DODGERS SUFFER THROUGH ANOTHER PITT FALL LOSE TO PIRATES AGAIN, AS BASES-LOADED RALLY IN NINTH FALLS SHORT PITTSBURGH 6, DODGERS 4.

Byline: TONY JACKSON  Staff Writer

Forty-eight hours earlier, the Dodgers were celebrating, giddily dancing off their home field after their most dramatic and most important victory of the season.

Forty-eight hours earlier, they felt invulnerable and impenetrable, and the only thing standing between them and a division title was a dozen games with what the numbers suggested were inferior opponents.

By late Wednesday night, they were still waiting for the next reason to celebrate.

For the second evening in a row, the Dodgers fell behind early to Pittsburgh. For the second evening in a row, they tried gallantly to rally in the late innings.

But ultimately, for the second evening in a row, they came up short, this time losing 6-4 to the Pirates in front of 46,319 at Dodger Stadium and leaving themselves in the unenviable position tonight of desperately trying to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of what record-wise is the National League's second-worst team.

And doing whatever they can to avoid giving the impression they are starting to panic.

``We'll just do what we always do,'' Dodgers pitcher Greg Maddux said. ``We'll go home, get a good night's sleep and get ready to play. If you play well, you're in (the playoffs).

``If you don't, then you're not going to be.''

Right now, the Dodgers aren't playing well enough. And given the state of their beleaguered, overworked bullpen -- and an offense that has done little to speak of the past twonights against Pirates starters Ian Snell and Shawn Chacon -- there is little reason to think they can turn it around quickly.

Trailing 6-4, the Dodgers tried to rally in the ninth again. They loaded the bases on a single by J.D. Drew, a hit batsman and a two-out walk by Nomar Garciaparra. But with the bases loaded, Jeff Kent struck out against Salomon Torres, ending the game for Torres' 10th save.

The good news is, they got a break when NL West-leading San Diego -- the team on the other end of that riveting Monday night rally -- also lost, at home against Arizona. That left the Dodgers still just a half-game behind the Padres, but it shaved the Padres' magic number for clinching the title to 11.

The bad news is that Philadelphia won, leaving the sagging Dodgers tied with the surging Phillies atop the wild-card standings and dangerously close to the sort of territory that could leave them out in the cold when playoff berths are handed out.

So any suggestion that all those heroics in Monday's ninth and 10thinnings still mean something suddenly seems laughable.

``That game made history,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``Right now, it is history.''

The Dodgers (79-73) got another short work day from another starting pitcher, this time when Maddux had to be lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth.

Maddux already had put the Dodgers in a 3-0 hole, giving up a homerun to Jose Bautista and an RBIdouble to Freddy Sanchez in the third and an RBI single to Jason Bay in the fifth.

The Dodgers rallied for two in the fifth. But after veteran reliever Aaron Sele sailed through the sixth, he let the game get away in the seventh. He gave up four hits in a span of fivebatters, including an RBI double by Xavier Nady that made it 6-2.

Little tried to be charitable toward Sele, who now has given up four runs in 22/3 innings over his past twoappearances, saying that a throwing error by catcher Russell Martin made Sele's line look worse than it was.

But that error had no bearing, and all three runs charged to Sele were earned.

Maddux (13-14) scattered sevenhits over five innings, but never seemed to get in a groove.

Chacon (2-3), who entered the game with a 5.56 ERA since being acquired from the New York Yankees at the trade deadline, limited the Dodgers to four runs (two earned) over 6 2/3 innings.

``We know we're not going anywhere in the postseason,'' Chacon said. ``But playing the role of spoiler is something we take seriously.''

The Dodgers can only hope the Pirates continue to take it seriously. From here, Pittsburgh goes to SanDiego for a three-game series beginning Friday.

Sanchez, a Burbank High alum, went 4 for 5, raising his league-leading average to .346.

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Greg Maddux lasted just five innings on Wednesday, giving up three runs.

(2) The Dodgers' Russell Martin can't make the tag on Jack Wilson as he scores in the third inning Wednesday.

(3) Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal dives for a groundball during Los Angeles' loss against Pittsburgh.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Box:

DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH

- Tony Jackson