DODGERS BUMBLE WAY TO DEFEAT : SAN DIEGO 10, DODGERS 1.

Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer

When the Dodgers don't hit consistently - a common failing this season, glaringly so over the past four games - they operate on a precariously narrow margin. The pitching must be its usual solid form. And the defense must be flawless. Otherwise . . .

Well, otherwise you get an exhibition like Tuesday's at Dodger Stadium.

``It was a game that was like a nightmare,'' pitcher Ramon Martinez said after a 10-1 loss to the San Diego Padres before a sellout crowd of 52,436. ``I don't know what happened.''

The Dodgers committed a season-high four errors - not counting at least two mental blunders. They saw Martinez knocked around like a rag doll.

Thus, they had absolutely no chance.

``They've played well before and they will again. It's just a streak right now going the other way,'' said interim manager Bill Russell, who indicated he would convene his first shake-up meeting with the players this afternoon.

Russell smiled wryly and said, ``I was looking for clouds in the sky. Maybe it would rain.''

Waiting for a washout. In Los Angeles. In mid-July. During a day game. That's how bleak the Dodgers' plight has gotten over the past few days, as they've lost three of four games and, along the way, scored only two runs in 40 innings.

Of course, the run-scoring deficiencies have been evident since the first week of April. But there's little hope for one of those 2-1 squeaker victories when the Dodgers' defense experiences this complete a collapse.

To set the tone, there were three errors in the first inning. The leadoff grounder of Rickey Henderson shot right between the legs of first baseman Eric Karros for a two-base error. Two batters later, Martinez fielded a dribbler in front of the mound, wheeled and saw Henderson well off the bag at second, and seemed to undergo the following thought process: ``Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, yes.''

His wobbly throw, toward an uncovered base, trickled into center field for an error, where second baseman Delino DeShields retrieved the ball, bobbled it, then kicked it for the inning's third error.

You get the idea.

``It got out of hand there,'' said Russell. ``There were three plays in the first inning'' - the Padres emerged with a 2-0 lead - ``and we just couldn't get started again.''

But the Dodgers' bumbling barrage was just getting rolling.

In the fourth, Karros looked toward second after fielding a one-out grounder with two on, and when he spun back to first, he surprised Martinez with his underhand flip. The ball cleared Martinez's collarbone (another error on the pitcher) and rolled to a stop in front of the Padres' dugout. Martinez didn't chase it. Mike Piazza had to cover the plate. No action - another run in.

Just to cap off this carnival, left fielder Todd Hollandsworth charged in four steps on the eighth-inning drive of Chris Gomez, then retreated and had the ball sail over his head. Official scorer Irv Kaze initially ruled an error - it would have been the Dodgers' season-high fifth - but later changed his call since a scorer is not supposed to penalize a player for misjudgment.

No contact with the glove, no error.

But no less ugly.

``It was just a bad game,'' Karros said. ``We've been inconsistent all year long. We remain that way. We've struggled a little bit. You just don't want to struggle for too long.''

Russell has watched the Dodgers commit 12 errors in six games since the All-Star break - remarkable, considering that Jose Offerman is no longer on this team.

But Russell doesn't figure to rattle the walls in Lasordian fashion in his meeting this afternoon. That wasn't his style as a player, or as a manager for the Dodgers' Triple-A team.

The thrust will be ``just to get them back focused,'' Russell said.

While attempting to sharpen that focus, he might want to have some of those fielders tested for double vision.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) The Padres' Rickey Henderson watches a n errant throw by pitcher Ramon Martinez roll past an uncovered second base.

(2) Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza confers with batterymate Ramon Martinez during the Padres' 10-1 rout.

Terri Thuente / Daily News