Hope Hangs by a Thread

The Dodgers enter the bell lap of the National League wild-card race tonight with their rotation in tatters, the San Francisco Giants still setting the pace and only the winner advancing.

San Francisco has a two-game lead as the clubs sprint to the finish in the final week of the regular season, turning up the heat on the Dodgers, who have only six games remaining against the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. They’re in a tough spot and could make excuses with starters Kazuhisa Ishii and Kevin Brown sidelined and others struggling, but that’s not the Dodgers’ style.

The resilient bunch is still in the race despite its pitching problems and won’t change course now.

“Everyone knows what’s happened with our pitching, and it would be really easy to kind of point to that, but no one on this team has given up and said we can’t do it,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “There were times it looked like we were going in the wrong direction and that might be it, but we didn’t let that happen.

“No matter what, we just keep going, and that’s the difference in this year’s team, because of the guys we have here now. You want to be in a position to make these last games count, and we’re still in that position. Sure, you wish you had all your guys healthy, but we’re focused on what we have to do.”

The Dodgers have to keep winning and hope the Giants stumble at least twice in their final five games against the Padres and Houston Astros at Pacific Bell Park.

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy is relying on Hideo Nomo and Odalis Perez to hold together a makeshift rotation, hoping to get to the playoffs and worry later about who would pitch against the East division champion Atlanta Braves.

“We have to get there first,” Tracy said. “If we had all our horses it would be better than it is right now, there’s no doubt about it, but it is what it is.”

The Giants have only five games scheduled this week but would have to play the Braves in a makeup game Monday at Turner Field if that game has a bearing on the wild-card race. An Aug. 15 Giant-Brave game was called because of rain with the score tied, 3-3, in the 10th inning.

But the Dodgers aren’t looking that far ahead.

“We can’t look to help from San Diego and Houston, and we sure can’t think about what could happen if everything else goes right for us,” center fielder Marquis Grissom said. “Plain and simple, you have to keep your focus on your job and what you’ve got to do here.

“That’s natural to want to look and see how [the Giants] are doing, and to think about how good it could turn out, but that’s when you start making mistakes. None of that will help you on the field, and that’s where we need our total focus right now.”

Especially in their situation.

The Dodgers haven’t won a playoff game since 1988, and last qualified for postseason play in 1996. Manager Dusty Baker has guided the Giants to two West division titles since 1997, and the club appears to be hitting its stride, completing a stretch of 40 games in 41 days with a record of 25-14 plus the rainout.

“If you have an older car, it probably takes longer to heat up,” Baker said of his veteran club. “Brand-new cars just start and take off. They don’t need to warm up.”

The Giants are coming off a 5-2 trip, splitting four games with the Dodgers and sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers. They are 45-31 at Pacific Bell Park, 12-5 against the Padres and 2-1 against the Astros. “Everyone was pleased with the trip,” left-hander Kirk Rueter said. “We’ll take our chances with five home games left.”

The Giants are scheduled to face 15-game winner Wade Miller in the opener against Houston on Friday, and 19-game winner Roy Oswalt on Sunday.

“We’re going to put our best team out there on the field, especially if it counts,” Astro Manager Jimy Williams said. “That’s the only way to play it in this situation.”

Said outfielder Lance Berkman: “We want to go out there and sweep them. We’re not buddy-buddy with the Giants.”

The Dodgers took two of three from the Padres after dropping the opener. Another loss might have ended the race.

“You don’t want to say that it would have been over, but three or four games with six to play would have ... you’re probably starting to think about vacation,” second baseman Mark Grudzielanek said. “It’s hard when you’re a couple of games back, but at least we still have a shot in this scenario.

“We took care of business to stay in this thing, and now every game is like the playoffs for us. We can’t give up anything now at home. It’s really that clear cut.”

The Dodgers are 42-33 at Dodger Stadium and 11-6 against the Rockies, but the Padres have caused them fits. The West’s last-place club is 8-7 against the Dodgers and would revel in ending their season during a four-game series starting Thursday.

“Hopefully, they’ll still be right there, and we can stop them from going to the playoffs,” said San Diego right-hander Adam Eaton, scheduled to start Saturday. “That’s what we’ve got to do.”

The Dodgers would expect nothing less.

“The Padres always play us tough because of the rivalry, and they have a much better team than their record,” right fielder Shawn Green said. “It’s not going to be easy just because the Rockies and Padres are sub-.500 teams.

“At the same time, if we deserve to be in the playoffs, we should be able to beat these teams. No matter how many injuries we have or whatever, if we don’t do that with a chance to make the playoffs, the Giants deserve to go.”

That would be fine with the Giants.

“As long as we keep winning,” Baker said, “everything will be fine.”