BULLPEN GIVING DODGERS GRIEF, NOT RELIEF L.A. CAN'T HOLD LEAD IN SECOND STRAIGHT LOSS TO MARINERS SEATTLE 8, DODGERS 5.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

It used to be the envy of all of baseball, this Dodgers bullpen. It used to have a Cy Young closer, a couple of lights-out setup men and enough reliability in the middle innings that if the club got a solid performance from its starter, it usually could count on a win.

Those were the good old days, before trades and injuries left the Dodgers' vaunted relief corps a hollowed-out shadow of what it once was.

The trickle-down affect of Eric Gagne's extended absence struck again Wednesday night, resulting in an 8-5 loss to the Seattle Mariners in front of 40,419 at Dodger Stadium, extending the Dodgers' losing streak to fivegames, matching their longest of the season, and it provided another I-told-you-so moment for former Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre, who continued to pound his old club.

Beltre yanked a two-run double into the left-field corner in the top of the eighth inning, turning a tie into another dose of bitter frustration for the Dodgers and providing the key blow in a four-run rally against reliever Danys Baez. Beltre subsequently scored on a single by Jose Lopez, making it 8-5, and it was all too clear at that point that the Dodgers bullpen had blown another one.

In the first two games of his firsttrip back to Chavez Ravine since leaving as a free agent twowinters ago, Beltre is 5for7 with two doubles, a home run, three walks, four RBIs and sixruns scored. The Dodgers' bullpen, meanwhile, is now 11-17 with a 4.57 ERA for the season.

``Right now, you're not really sure what you're going to get (from the relievers),'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``We're not seeing any consistency. Some guys can pitch two or three good games in a row, then come out the next day and look like a totally different person. We'll just do whatever we can to make it better.''

That is assuming there is anything they can do.

Gagne, who is on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season with elbow issues, isn't expected back anytime soon. That leaves Takashi Saito as the de facto closer, and while he has done an excellent job, the Dodgers haven't needed him much lately because there haven't been many save opportunities.

The problem might be too much work.

Making his second major-league start, Chad Billingsley characteristically got into a high pitch count early in the game and was gone after five innings. That meant the bullpen would have to eat up the final four innings.

After lefty Joe Beimel pitched a perfect sixth, rookie Jonathan Broxton wasn't able to retire any of the first three batters in the seventh. That in turn meant Baez (4-4) would have to go longer than planned. Although he pitched out of Broxton's jam, Baez began the eighth by giving up a tying homer to Jeremy Reed on an 0-2 pitch.

``It was a hanging splitter,'' Baez said. ``I left it right over the middle of the plate.''

Five batters later, Baez was lifted. By then, he had given up four more hits, including Beltre's game-turning double.

``I think every game, we're asking those guys to give us three innings on average,'' pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. ``Tonight, we asked for four. If one of those guys fails, it affects (everyone else). It just kind of snowballs.''

For the Dodgers (36-35), a lot of other things are starting to snowball as well. They have lost eight of 11, falling two games behind San Diego in the National League West. They have gotten more than sixinnings out of a starting pitcher just once in their past 10 games. And their $39 million leadoff man, Rafael Furcal, is giving them next to nothing in the way of offense. He has 10 hits in his past 56 at-bats.

That leads to the question of just how long Little is willing to keep Furcal at the top of the order, especially with last year's leadoff hitter, Cesar Izturis, set to make his first start of the season tonight at third base.

``(Furcal) is going through a rough time right now,'' Little said. ``I have no plans to change it right now, but he has to get better.''

So does the bullpen, the rotation and just about every other facet of this fast-fading club.

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki slides home safely, just beating the tag of Dodgers catcher Russell Martin in the eighth inning.

(2) Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, left, and pitcher Chad Billingsley have a conference on the mound during Wednesday's game at Dodger Stadium. Billingsley lasted just five innings.

(3) Seattle starting pitcher Jarrod Washburn allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings in Wednesday's game.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer

Box:

DODGERS vs. SEATTLE

- Tony Jackson