Tracy Has to Juggle Pitchers Once Again

Injuries have forced Manager Jim Tracy to shuffle the rotation frequently, and Kevin Brown’s season-ending injury has changed plans again.

The torn muscle in the right-hander’s elbow became further detached in Saturday’s 6-5, 11-inning victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, ending Brown’s attempt to lead the club to the playoffs.

Brown will undergo surgery, rejoining sidelined starters Andy Ashby and Darren Dreifort, and the club needs a starter Wednesday for the final game of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium.

Tracy said that Terry Mulholland probably will pitch in place of Brown, but Eric Gagne and Luke Prokopec also are being considered.

Gagne is 1-1 with a 3.15 earned-run average in 20 innings against the Giants this season. He has been effective in four relief appearances this month, giving up three hits and one run in six innings.

Mulholland has struggled since being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 1-1 with a 7.64 ERA in 172/3 innings.

In his first start for the club in Friday’s 10-0 loss to Arizona, Mulholland pitched four innings and gave up four runs on Matt Williams’ 11th career grand slam. Barry Bonds is batting .308 (16 for 52) with seven home runs and 16 runs batted in against Mulholland.

Prokopec gave up five hits and was charged with five runs in 12/3 innings Friday.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ JAMES BALDWIN

(2-4, 4.63 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’ LIVAN HERNANDEZ

(12-14, 5.28 ERA) Update -The Dodgers face the San Francisco Giants in another September showdown at Chavez Ravine, and Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the single-season home-run record raises the stakes. Bonds, who has 66 homers, needs five to surpass Mark McGwire’s total of 70 in 1998.

Tuesday, 7 p.m.-Chan Ho Park (13-11, 3.30) vs. Kirk Rueter (13-11, 4.61).

Wednesday, 7 p.m.-Terry Mulholland (1-1, 7.64) vs. Jason Schmidt (12-7, 4.08).