Can the Dodgers come running back? Clock is ticking on turnaround

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Unlike the Rolling Stones, time is not on the Dodgers’ side.

They’ve missed out on a sweet opportunity to gain some real momentum and edge back into the race. With Thursday’s loss, they are again eight games in back of the Padres.

‘It’s certainly not early, but it’s not particularly late either,’ said third baseman Casey Blake. ‘We still have a third of the season left to go. That’s the positive thing right now.’

They’re eight games back, with three teams ahead of them. That’s tough duty, particularly for a team playing without its starting catcher, shortstop and left fielder.

The Dodgers have 53 games to try to turn things around, to try to look like something more than a team barely over .500 (56-53).

A victory Thursday would have meant taking three of four from the division-leading Padres and would have left the Dodgers six games back.

‘It’s disappointing, but we have games left we have to play,’ said Manager Joe Torre. ‘It’s going to come down to getting what we earn.’

They’re hoping to earn it within the division. Thirty of their last 53 games are against NL West teams. And despite their recent skid, they’re still 27-15 against teams within their own division. They play the Padres six more times.

‘We can’t be looking at how the guys ahead of us do,’ Blake said. ‘We have play to win and do everything in our power, in our control to take care of our business.

‘You see it across baseball. It doesn’t matter how far you are down. You just keep playing and weird things can happen in this game.’

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: San Diego’s Chris Deonorfia scores on an inside-the park home run in the 9th inning at Dodger Stadium. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times