DODGERS BLINDED BY THE LIGHT ROOKIE THROWS A SIX-HITTER IN MARLINS VICTORY FLORIDA 7, DODGERS 1.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

MIAMI - Almost two decades ago, when a new stadium was being constructed for the Miami Dolphins in hopes it also would one day attract Major League Baseball to the area, the decision was made to paint the place in typical South Florida hues.

The result was a loud, orange-and-teal scheme that matched the uniforms of its primary inhabitants and created a bright, sunny atmosphere, but was in stark contrast to the drab green or midnight blue that characterizes most of baseball's newer parks.

Two World Series titles later, the Florida Marlins are still stuck in a football venue, which fittingly now carries the name Dolphins Stadium. And for the Dodgers on Sunday, the place was entirely too bright and entirely too sunny.

Following a 7-1 loss to the Marlins in front of 26,211, a game in which rookie left-hander and former Long Beach State star Jason Vargas pitched a six-hitter, more than one Dodger complained about the unusual hitter's background, which consists of a teal blue tarp secured over three sections of seats in center field. And on such a brilliant, cloudless afternoon, it didn't provide much of a contrast with a white baseball, at least for the team that doesn't play here 81 times a year.

Four of the Dodgers' hits came in the final three innings, by which time they might have gotten used to it but by which time they also had no chance to win. Derek Lowe's 3 2/3-inning disaster, in which he was charged with six earned runs on seven hits, had seen to that.

The Dodgers, who hadn't played a day game here in at least two years, will get another chance in today's series finale on what is expected to be another hot, sunny afternoon.

``(Vargas) wasn't doing anything special, just throwing strikes,'' said Dodgers shortstop Cesar Izturis, who ran his hitless streak to 20 at-bats by going 0 for 4. ``I think with it being a day game, it was hard to see. The ball was just disappearing or something, I don't know. Usually in center field, you have a black wall. Here, it's bright blue, especially with the sun. But that's not an excuse.''

Not an excuse, just a fact.

``A couple of guys said something about it,'' Dodgers hitting coach Tim Wallach said. ``But I don't know if that was the reason. Certain (pitchers) are probably just tougher to hit because they get so far out (to the side with their release points). If I had to guess, that might have been the reason why.''

Meanwhile, the Dodgers' latest bit of clubhouse acrimony apparently isn't dead. Following a Saturday win over the Marlins, Jeff Kent called out Milton Bradley for not scoring from first on a double hit by Kent, prompting an angry reaction by Bradley that led to a closed-door meeting. In the first inning on Sunday, Bradley singled with two outs. When Olmedo Saenz then ended the inning by popping up, Bradley ran hard from first to third, rounded third, then pointed into the dugout when he finally stopped running.

Kent, who was given the day off, was believed to be in the dugout at the time.

``I was just checking with everybody to make sure my hustle was up to par,'' Bradley said. ``If what happened was meant to make me step my game up to the next level, I have every intention of doing that. If what happened was personal, that will be handled, too. I have no intentions but to do what I try to do every day.''

The Dodgers (56-67) missed a chance to pull even with Arizona for second place in the National League West, and Lowe missed a chance for what would have been his first win since Aug. 5.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Marlins rookie Jason Vargas, a former Long Beach State standout, threw his first major-league complete game Sunday.

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Box:

(1) DODGERS at FLORIDA

- Tony Jackson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC