DODGERS BAFFLED BY CRAFTY PEREZ : ATLANTA 4 DODGERS 2.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

Atlanta lefty Odalis Perez dominated a power-oriented Dodgers lineup for 8-1/3 innings with finesse piled atop finesse.

Much of the Dodgers' difficulties were in their inability to make adjustments during the game.

It wasn't until Dodgers right fielder Raul Mondesi homered in the ninth that the Dodgers got to him, and by then the Braves were on their way to a 4-2 win in the opener of a three-game series Friday at Turner Field.

It snapped the Dodgers' modest win string at two. The last time the Dodgers (24-23) won three straight was during a five-game winning streak April 27-May 1.

It'll be interesting, and tell-tale of where the Dodgers' season is heading, to see if adjustments are made today against Tom Glavine. And if Mondesi's success will be picked up by the rest of the team.

``We could hardly advance to second,'' Dodgers manager Davey Johnson said. ``We couldn't make adjustments. Mondesi was the only one who seemed to have the idea; take him up the middle and then knock it out.''

Mondesi, who retook the NL home run lead from Sammy Sosa with his 18th homer, had three hits. So did the rest of the Dodgers.

``I walked to the plate not worrying where he threw the ball, just trying to make good contact,'' Mondesi said. ``Most of the time he pitched middle away. He threw me one in the middle and I hit it to the middle. He threw me in and I went to left-center and he threw me a slider in and I hit it to left. That's it.''

Simple for Mondesi. Difficult for most everyone else.

It was the longest outing of Perez's brief career. The 20-year-old made the Dodgers look so lackluster offensively that he didn't allow a runner past first base until Dave Hansen's pinch-hit double with two outs in the eighth.

``He never gave in,'' said Dodgers catcher Todd Hundley, who failed to get the ball out of the infield in three hitless at-bats against Perez. ``Me, personally, he threw me one fastball on the inside part of the plate. Other than that, it was sliders and breaking balls on the outside.

``He never gave into us. Away, away, away. Almost a Glavine-type game.''

Hundley also said it was the same type of pitching plan that Cincinnati right-hander Steve Parris used in beating the Dodgers on Tuesday. It's what Glavine will do, and the same approach Greg Maddux, Atlanta's starter Sunday, will try.

That is both scary and beneficial for the Dodgers. They failed to adjust to Perez (3-2), and all Glavine's proven to be is someone who can pitch a markedly superior game than the one Perez threw.

Though Glavine hasn't pitched in his typical way so far - he's 3-5 with a 5.54 ERA - he does symbolize the type who can dominate the Dodgers' lineup.

Perez, who struck out one and walked one, didn't allow more than one Dodger on base in any inning until the ninth.

``That type of pitcher can be tough on guys trying to go deep,'' Johnson said. ``We hit a lot of home runs in Baltimore and guys like (Jamie) Moyer gave us fits. Guys like this, we have to make adjustments and go the other way and up the middle.''

And the Dodgers also can't make errors in the field against teams the caliber of the Braves and win.

Leading 2-0 on RBI groundouts by Gerald Williams and Perez in the fourth, the Braves added two runs in the fifth when the little things collapsed for the Dodgers.

Chipper Jones and Brian Jordan singled. Jordan stole second and was safe when Eric Young dropped the ball and Javy Lopez walked to load the bases with one out.

Darren Dreifort, who allowed four funs in five innings but also walked five, got Ryan Klesko to hit the needed groundball, but third baseman Adrian Beltre took a step back on the sharp grounder and misplayed it. It allowed two runs to score and gave the Braves a 4-0 lead.

``Dreifort threw pretty good but we gave them (one) unearned run,'' Johnson said. ``I don't think it's (Beltre's) confidence. He's played well there. He just retreated.''

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Photo

Photo: Atlanta starter Odalis Perez tantalized the Dodgers hitters with his off-speed pitches for 8-1/3 innings.

Erik S. Lesser/Associated Press