BRAVES SCRUB BAFFLES DODGERS L.A. CAN'T HIT; GAGNE EVENTUALLY CRUMBLES VS. NEMESIS ATLANTA 5, DODGERS 1.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

In recent years, a series against the Atlanta Braves has meant the opportunity to see one of the deepest and most dominant pitching staffs in baseball. The same was true when the Braves began a three-game series at Dodger Stadium on Friday. Except this time, Atlanta was not the one with the highly regarded staff. The way the Dodgers hit, though, it was difficult to tell anything had changed.

The Dodgers did not advance a runner past second base until the ninth inning and had just one of their eight hits come with a runner in scoring position in a 5-1 loss in front of a sellout crowd of 54,343.

Atlanta starter Odalis Perez brought a 1-4 record and 8.37 ERA into the game. However, the left-hander gave up just three hits through the first five innings and allowed only one runner to advance as far as second base during that span. Perez finished with a season-high six strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings of five-hit work.

``Over the course of the past decade, we've seen they don't normally run guys out there that aren't capable of doing what Odalis Perez did tonight,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said.

Despite Friday's appearances, these are not the same Braves who have won nine consecutive division titles. These Braves entered the series five games out of first place in the National League East. A pitching staff that has had the best ERA in the National League the past four years and seven of the last nine seasons entered Friday's game ranked seventh in the league with a 4.27 ERA.

The Dodgers, meanwhile, boasted the league's third-best ERA at 3.86.

For five innings, Eric Gagne (1-2) made it evident why the staff is successful. Then he lost his ability to work out of trouble and the team that entered the game with just one starter batting over .300 broke the game open.

``I thought Eric Gagne threw the ball extremely well,'' Tracy said. ``He's getting better with every game. I don't know if I've seen him throw back-to-back quality starts like this. Regardless of the outcome, for him this was a quality start. We just couldn't get any offense.''

Atlanta scored three runs in the seventh to take a 4-0 lead and chase Gagne, who struck out six and walked none in 6 1/3 innings.

Rico Brogna and Rafael Furcal started the seventh with back-to-back singles. Quilvio Veras drove in both with another single, and Brian Jordan brought in the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to left as Veras beat the throw home from Dodgers left fielder Gary Sheffield.

Atlanta broke the scoreless tie with a run in the sixth when Chipper Jones doubled and scored on a single to shallow center by Jordan. Gagne retired the next two batters on a comebacker and a strikeout.

The Braves led off the first two innings with doubles but failed both times to get another hit as the Dodgers got out of the innings without allowing a run. Gagne retired the side in order the next two innings. Atlanta rallied in the fifth as Javy Lopez opened the inning with a single and Brogna followed with a single to right that put runners at the corners, but Gagne again got out of the jam without allowing a run.

Gagne, who is winless in three career starts against the Braves, was hurt by a lack of run support for the second game in a row. In his previous start, he went seven innings, giving up only an infield single and one unearned run, but got a no-decision in the Dodgers' 3-2 loss to Chicago.

The Dodgers' only run Friday came on a two-out single in the ninth by Brian Johnson.

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Photo:

(color) Dodgers third baseman Hiram Bocachica throws past pitcher Eric Gagne for a putout at first base in the first inning Friday against Atlanta.

Chris Pizzello/Associated Press