahead, RBI single to Edgar Renteria, bringing manager Jim Tracy out with the hook on a night when Tracy couldn't afford much patience.

``Odalis had five bases on balls before being removed,'' Tracy said. ``That's obviously baserunners in front of some pretty good hitters. You can ill afford to be in that position, where if a guy hits one, it's not a solo home run.''

Wilson Alvarez pitched out of that jam impressively, striking out Edmonds and Sanders in succession. The Dodgers tied it in the bottom of the inning on Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly. But Alvarez found trouble of his own in the fourth, giving up a two-out single to Larry Walker and, after falling behind 3-1, a three-run homer to Pujols.

``I give Albert Pujols a lot of credit,'' Tracy said. ``From the way he swung at that pitch, something tells me he didn't even hit a strike, and he hit it out of the ballpark.''

The score was only 5-2, but it was clear the Dodgers could start booking tee times. Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan, who had struggled with his control almost as much as Perez through the first three innings, quickly settled in. He retired 15 consecutive batters - including Milton Bradley on a bad call at first base when the Dodgers right fielder clearly beat out a ball Suppan had trouble picking up in the seventh.

In fact, once the Cardinals took the lead, the Dodgers managed only two more baserunners: an infield single by Cesar Izturis in the eighth and a two-out walk to Bradley in the ninth. Both runners were allowed to take second uncontested, but all that did was give the punchless Dodgers two more chances to fail to come through with runners in scoring position.

For the series, the Dodgers went a collective 2 for 19 in such situations. In the end, there were a lot of hugs and a little sadness. Mostly, though, there was uncertainty. This club, like all clubs, will have a somewhat different look the next time it convenes, sometime in February in Vero Beach, Fla.

Perez, whose season ended badly, is a free agent. Beltre, the Most Valuable Player candidate who went 4 for 15 with one RBI in the series, is a free agent. Steve Finley, who will turn 40 in the spring, is a free agent. Robin Ventura is retiring. And the Dodgers still have no shortage of needs, including a frontline starting pitcher or two and someone, anyone, who can hit in the clutch.

For the Dodgers, whose first postseason appearance in eight years ended far too quickly, the offseason begins today. It promises to be every bit as intriguing as the past six months.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) The Cardinals celebrate after winning their NL Division Series against the Dodgers on Sunday.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(2) Dodgers right fielder Milton Bradley walks off the field after the team is ousted from the playoffs by the Cardinals on Sunday.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) CARDINALS 6, DODGERS 2

(2) A CLOSER LOOK