Losses Mounting for the Dodgers

They have reveled in overcoming obstacles that would have overwhelmed previous Dodger teams, finding strength instead of making excuses.

But one can only take so much.

The Dodgers might finally have reached their breaking point Sunday afternoon in a 6-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks before a crowd of 48,410 at Dodger Stadium.

They lost cleanup batter Gary Sheffield in the first inning, a key game against the National League West leaders and starter Kevin Brown for at least the final two weeks of this season because he must undergo elbow surgery.

Dodger medical personnel believe that the torn muscle in the right-hander’s pitching elbow became further detached in Saturday’s 6-5, 11-inning victory.

Team physician Frank Jobe is optimistic that Brown has not suffered ligament damage--which would require reconstructive elbow surgery that might sideline him for the 2002 season--and might be ready to pitch at the start of next season. However, Jobe acknowledged that only surgery will determine the extent of damage Brown suffered in his attempt to lead the Dodgers to the playoffs.

Jobe and Ralph Gambardella are scheduled to perform the procedure Thursday at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood.

“He had a little extra pain [Saturday],” Jobe said. “On exam, it seems like we’d be doing him a disservice by letting him go ahead and pitch another time.

“If he tears the ligament, then we’re into a [reconstructive procedure] as opposed to just putting the muscle back. I’m afraid that it’s going to explode and give us some real trouble. I just thought now is the time I had to say, ‘Stop.”’

Despite his pain, Brown had been determined to help in the playoff push. “I thought that I was on the right track and I’d be able to make it, but it’s not been great the whole time,” said Brown, who has given up only five earned runs in 271/3 innings since being activated from the disabled list Aug. 28.

“It’s gotten a little bit worse, pretty much every time out. But how do you shut it down when you’re in the middle of a race, even though you’re hurting, [when] you’re getting people out?

“It’s one thing if you’re out there getting knocked around. If you didn’t feel like you were doing the team any good, it would have been easier to say, ‘Enough is enough.’ When you feel like you’re at least providing some type of help, it’s kind of hard to stop.”

The news on the field also was bad for the Dodgers.

Behind another dominant outing by Curt Schilling (21-6), the Diamondbacks (84-66) rebounded and split the four-game series after a disappointing loss Saturday.

The third-place Dodgers (80-70) failed in their mission to win at least three games, remaining four games behind the Diamondbacks with 12 to play. They also trail the St. Louis Cardinals by five games in the league’s wild-card standings, and Sunday’s events made those deficits seem wider.

The crowd erupted in anger when umpire CB Bucknor ejected Sheffield for arguing after the all-star left fielder struck out swinging on a ball he believed he fouled off.

Mark Grudzielanek was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a passed ball, ending a promising inning for the Dodgers on a wild double play and triggering a heated exchange between Bucknor and Manager Jim Tracy.

“That could have been completely avoided,” Tracy said. “From what the [TV] replays show, the call was missed at home plate. We should have had a run. To engage in an argument like that, when you see a guy coming toward home plate ... you [should] totally avert that situation and go to the next play, because here comes a play at the plate.

“You watch body language very closely. Normally, if there’s a swing and a catcher feels like there’s been absolutely no contact, and he hasn’t caught the ball, then you would see a guy immediately go to the screen to find the ball. Grud wouldn’t even have entertained any thought of coming to home plate. [Arizona catcher Damian] Miller seemed to freeze.

“All of a sudden, you see [Schilling] holler at him to go get the ball, when he sees Grud running hard. I don’t know from the replay if [Sheffield] did foul that ball off with two strikes, but [while] engaging in that dispute there was a play at home plate that got missed.”

The Dodgers had one out and runners on first and second after Grudzielanek doubled and Shawn Green walked.

On a 2-and-0 pitch, Bucknor called a wide strike and Sheffield argued, setting the stage for what followed.

Sheffield left the clubhouse before reporters were permitted to enter, but many players said he was correct in arguing.

“He was 2-0 on him, first and second in the first inning and we had a chance to score some runs,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “It was a pitch that may have been questionable that he was upset about. That changed the whole inning around.”

Grudzielanek said Bucknor blew the call on the play at the plate, and tossed Sheffield too quickly.

“He just flat out missed the call,” he said. “Things like that happen, but you don’t want to see it in a big game like this.

“I think he got caught behind Sheff and missed it. The replay showed I was in there.”

Bucknor said Sheffield cursed him.

“It was routine,” the umpire said. “When a player gets personal with an umpire, you eject him.”

Schilling was typically sharp in his fourth victory in as many starts against the Dodgers this season, finishing stronger than Terry Adams (12-8) in what had been an outstanding duel for six innings.

With the score tied, 1-1, in the seventh, the Diamondbacks broke the game open with five runs, sending 10 batters to the plate, getting six hits and chasing the Dodgers’ top starter since the All-Star break.

Bruce Aven, who replaced Sheffield in the second, hit his first homer in the fourth for the club’s only run.

Schilling gave up five of the Dodgers’ six hits, and had 13 strikeouts in eight innings. He has 43 strikeouts in 33 innings against the Dodgers.

“Coming off one of our best days [in Saturday’s improbable victory],” first baseman Eric Karros said, “this was arguably one of our most disappointing with all the things that went on.”