DODGERS TRIP UP ON ROAD MISTAKES IN SIXTH ADD UP TO DEFEAT MILWAUKEE 6, DODGERS 3.

Byline: TONY JACKSON  Staff Writer

MILWAUKEE -- Along their path to what as recently as a couple of days ago was starting to look like an inevitable division title, the Dodgers have developed a disturbing habit of tripping over themselves. Their latest series of missteps came in Monday's sixth inning, a frame that began with so much promise but ended with so much hand wringing.

And it ultimately led to an embarrassing defeat. The Dodgers fell 6-3 to Milwaukee in front of 33,645 at Miller Park, snapping the Brewers' 10-game losing streak.

In the top of the inning, the Dodgers appeared on the verge of erasing a three-run deficit against a pitcher, right-hander Dave Bush, who had frustrated them all afternoon. With one run already in, the Dodgers had the bases loaded with one out and one of their hottest hitters, third baseman Wilson Betemit, at the plate.

Betemit struck out, but Russell Martin followed with a base hit through the left side of the infield. As J.D. Drew jogged home to cut the Brewers' lead to 4-3, third-base coach Rich Donnelly enthusiastically waved Jeff Kent in. But a perfect throw from left fielder Corey Hart nailed Kent at the plate, and the Dodgers were done, both for the inning and for the day.

Then, in the bottom half, manager Grady Little tried to squeeze one more inning out of a tiring, ineffective Greg Maddux. Little was hoping to save his beleaguered bullpen from another heavy workload -- even though the club had added three pitchers earlier in the day because of the September roster expansion and now had eight available relievers.

``(Maddux) still had plenty of bullets in him,'' Little said. ``Had we scored more runs, we would have hit for him. But at that point, I still wanted him on the mound.''

Maddux gave up hits to three of the first four batters -- the only exception being a bad bunt by Bush that allowed Maddux to throw to third for the force -- and Little finally came to get him. Giovanni Carrara, whose contract had been re-purchased only hours earlier and who hadn't pitched since Aug. 25, then immediately gave up a two-run single to Tony Graffanino that broke the Dodgers' backs.

Now trailing 6-3, the Dodgers would manage just one baserunner the rest of the way, and he would be erased on Russell Martin's game-ending, doubleplay grounder.

Now, a mere 48 hours after moving a season-high 11 games above .500 and sitting a season-high four games in front of San Diego in the National League West, the Dodgers have let the Padres move back to within striking distance -- and have kicked off their longest road trip of the season with a humliating loss to a vastly inferior team.

``Every game in September is important, whether it's at home or on a trip,'' Kent said. ``They hold a lot of weight.''

But most of that weight, it seems, is being carried by the bullpen, which has pitched a staggering 59 innings in the Dodgers' past 13games. Given that, and given the fact Maddux is a wily veteran with four Cy Young Awards who seems to thrive on pitching his way out of trouble, Little can hardly be blamed for sending the struggling right- hander back for the sixth inning. But that doesn't change the fact that over his past four outings, Maddux has posted a 6.17 ERA while giving up 34 hits in 23 1/3 innings.

``I missed my location a few times,'' Maddux said. ``But they also hit me. They had some good at-bats and got on. I could have hit my location a little better a few times, but for the most part, they beat me.''

Maddux's early exit marked the 10th time in the aforementioned 13games that a starting pitcher has failed to go at least six innings for the Dodgers (73-64).

``If we continue to go to our bullpen in the sixth inning, it's going to make it much more difficult,'' Little said.

``Our bullpen is deep, but to come in that way on a regular basis, it catches up with you. We certainly don't want that to happen.''

The 40-year-old Maddux (12-12), who gave up six runs on 10 hits, refused to concede that time might be catching up with him.

``I feel great,'' he said.

The Dodgers got to Bush (10-10) for eight hits in 7 1/3 innings, but couldn't parlay them into much run production. Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his 11th save.

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Brewers catcher Damian Miller tags out the Dodgers' Jeff Kent during the sixth inning Monday in Milwaukee.

Morry Gash/Associated Press

(2 -- color) NOTHING TO SAY

Jeff Kent (pictured) keeps mum about Monday's incident with Milwaukee's Prince Fielder.

Box:

DODGERS at MILWAUKEE

- Tony Jackson