PADRES EMBARRASS FREE-FALLING L.A. SAN DIEGO 7, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

The Dodgers committed no errors and didn't botch any sacrifice bunts. In fact, they did very little of anything. As a result, their post-All-Star- break funk reached a new depth as their starting pitching, the staple of their surprising first-half run, faltered again and their hitting was feeble.

All-Star pitcher Odalis Perez was pounded for a season-high seven earned runs and the Dodgers dropped their third in a row 7-0 to last-place San Diego on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium 

The Dodgers, who led the National League West by 2 1/2 games at the All-Star break, fell 1 1/2 behind Arizona after their seventh loss in eight games. The Dodgers, who are 1-6 since the All-Star break, lead third-place San Francisco and the wild-card race by scant one-half game.

Dodgers starting pitchers entered the day leading the major leagues with 45 wins and second in the National League with a 3.56 ERA but are 1-5 with a 4.91 ERA since the break.

Furthermore, Dodgers starters have dug early holes for an offense not built to come from very far behind. Since the break, Dodgers opponents have scored in the first two innings in four of the seven games.

The Padres, who own the second-worst record in the NL at 38-56 but have won 10 of their last 14 at Chavez Ravine, waited until the third inning to get to Perez. Singles by Mark Kotsay and Julius Matos preceded Phil Nevin's sixth homer of the season, which came on a 3-0 pitch and gave San Diego a 3-0 lead.

The Padres added four runs in the sixth off Perez. Two came on Wiki Gonzalez's ground-rule double to left with the bases loaded, and Kotsay made it 7-0 with a two-run single off reliever Terry Mulholland.

That was plenty for Padres starter Brian Lawrence (8-5), who won for the first time since June 12. Lawrence pitched his second career shutout and allowed just four hits (three by catcher Paul Lo Duca), walked a batter and struck out seven.

The Dodgers failed to get a runner to third and didn't get one past first base after the first inning. They were shut out for an NL-leading 10th time and Lawrence retired the last nine batters he faced.

Perez (10-6) lost his second consecutive start and for the third time in four starts, in each of which he was hit hard. Since pitching a one-hit shutout June 25 against Colorado, Perez has yielded 33 hits in 23 1/3 innings and has a 7.71 ERA.

The loss comes a day after Dodgers manager Jim Tracy held a closed-door meeting to discuss the team's sloppy play. Not only were the Dodgers committing errors and failing to hit according to the situation, but Tracy believed the club was giving away at-bats.

And for Tracy, whose focus has always been geared toward the finer points of the game, the first week after the All-Star break has been an especially difficult stretch.

``It kills me,'' Tracy said. ``I know that every club goes through something like that. There has been no lack of effort on this club, not one day. There has been no lack of intensity on this club, not one day. There has been a serious emphasis put on making sure that the little things are very, very important. So if we're not always on time with those, it does bother me a little bit.

``But it also, on my part, as the guy in charge, to recognize that's not the blueprint for 100 percent success. We've messed a couple of things up. It happens.''

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Photo:

(color) The Dodgers' Mark Grudzielanek got the Padres' Brian Buchanon on this play but couldn't complete the double play.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer