DODGERS NOTEBOOK: SERIES AGAINST PADRES CRUCIAL.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

CHICAGO - The Dodgers begin a stretch tonight in which they play the division-leading San Diego Padres seven times in 10 days.

And despite the fact it is three weeks until the All-Star break, six weeks until the trading deadline and more than three months before the end of the season, it is fair to say it is getting late for the Dodgers.

``It's an important stretch,'' manager Jim Tracy said. ``It's really important.''

The Dodgers entered Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox trailing the Padres by four games in the National League West, with second-place Arizona three back. The Dodgers also were a game under .500.

If they can win four of seven against the Padres, or perhaps five of seven, they will be back in the race. If they lose five, it is conceivable they effectively will have taken their last breath in a race where the pitching-rich Padres are threatening to run away and leave everyone.

If that happens, then so might the unthinkable, with the Dodgers becoming sellers, rather than buyers, as the July 31 trade deadline approaches.

The Dodgers won four of five against the Padres this season, but that came during a season-opening hot streak in which the Dodgers won 12 of their first 14.

Since then, they had lost 32 of 53 entering Sunday, a fact that can be blamed on several factors at various points of the season.

The latest culprit is a lackluster offense that is failing to support what has been solid starting pitching over the past two weeks.

For the season, the Dodgers are batting a scant .265 with runners in scoring position. For the three games before Sunday, they stranded 24 baserunners, leaving the bases loaded four times.

``I believe we have started to settle down somewhat from a starting pitching standpoint,'' Tracy said.

``But what has really hurt us is the type of at-bats we have taken with runners in scoring position, with Jeff Kent being the exception to that. We have left entirely too many men standing on the bases lately.''

--Run defense: Dodgers pitching coach Jim Colborn has been working with reliever Yhency Brazoban, the club's closer in the absence of injured Eric Gagne, on guarding against opponents' running game.

Brazoban allowed Chicago White Sox speedster Willie Harris, representing the tying run, to steal second virtually uncontested in the ninth inning Saturday, an inning in which Brazoban blew a two-run lead and got tagged with a loss.

``It's not going to change overnight,'' Colborn said.

``We're constantly in the process of making guys better. That's a weakness that he has, and it's not like we haven't already addressed it. We definitely have. This (loss) is a good lesson for him about the importance of it.''

Brazoban has tried a slide step at times, but tends to lose command of his pitches when he does.

Whether he corrects the problem or not, though, it appears the 24-year-old rookie will be the Dodgers' closer for as long as Gagne is out, which could be the rest of the season.

``He's the guy,'' Tracy said. ``It's not fair with a young kid like that to expect the level of efficiency we have gotten used to with Eric Gagne. I think that compromises the player. There is a learning curve involved.''

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DODGERS at SAN DIEGO

- Tony Jackson