NO REST IN THE WEST DODGERS GAIN GROUND ON PADRES, LEAD NL WILD-CARD RACE BY 1 GAME DODGERS 6, COLORADO 4.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

DENVER -- All around the room, men sat on couches or folding chairs, blindly picking at the plates of food in front of them while keeping their eyes glued to the sporting event taking place on television. It looked like someone had invited all the guys over for Super Bowl Sunday, but this watch party had nothing to do with football.

This was business, something the Dodgers already had partially taken care of by dispensing with the Colorado Rockies, beating them 6-4 in front of 18,858 Wednesday night at Coors Field.

Now, they were prepared to linger at their work place well past quitting time in hopes of seeing a resolution to the extra-inning marathon taking place some 2,000 miles to the east.

More specifically, they were hoping dead-in-the-water Washington, in the process of playing out the string, could knock off wild-card-contending Philadelphia and give the Dodgers a two-game cushion in their bid to reach the playoffs.

The bad news was, that didn't happen. The good news was National League West-leading San Diego already had lost at St. Louis, snapping the Padres' six-game winning streak and moving the suddenly sizzling Dodgers within a game of the division lead with four to go.

Welcome to pennant-race baseball, when you suddenly realize what those 150 or so less nervewracking games over the past five-plus months were all about.

If there was any disappointment over the fact the Phillies were still breathing down their necks, the Dodgers hid it well.

Besides, the Dodgers have won five of six at this crucial juncture, and if they keep that up, it won't matter what anyone else does.

``We're just thinking about trying to win,'' said Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, who gutted his way through seven innings, three hits and four at-bats after tweaking his strained right oblique ducking away from an inside pitch three batters into the game -- he is expected to sit out today's series finale.

``This was a good win for us.''

This time of year, of course, there are no bad wins.

``These guys play hard, and it's paying off for them,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said.

It paid off hugely in a decisive seventh inning, and so did the speed general manager Ned Colletti was so determined to add at the top of the lineup last winter.

With runners on first and second and none out, and the Dodgers (84-74) having already tied the score 4-4 on Andre Ethier's pinch-hit single, leadoff man Rafael Furcal hit what appeared to be a double-play grounder to second baseman Jamey Carroll. But the speedy Furcal beat shortstop Troy Tulowitzki's relay throw, putting runners on the corners with one out.

Kenny Lofton followed with another potential double-play ball, which would have ended the inning, to first baseman Todd Helton. But like Furcal, the fleet Lofton beat Tulowitzki's throw by half a step, prolonging the inning and scoring Wilson Betemit for the go-ahead run.

After Garciaparra singled and left for a pinch runner, and Rockies starter Aaron Cook (9-15) gave way to reliever Manny Corpas, Jeff Kent doubled home Lofton for a 6-4 lead that effectively sealed the 100th career victory for Dodgers right- hander Derek Lowe (16-8).

Lowe was then lifted because Little might need him on three days' rest for Sunday's final regular-season game at San Francisco.

``We had a discussion after the sixth inning where he asked me how I was doing,'' Lowe said. ``I said `To be honest, if we're talking about me coming back on three days' rest, throwing 115 (pitches) instead of 90might make it harder to come back.' So he made a change.''

Jonathan Broxton shut out the Rockies over the next two innings, and Takashi Saito pitched a one-hit ninth for his 22nd save, breaking Yhency Brazoban's year-old club record for rookies.

And with that, the Dodgers retired to the spacious visiting clubhouse here, found seats wherever they could and watched as the Phillies kept pace with a 14-inning win.

The Padres' magic number for clinching the West stayed at four, and the Dodgers' shaved theirs for clinching the wild card to four, as well.

Lowe gave up 10 hits but only four runs, and the Dodgers assured themselves of winning all six of their series this season against the cellar-dwelling Rockies. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead on Wilson Betemit's second-inning homer, but the Rockies took a 4-1 lead in the fifth. J.D.Drew's two-run triple, giving him a career-high 95 RBIs, made it 4-3 in the sixth.

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Dodgers' Delwyn Young, left, is out at home as he collides with Colorado catcher JD Closser during the seventh inning Wednesday night.

(2) The Dodgers' Derek Lowe was lifted after going six innings Wednesday because he might be needed Sunday.

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

(3) PENNY

Box:

DODGERS at COLORADO

- Tony Jackson