L.A. WINNING STREAK IS PUT ON THE ROCKS COLORADO'S LATE RALLY ENDS DODGERS' RUN AT 11 GAMES COLORADO 3, DODGERS 1.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

Viewed against the backdrop of the Dodgers' longest winning streak in more than a decade, it didn't seem that bad. Just a single, momentary setback, coming in the form of a 3-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies in front of 46,643 Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, at the tail end of all those stirring victories.

Viewed against the backdrop of the very winnable National League West, a division the Dodgers came tantalizingly close to taking over but didn't, it was a bitter disappointment.

And a sobering lesson in what might have been.

For example, no one will ever know what would have happened if perpetually grumpy second baseman Jeff Kent, when he stepped in against Rockies rookie reliever Manuel Corpas with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning of a tie score, would have worked the count instead of jumping on the first pitch and popping it up.

``We had a few opportunities to score runs, and that was one of them,'' Kent said. ``I was looking for a first-pitch fastball, and that's what I got. I just let it get too far back (in the zone). I hate it when that happens, but it has happened more than once.''

No one will ever know what would have happened if Julio Lugo hadn't broken for the plate in the fourth inning against unsuspecting Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis, who became suspecting quickly enough to get the ball home in time to catch Lugo trying to steal.

``I thought I could make it,'' Lugo said. ``It was nothing else but that.''

And no one will ever know what would have happened if Lugo, who had spent the first eight innings at third base for the first time in his career before moving to more familiar ground at second, had gotten a better jump on Brad Hawpe's two-out grounder to his right, the one that scooted past a diving Lugo and into right-center field for a tiebreaking, game-winning single in the ninth.

``He hit the ball hard,'' Lugo said. ``It kind of changed speeds and was kind of knuckling. I tried my best.''

After Corpas retired the overanxious Kent, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle brought in lefty Jeremy Affeldt. Affeldt got left-handed-hitting Andre Ethier to ground weakly to short, ending the inning and leaving the bases loaded.

Derek Lowe, who should have been trying to nail down a complete-game win, instead took the mound for the ninth with the score still tied. Lowe left with runners on first and second and two outs, and Takashi Saito immediately gave up Hawpe's game winner -- no thanks to the curiously immobile Lugo.

The Rockies added an insurance run after Matt Holliday broke off third on an apparent busted squeeze play. Dodgers catcher Russell Martin had Holliday dead to rights and threw to third. But Wilson Betemit inexplicably chased Holliday almost all the way home before handcuffing Martin with a bad throw from no more than five feet away as Holliday slid safely across the plate.

The Dodgers' 11-game joy ride is over. Blame it on Kent, blame it on Lugo or simply blame it on fate.

``Jeff Kent knows what he is doing at the plate,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``He isn't perfect, but I can't think of anybody else I would rather have up there in that situation. ... It was a tough ball (hit to Lugo). It was just one of those things.''

One of those things where the Dodgers (58-56), on an evening when they could have leapfrogged San Diego and taken sole possession of first place for the first time since June 26, instead find themselves in a second-place tie with Arizona, a half-game behind the Padres.

The Dodgers also lost right fielder J.D. Drew in the fourth inning to a mildly strained left quadriceps, but he is day to day and could return as soon as tonight.

Lowe (9-8) and Francis combined on a classic pitchers' duel. The Rockies took a 1-0 lead on Hawpe's home run leading off the fifth, and the Dodgers tied it in the bottom half on Lowe's own sacrifice fly, scoring Ethier, who had tripled.

Lowe scattered six hits over 8 2/3 innings, striking out six and walking none, for which he was rewarded with a gut-wrenching loss.

Affeldt (2-0) didn't have to work nearly as hard for his win, facing only Ethier. Brian Fuentes pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Colorado's Matt Holliday slides home safely during the ninth inning, as the Rockies ended the Dodgers' winning streak at 11 games.

(2) Derek Lowe reacts after giving up a base hit in the top of the ninth inning against Colorado. Lowe went 8 2/3 innings in the Dodgers' loss.

(3) The Dodgers' Julio Lugo is tagged out by Colorado catcher Yorvit Torrealba during his attempt to steal home in the fourth inning.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(4) BILLINGSLEY

Box:

DODGERS vs. COLORADO

- Tony Jackson