DODGERS FAIL WHEN IT COUNTS THE MOST ROCKIES TAKE TWO OF THREE AGAINST L.A. COLORADO 5, DODGERS 4.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

Three days ago, the Dodgers entered what appeared to be a favorable stretch of the schedule, one in which they would play the lowly Colorado Rockies nine times in 22 games and have a chance to lend some legitimacy to the rather dubious notion that they are still in the thick of a division race.

By the time the Dodgers had dropped two of the first three of those games - the most recent a 5-4 loss to the Rockies before 40,019 Thursday night at Dodger Stadium - that dubious notion had been downgraded to pure illusion.

Pennant contenders don't strand 10 baserunners, seven of them in scoring position. Pennant contenders don't leave eight guys on base in a span of three innings, including the bases loaded twice. Pennant contenders don't get dominated two evenings in a row by the Rockies pitching staff.

The Dodgers, alas, are guilty of all of that. And their punishment is that they now sit 6 1/2 games behind division-leading San Diego in the National League West, tied for second place with the free-falling Arizona Diamondbacks.

The good news is that the Dodgers, who went 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position, didn't strand anyone over the final three innings. In order to do that, they would've had to have gotten someone on base.

It gets no easier from here, of course. The Dodgers open a three-game weekend set with Houston tonight, a series in which they will face Andy Pettitte, Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens. Their credentials aside, those three are a combined 37-25, not one of them with an ERA as high as 2.70.

White flags, anyone?

``We just have to go out and keep playing,'' said Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny, who allowed three home runs, one immediately following back-to-back walks. ``Everybody knows the situation we're in. We'll just battle every day and try to keep it as close as we can.''

Penny didn't do an especially good job of that. He gave up a solo shot to Dustan Mohr with one out in the second, a three-run blast to Matt Holliday in the third after walking Cory Sullivan and Todd Helton and another solo shot to Aaron Miles in the fifth. That gave the Rockies a 5-2 lead and all the runs they'd need.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, wasted rally after rally through the first six innings against Rockies starter Aaron Cook and relievers Randy Williams and Scott Dohmann. Jayson Werth was left on third in the second when Dioner Navarro grounded out. Oscar Robles was left on third in the third when Jeff Kent flied harmlessly to right.

And in the fourth, the Dodgers (57-70) loaded the bases after two were out but with Penny on deck. Although the bullpen was well-rested after starters Jeff Weaver had given the Dodgers eight innings and D.J. Houlton seven innings in the first two games of the series, manager Jim Tracy had no one warming up and no intention of lifting Penny (6-8) for a pinch hitter.

Penny grounded out, leaving the Dodgers still trailing 4-1, then immediately gave up the homer to Miles that made it 5-1.

``(Penny) pitched two innings beyond that,'' Tracy said. ``He went through the sixth inning and gave us an opportunity to set our bullpen up to do exactly what we wanted.''

The Dodgers pulled within 5-2 in the fifth, but they left Olmedo Saenz on third when Jose Cruz Jr. struck out. The most galling moment of the game for the Dodgers came an inning later, after Cook (3-1) was long gone. Williams began the inning with consecutive walks to Dioner Navarro and Jose Valentin.

Antonio Perez, whose baseball instincts apparently are about as reliable as his glove, then singled in Navarro before getting easily thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit to a double. That decision would loom large at the end of the inning, when Dohmann struck out Saenz and Jayson Werth with bases loaded.

``That's an aggressive play,'' Tracy said. ``But as I said to (Perez), when you're in that situation, you would have had first and third with nobody out. You pretty much have to be 100 percent sure in that situation that you're going to make it, obviously.''

David Cortes and All-Star Brian Fuentes, who recorded his 23rd save, didn't allow another baserunner over the final three innings.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Dodgers pitcher Brad Penny reacts after giving up a three-run home run to Colorado's Matt Holliday.

(2) Dodgers outfielders Jayson Werth, left, and Jose Cruz, Jr. both reach for a fly ball in the seventh inning. Werth caught the ball.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. HOUSTON

- Tony Jackson

(2) ALMANAC

(3) NL WEST RACE

(4) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(5) GAME RECAP