DODGERS LOSE, FALL 7 1/2 BACK DEFICIT IN NL WEST A GROWING CONCERN PADRES 8, DODGERS 3.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

It's a cruel reality for a third-place team in a series against the division leader. One night's worth of momentum can go out the window just 24 hours later.

So it went Tuesday night for the Dodgers, who followed up Monday's inspiring rally with a clunker, in every facet of the game. Letdowns were plentiful, in hitting, pitching and defense, in a 8-3 loss to the Padres before 47,695 at Dodger Stadium.

Late June is far too early to start scrutinizing the standings, but this afternoon's game suddenly looks important. A Dodger loss, with Jeff Weaver pitching against journeyman Darrell May, would drop them a season-worst 7 1/2 games behind San Diego.

Jeff Kent is known for rolling with the ups and downs of baseball and not getting too emotional either way, and the past two games illustrate exactly why.

Kent, who on Monday night had three hits and three RBI, came back Tuesday and committed an error in the third inning that led to two San Diego runs, and also stranded four runners in his first two at-bats.

Robert Fick (Newbury Park High/CSUN), drove in three runs, with a two-run single in the third and a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.

That was enough for San Diego starter Brian Lawrence, who pitched into the eighth. The Dodgers rallied for three runs in the eighth against Lawrence and reliever Rudy Seanez but fell short.

Elmer Dessens performed fairly well in what was likely, barring an injury, his final start for a while.

D.J. Houlton solidified a spot in the rotation this week and Odalis Perez is on the verge of returning from a sore shoulder, so Dessens is expected to be back in the bullpen by this weekend.

Dessens went five innings, about as much as the Dodgers could hope, and two of the three runs he allowed were unearned. Dessens walked two, struck out two and battled through the first two innings. He stranded a runner on third in the second and was one pitch from getting through the third inning unscathed until one of the Dodgers' iron gloves struck.

With two outs, Ryan Klesko hit a sharp grounder to the right side that Kent was able to get in front of, but the ball bounced off Kent and into short right field, allowing Klesko to reach first.

Brian Giles then crushed the ball off the fence in right field to put two runners in scoring position for Fick, who singled through the right side to give the Padres a 2-0 lead.

It looked as though the Dodgers might answer in the bottom of the third, but then a moment so odd but so typical of what has been a strange Dodger season to this point occurred.

Cesar Izturis reached on an infield error with one out, and on a 1-1 pitch to Antonio Perez, the Padres called a pitchout.

Fick got out of his crouch and caught the ball, but Perez swung anyway and hit Fick's glove. The ball rolled away, but Perez was called out for interfering with the catcher.

Rich Hammond, [phone]

rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Jeff Kent's third-inning error leads to two Padres runs.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO

- Rich Hammond

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) DODGERS ALMANAC