STAFF'S STUFF NOT ENOUGH.

Byline: KEVIN MODESTI

Watching the Dodgers struggle merely to piece together a competitive pitching rotation for the playoffs is like watching Martha Stewart overcook an egg. It cheapens the brand.

One thing you could always count on in L.A. sports was that anytime the Dodgers took a shot at the World Series, they did it with a corps of Cy Young Award winners and Hall of Famers leading the way. If the Dodgers couldn't always hit their way out of a ball bag, it rarely seemed to matter.

In 1963, they eked out a dozen runs in the whole Series against the Yankees - and swept it behind Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. In '65, the staff of Koufax, Drysdale and Claude Osteen shut out the Twins three times. The '70s were Don Sutton, Tommy John, Burt Hooton and Andy Messersmith. The biggest games in '81 were won by Fernando Valenzuela. And though '88 is remembered for Kirk Gibson, it belonged to Orel Hershiser.

In other words, the Dodgers have to worry about upholding a franchise tradition as they inch closer to a playoff spot, leading the division by 4 1/2 games after a 9-7 loss to the San Diego Padres in front of 36,050 on Monday night.

Unfortunately for Jim Tracy, the closest Koufax, Drysdale, Valenzuela and Hershiser will get to the Dodger Stadium pitcher's mound this year is those ghostly images on the outfield wall.

In their place, Tracy rests his hope for the postseason on Odalis Perez - Monday's loser - Jeff Weaver, Jose Lima and however much of Brad Penny's right arm is still attached a month from now.

``It's getting ahead of yourself a little bit,'' the manager said of the discussion of the playoff rotation.

But he can't avoid the issue that easily. The Dodgers have always gone as deep into October as their rotation carries them. And from what the rotation has shown lately, they would be underdogs against any potential first-round opponent.

How simple can we make this?

--The three-man core of Weaver (12-10), Lima (12-5) and Perez (6-5) is on pace to finish the regular season with 34 wins.

--The first three starters on previous L.A. playoff teams totaled at least 42 wins (Drysdale, Johnny Podres and Roger Craig, 1959; Valenzuela, Bob Welch, Jerry Reuss, 1983) and as many as 64 (Koufax, Drysdale, Osteen, 1965).

--The other National League playoff contenders have top threes on pace for at least 37 wins (Florida) and as many as 50 (St. Louis).

So matching their own history would be only the beginning of the challenge. In October, the Dodgers would be hard-pressed to match the Cubs. It says a lot that Weaver, the New York flop the Yankees dumped on the Dodgers, in return for the Dodgers unloading Kevin Brown on the Yankees, has gone from the No. 3 starter when the season began to the closest thing the club has to an ace.

Opening-day starter Hideo Nomo has been alternately dreadful and hurt, and probably failed his playoff audition when, after recording two victories in a row over last-place Arizona, he lasted only 3 2/3 innings against measuring stick St. Louis on Sunday.

Perez pitched better than his won-lost record for most of the season, but not lately. When he blew up in the fourth inning Monday, a home-run-hitting Phil Nevin and six other Padres reaching base consecutively and built a 5-0 lead, he raised his ERA in his past five starts to 7.50.

Ishii (13-7) began the year well and still leads the team in wins, but with a 2 1/3-inning performance against St. Louis on Friday, he accomplished the rare feat of pitching his way out of the rotation twice in one season. The first time, he was forced back into service by Penny's injury.

Which brings us to Penny, the World Series veteran acquired in the Florida trade to be the stretch-drive ace, only to fall victim to a biceps strain in his second Dodgers appearance.

A month after the injury that was supposed to sideline him for one start, Penny is scheduled to throw batting practice today, and Tracy hopes the right-hander can be back in competition in the playoffs.

``If everything goes well, I can see Brad Penny being part of the scheme of things. But to heap the weight of the world on his shoulders and say we're going to ride this horse, it's almost unfair,'' said Tracy, whose starters and relievers had combined for the National League's fourth-best ERA (3.85) entering Monday's game, worse than any of Los Angeles' 13 playoff teams.

In other words: Don't expect Penny to get back to ace quality by October. Picture him as one of the four starters the Dodgers would need in a playoff run.

But if the fourth man isn't Penny, then who? Wilson Alvarez? Edwin Jackson? Nomo or Ishii?

Somebody around here must have a number for Doug Rau.