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DENVER (AP) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers are finding ways to lose at a time when they need wins the most.

	Uribe

Juan Uribe broke out of a slump with four hits, and Los Angeles walked in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning as the Colorado Rockies beat the Dodgers 5-4 Friday night.

Los Angeles, which started the night tied with San Francisco in the NL wild-card race, lost for the sixth time in seven games.

"Obviously, it's a tough game to lose, but it's one that we have to flush out of our system,'' Dodger manager Jim Tracy said. "We have to come back in here tomorrow and go right back to work.''

Colorado's Brent Butler drove in the first run of the seventh with a single up the middle off Guillermo Mota (1-3), then Juan Pierre scored from first when Marquis Grissom bobbled the ball in center field to tie it at 4.

Jesse Orosco got Larry Walker to pop out to third, then intentionally walked Todd Helton to put runners on first and second. Paul Shuey followed with consecutive walks to Todd Zeile and Greg Norton to put the Rockies up 5-4.

"I knew I could get Zeile out and didn't do it,'' Shuey said. "I have to look at myself hard for this one right there. That is a tough one for me to take.''

Uribe arrived just an hour before the game because a freeway on the south side of town was closed due to flooding.

It it didn't seem to bother him.

Uribe had a run-scoring double off the top of the left field wall in the second, then drove in another run in the fourth with a triple off the wall in right. He finished 4-for-4 and was a homer short of hitting for the cycle to end a 3-for-26 slide.

"We need to get him caught in those flood waters more often,'' said Colorado manager Clint Hurdle, whose team has won three straight and seven of 11. "He is pretty good when he shows up an hour before game time. We are just going to put one of those indoor swimming pools by his locker.''

Kent Mercker (3-0) allowed one hit and got one out for the victory.

Jose Jimenez pitched the ninth for his 39th save in 44 chances.

Brian Jordan hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his 16th of the season, and Eric Karros put the Dodgers up 4-1 with his 11th homer, a solo shot in the fourth.

Los Angeles starter Kevin Beirne, making his second career start and first in two years, worked quickly and was aggressive on the inside part of the plate. He broke four bats and kept the Rockies off balance with a fastball that reached into the low 90s and a slow, big-breaking curveball.

Beirne allowed two runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. He also had his first hit in the majors, a single up the middle in the fifth inning.

"I was careful not to pitch from behind and didn't let the ballpark dictate what I did,'' Beirne said. "I pitched the way I had to pitch. I didn't make many mistakes.''

Colorado starter Jason Jennings failed in his attempt to tie franchise records for victories (17) and home victories (10) in a season. He was hit on the right knee on a run-scoring single by Paul Lo Duca in the third, but stayed in the game.

"It was important for me to keep us in it, especially after giving up two in the first,'' said Jennings, who allowed four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. "I just had to go as many innings as I could and give us a chance to win, and that's really my job.''

Colorado had runners on first and third with no outs in the fourth inning, but wound up with just one run.

The Dodgers got a double play when rightfielder Shawn Green caught Gary Bennett's fly ball and threw out Zeile at home. Uribe made it 4-2 with a triple, but Beirne struck out Jennings looking to end the inning.

Game notes

Beirne's only other start was for the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 26, 2000, when he gave up three runs and three hits in five innings in a no-decision against Boston. ... Rockies RHP Mark Corey cleared waivers Friday and was assigned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Walker was back in the lineup after missing Thursday's game with a sore left arm. ... Los Angeles is 10-5 against Colorado this season.