NO CHEAP SWEEP; DODGERS NOW WITHIN 1-1/2 OF FIRST : DODGERS 7, PHILADELPHIA 1.

Byline: Kevin Acee Daily News Staff Writer

A kid named Roger. A soft-spoken Southern gentleman called Tripp. And the knuckleballer. These are the sorts of characters who have propelled the Dodgers back into the pennant chase.

The Dodgers edged closer to the top of the National League West on Sunday by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 7-1 at Dodger Stadium. The victory completed a three-game home sweep of the worst team in baseball and moved the Dodgers to within 1-1/2 games of the San Francisco Giants.

Solo homers by Roger Cedeno and Tripp Cromer started the Dodgers offense, and Tom Candiotti minimized the damage all day, using his knuckleball more than he has all season and allowing seven hits and just one run in 7-1/3 innings.

Cedeno, a 22-year-old center fielder who was thought to be a year away from contributing, and Cromer, a shortstop-turned-second baseman from South Carolina, have contributed on an almost daily basis since becoming regular starters at the beginning of the month.

But Candiotti coming out of the bullpen to take over for injured starter Ramon Martinez on June 21, is among the most important factors in the Dodgers' recent surge.

His contribution - going 4-1 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts (45-2/3 innings) and keeping the Dodgers in the game so they could win five of those starts - may top the list.

``That is the biggest. It's gotta be,'' said Darren Hall, perhaps a little partial to his former and future bullpen mate. ``It's amazing he can go out there and throw seven or eight innings at a time. He was in the bullpen and then, `Hey, we need you to start.' '' Funny that Hall would be so impressed. It was he who got Candiotti out of his final jam Sunday by inducing a bases-loaded double-play grounder from Kevin Jordan with the Dodgers leading 6-1 in the eighth inning.

Given that he stranded runners in scoring position three times without allowing a run, Candiotti was asked what his most impressive pitch of the day was.

``Darren Hall's double play was a real nice one,'' he answered.

What's nice for the Dodgers is that Candiotti, a starter for all but a few games his previous 13 seasons, accepted his role in the bullpen at the beginning of the season. Heck, he was happy for Chan Ho Park, who replaced him in the starting rotation.

Unhappy in the bullpen, for sure, Candiotti did not publicly complain. He went 3-2 with a 2.76 ERA in 23 relief appearances. When Martinez went down with a tear in his rotator cuff, Candiotti took the ball against the Giants on June 21 and threw seven shutout innings.

What's nice is that, as his final start as Martinez's replacement approaches, Candiotti is once again accepting of his fate.

``I've got no idea,'' he said of what will happen when Martinez returns. ``. . . The decision is not mine. I don't have a choice in the matter.''

Candiotti will start Friday or Saturday at Chicago. After that, the Dodgers cannot commit.

With Ismael Valdes' (strained left hamstring) and Martinez's stints on the disabled list and Hideo Nomo's close call with a line drive Saturday, the Dodgers have experienced first hand the reality of thin pitching most teams deal with all the time.

``We're not ready to address that yet,'' manager Bill Russell said. ``(Candiotti) is going to make his next start. There's no use talking about it until Ramon is ready to come back.''

Martinez will work four innings Wednesday for Single-A San Bernardino in his second rehabilitation start and then start for the Dodgers on Monday in the Hall of Fame (exhibition) game against the Padres in Cooperstown, N.Y. His first start back could come Aug. 9 in Cincinnati.

That means, barring another injury, Candiotti will be back in the bullpen.

That's not where he wants to be. But he accomplished his goal.

``I think I had my chance to show them I can still (start) - if not the Dodgers then somebody else out there who needs pitching,'' said Candiotti, whose six-year contract will have run its course at the end of this season.

And he will be around to see that end. After a winter, spring and summer of strong speculation he would be traded, it is becoming increasingly clear the Dodgers will not be dealing Candiotti before Thursday's trading deadline.

``I don't think you're going to see any pitchers leaving here,'' Russell said Sunday.

Why would anyone on this team be going anywhere?

The Dodgers have won 17 of 24 in July and are closer to the Giants than they have been since they were a game back on May 19. A team whose chemistry was considered the worst in baseball a month ago can suddenly do no wrong.

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Photo

Photo: Dodgers center fielder Roger Cedeno slides safely into third base with a triple in the seventh inning. With the victory, Los Angeles has won 17 of 24 games in July.

Phil McCarten / Daily News