Dodgers Reeling After Loss

The Dodgers are fading in a three-team National League West race, dropping further behind the hot leaders Thursday with a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Expos before 30,347 at Dodger Stadium.

The NL East’s last-place team won two of three from the struggling Dodgers, who played without all-star left fielder Gary Sheffield.

In the final game of the series, the Expos scored three runs in the eighth against reliever Mike Trombley (0-1) to break a 3-3 tie.

Sheffield underwent tests Thursday at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood after experiencing fatigue and dizziness Wednesday night.

Sheffield’s wife, DeLeon, called team trainer Stan Johnston on Thursday morning to inform him of the problem, and Johnston contacted team physician Michael Mellman.

A team spokesman declined to reveal the tests performed and the status of results, saying Sheffield would be hospitalized overnight under Mellman’s supervision.

“You walk in here this morning and find out that another one of your key guys is unavailable,” said Manager Jim Tracy, whose club has faced a rash of injuries and health problems.

“We’re not certain as to when he will be available. We’re hopeful it will be [today], but I don’t have an answer to that question.”

The inconsistent Dodgers (66-55) again sputtered on offense without their cleanup batter, getting only nine hits against one of the league’s worst pitching staffs less than 24 hours after pounding 20--including four home runs--in Wednesday’s 13-1 victory.

Reliever Britt Reames (3-8) pitched two scoreless innings for the Expos (51-70).

“We’ve just been struggling,” right fielder Shawn Green said. “I guess we have to get that feeling back, like we’re going to win each game. When it gets away from you, it’s tough to get it back.

“This was a series we needed to win. The next series coming up [against the New York Mets] is one we need to win. Now, it’s almost like we have to sweep it.”

The Dodgers have lost 11 of 16 and six of seven, falling 31/2 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks and three games behind the second-place San Francisco Giants.

They trail the Giants by three games in the NL wild-card race.

With two out and the bases loaded in the eighth, the right-handed Trombley gave up a two-run single to the left-handed batting Lee Stevens.

Stevens is hitless in five career at-bats against left-hander Jesse Orosco, who was not available because of a sore tailbone.

Stevens was two for nine against Trombley, and had similar statistics against left-hander Terry Mulholland, who pitched two innings Wednesday.

“I really didn’t help myself, right from the start,” said Trombley, who gave up five hits and four runs in one-plus inning.

The Diamondbacks, who did not play Thursday, have won six in a row, and the Giants have won five consecutive games and 17 of 20.

The Dodgers are moving in the opposite direction, and although they’re still in the lead pack, they acknowledge this is not the textbook way to win the West.

“It becomes demoralizing if we allow it to be,” Tracy said. “To sit here and say that we’re out of it ... that’s ridiculous to say that when you trail by 31/2 games.

“But we need consistent play. We need consistent offense, and we need consistency in all phases of the game.”

The Expos had only four hits in seven innings against right-hander Eric Gagne, and only one of the three runs he gave up was earned because of errors by Green and catcher Paul Lo Duca.

The Dodgers also had two runners thrown out at the plate on questionable baserunning plays.

After Green tied the score in the fifth with a single, Mark Grudzielanek was thrown out trying to steal home while Green tried to steal second, ending the inning with Lo Duca at the plate.

Lo Duca was three for three with his 19th home run and scored twice.

“What Grud did was a very heads-up play,” Tracy said. “He read a bad throw at second base, and once again, I’m not going to second-guess my players for being aggressive in that situation.”

Vladimir Guerrero, Montreal’s all-star right fielder, nailed Adrian Beltre, trying to score after his two-out double, in the seventh on Grudzielanek’s single.

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