Left-Hander Stewart Obtained in Deal

The Dodgers, revamping their bullpen on the fly in the pennant stretch, acquired triple-A left-hander Scott Stewart from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

General Manager Paul DePodesta said he is in talks with two other teams about trading for a reliever and said the outcome of those talks could determine whether Stewart reports to Los Angeles or triple-A Las Vegas.

The latest new reliever, whether Stewart or someone else, will join a long list of candidates to replace the injured Darren Dreifort as the primary bridge to closer Eric Gagne.

“Maybe it’s a series of auditions,” Manager Jim Tracy said.

Auditions are best held in spring training, not with six weeks to go in a playoff race. But, aside from Gagne, the bullpen has completely turned over from this time last year. Paul Quantrill left as a free agent, Dreifort and Paul Shuey are injured and DePodesta traded Guillermo Mota on July 30 and Tom Martin on July 31.

Last month, the Dodgers rode to victory behind Dreifort in the seventh inning, Mota in the eighth and Gagne in the ninth. Now, Tracy said, he will play matchups and hot hands ahead of Gagne, hoping a primary setup man emerges and hoping for the best in the meantime.

“It’s got to be well thought out, not to say it’s going to work out,” Tracy said. “You work your way through it day by day.”

Said DePodesta: “That’s the reality of it. The guys we have out there are guys we like.”

The relievers aside from Gagne now include Giovanni Carrara and Mike Venafro, rescued from the triple-A teams of other organizations, and rookies Yhency Brazoban and Duaner Sanchez. Tracy did not rule out starters Edwin Jackson or Hideo Nomo joining the bullpen when each returns from a minor league rehabilitation assignment. Wilson Alvarez or Kazuhisa Ishii could return to a relief role, although the injured Brad Penny is expected to miss at least two more starts.

“I feel really good about what we should have available come September,” DePodesta said. “It’s a matter of patching it up between now and then.”

Stewart, 29, the Montreal Expos’ closer in 2002, had a 7.24 earned-run average in 23 games for Cleveland this season and a 4.22 ERA in 27 games at triple-A Buffalo.

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ON DECK

Opponent -- Atlanta Braves, four games.

Site -- Dodger Stadium.

TV -- Fox Sports Net 2 tonight, Channel 13 Friday and Sunday, Channel 11 Saturday.

Radio -- KFWB (980), KWKW (1330).

Records -- Dodgers 70-49, Braves 68-51.

Record vs. Braves -- 1-2.

Tonight, 7 -- Kazuhisa Ishii (11-6, 4.64) vs. Russ Ortiz (13-6, 3.46).

Friday, 7 -- Jose Lima (11-3, 4.06) vs. John Thomson (9-8, 4.49).

Saturday, 1 -- Jeff Weaver (10-10, 3.67) vs. Mike Hampton (9-8, 4.74).

Sunday, 1 -- Wilson Alvarez (7-3, 3.19) vs. Jaret Wright (11-6, 3.26).