DODGERS INSIDE LOOK: HAVING BEST ERA NOT ALWAYS ENOUGH.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

The Dodgers' pitching staff owns the lowest earned-run average in baseball, but that won't provide much consolation if the Dodgers fail to make the playoffs.

And it wouldn't be the first time it happened.

The last team that had the best ERA in the majors but didn't make the playoffs was the 1991 Dodgers, who had a 3.06 team ERA.

``We had a hell of a staff, no question,'' former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said. ``It makes you wonder. But it just goes to show you, you just can't do it with pitching alone. You've got to have an attack and score runs. You don't have to score a lot of runs but you have to score runs and manufacture some runs.''

Lasorda started Ramon Martinez, Mike Morgan, Bobby Ojeda, Tim Belcher and Orel Hershiser that season, and Jay Howell was the closer.

The Dodgers battled down the stretch with the Atlanta Braves, who eventually won the division by one game. L.A. finished with a 93-69 record but then lost 99 games the next year.

It's been said that pitching and defense win championships - but that might not apply this season.

The Dodgers have a 3.03 ERA and one of the best closers in baseball history. Eric Gagne hasn't blown a save this season, converting all 52 of his chances, and has 60 consecutive saves since last season.

Starters Kevin Brown, Wilson Alvarez, Hideo Nomo, Kazuhisa Ishii and Odalis Perez have turned in a combined 94 quality starts in 151 games. No other team in baseball comes close to the Dodgers' ERA, with the Oakland A's coming in second at 3.54.

With average offensive production, the Dodgers probably would be pushing for the National League West title, which the San Francisco Giants clinched Thursday.

Instead, they're waging an uphill battle for the wild card in part because of a .244 team batting average - second worst in the majors. They rank last in almost all National League West offensive categories and are last in the majors with 115 home runs.

In 1991, Darryl Strawberry led the Dodgers with 28 home runs and 99 RBI. But the offense went cold at the end of that season, too.

Dodgers coach Manny Mota, who was the first-base coach for 1991 team, remembers the run for the playoffs 12 years ago.

``Our pitching was good but then we went through a hitting slump,'' Mota said. ``We went through a long slump and didn't score that many runs. The pitching staff was good, but this is the best I've ever seen since I've been here. Both were good teams but with this pitching staff, I'll take my chances.''

Jill Painter, [phone]

jill.painter(at)dailynews.com

TWO GREAT STAFFS

The 1991 Dodgers pitching staff led the majors with a 3.06 ERA; the 2003 staff also ranks No. 1 in baseball at 3.01. Here's how the staffs compare:

1991

Starters - Ramon Martinez (17-13, 3.27), Mike Morgan (14-10, 2.78), Bobby Ojeda (12-9, 3.18), Tim Belcher (10-9, 2.62) and Orel Hershiser (7-2, 3.46).

Relievers - *Kevin Gross (10-11, 3.58, 3 SV), Tim Crews (2-3, 3.43, 6 SV), Roger McDowell (6-3, 2.55, 7 SV) and Jim Gott (4-3, 2.96, 2 SV).

Closer - Jay Howell (6-5, 3.18, 16 SV)

*-Started 10 games

2003

Starters - Hideo Nomo (16-11, 2.88), Kevin Brown (14-8, 2.35), Odalis Perez (12-11, 4.35), Kazuhisa Ishii (9-6, 3,28) and Wilson Alvarez (6-1, 1.99).

Relievers - Paul Quantrill (1-5, 1.75, 1 SV), Tom Martin (0-2, 3.80, 0 SV), Paul Shuey (5-4, 2.94, 0 SV), Guillermo Mota (6-2, 1.39, 1 SV), *Andy Ashby (3-10, 5.18, 0 SV).

Closer - Eric Gagne (2-3, 1.27, 52 SV).

*-Started 12 games

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TWO GREAT STAFFS (see text)