Migraine Headache Keeps Sheffield Out of Game

ST. LOUIS —  Gary Sheffield sat out Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals because of a migraine headache.

The all-star left fielder informed team trainer Stan Johnston of his intense pain shortly after arriving at Busch Stadium for the final game of a three-game series, and the versatile Paul Lo Duca started in left field and batted cleanup in an 8-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Dodgers do not know whether Sheffield, having another outstanding season despite torn finger ligaments and a recent fainting spell, will return to the lineup when the 12-game, 14-day trip resumes Tuesday against the San Diego Padres at Qualcomm Stadium.

“He’s got a bad migraine headache,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “I think he was feeling it some [Saturday], tried to get through it and he’s hurting now.”

Sheffield appeared baffled at the plate and listless in the field in Saturday’s 6-5 loss to the Cardinals.

In one of his worst games this season, Sheffield was hitless in five at-bats, had two strikeouts and stranded five runners.

With two runs in and Shawn Green on first in the ninth, Sheffield hit into a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Asked afterward if he was feeling ill, Sheffield said he was fine and simply “had a bad day.”

Sheffield is batting .311 and is second on the team with 34 home runs, 88 runs batted in and 85 runs.

“With the day off [today], you just don’t want to risk losing him for a series of days in a row,” Tracy said. “That’s just something we can ill afford at this point.”

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Green believes Cardinal reliever Mike James hit him with a pitch on his right shoulder in the eighth inning in retaliation for starter Chan Ho Park hitting two Cardinals with pitches.

“It was too high to throw a pitch when you’re going after somebody,” the right fielder said. “It was basically at my neck, and I wasn’t very pleased about it. Let’s just say some players have long memories.”

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Reliever Matt Herges was not available for the second game in a row because of a strain on his left side.

Herges, productive this season despite knee problems, said he was still experiencing pain after the game.

Tracy is hopeful that Herges--9-8 with a 3.52 ERA in 65 appearances--will return in the series opener against the Padres.

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In an awkwardly-timed tribute, the Cardinals replayed Jack Clark’s homer against Tom Niedenfuer in Game 6 of the 1985 National League championship series.

Clark’s go-ahead, pennant-clinching blast at Dodger Stadium was shown on the video scoreboard before the Cardinals batted in the fifth with a 7-1 lead.

Clark stepped forward in the dugout and tipped his cap in appreciation.

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Although James Baldwin is 1-4 with a 6.62 earned-run average in his last six starts, Tracy and pitching coach Jim Colborn are not considering altering the rotation again.

They believe that the veteran right-hander is the best man for the job because of their lack of options and his experience and determination.

Young right-handers Eric Gagne and Luke Prokopec and veteran left-hander Terry Mulholland are the top candidates to start if Tracy realigns the rotation, but they have struggled recently.

The Dodgers are using a four-man rotation because Gagne was 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in six starts last month and Prokopec was 1-1 with a 5.82 ERA in three starts.

Mulholland is 1-0 with a 7.90 ERA in 15 appearances since being acquired July 31 from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has given up 24 hits in 13 2/3 innings, and opponents are batting .375 against him.

Baldwin has the confidence of his teammates, who believe Colborn will help him correct his mechanical problems sooner than later.

And his heart should not be overlooked, Colborn said.

“I’ve been very impressed with his competitiveness,” Colborn said. “If we were in a playoff game tomorrow, and it was his turn to start, I’d feel real confident.”