DODGERS DISARM GLAVINE : CEDENO'S FIRST HR DEFEATS BRAVES DODGERS 6, ATLANTA 3.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

The Dodgers are 2-0 against the winningest pitcher in baseball over the past five seasons. That's fortunate, because today they face the winningest pitcher in baseball over this season.

After Tom Glavine, there is John Smoltz.

It's the kind of thing that happens against the Atlanta Braves.

On a muggy Thursday night that followed afternoon thundershowers, the Dodgers defeated the Braves and Glavine 6-3 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where they rallied from three runs down in the sixth inning. They are one game behind the National League West-leading San Diego Padres, who lost their seventh consecutive game Thursday. It is the closest the Dodgers have been to the top since April 4.

They scored three runs in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh, the latter three on rookie Roger Cedeno's first career home run.

The Dodgers had eight hits in those innings, after they had two - both by reserve catcher Tom Prince - through five. And so they line up against Smoltz, 12-0 since losing his first decision, without the prospect of losing the first two here.

``Whoever represents the National League, they're going to have to go through Atlanta,'' said Eric Karros, whose two-run double in the sixth inning drew first blood against Glavine. ``Here, you see how you measure up.''

Mike Blowers drove in Karros with a single off a Glavine changeup, the same pitch Karros hit over center fielder Marquis Grissom's head.

``It's four games, and everybody knows about these guys' pitching,'' Blowers said. ``Everybody was disappointed in our (4-4) homestand, and one of the reasons was because we knew we had four games here. And it'll be the same way (today). Smoltz, that guy has been unbelievable. You come in here, that's four days of buckling up and grinding out some at-bats and trying to score some runs.''

There have been some character issues with this team. Basically, whether it has any. So, the Dodgers went into the late innings, down three runs to Glavine and his six-inches-off-the-plate, you-can't-hit-what-you-can't-reach strikes, and showed they have some of that grind Blowers talked about.

``Maybe a month ago we might not have it in us to come back,'' Blowers said.

Ismael Valdes (7-4) allowed three runs in a six-inning start for the Dodgers, and was three runs down until the offense rose up. Delino DeShields and Cedeno singled to start the sixth. After an out by Raul Mondesi, who batted third in place of Mike Piazza, Karros lined a long double to center field. Blowers singled home Karros to tie the score 3-3.

In the seventh, Juan Castro singled and Valdes bunted him to second. DeShields singled and that brought Cedeno.

An inning before, Cedeno stood in the on-deck circle, swung a bat and then he heard a familiar voice. It was Brett Butler, his spring-training tutor.

``Take the outside half away,'' Butler told him. ``Make him come inside.''

Glavine, who has started three games against the Dodgers this year (L.A. has won all three) came inside, with a fastball. Cedeno turned on it and it landed beyond the left-field fence. Butler, who in about 16 seasons had 54 home runs, coached Cedeno to the first home run of his career. Due to begin radiation treatment Monday, Butler watched the game from the box beside the Dodgers' dugout.

``Brett told me to stand closer to the plate,'' Cedeno said. ``He told me to get on top of homeplate, to make him pitch you inside. That's what I did.'' In five minor-league seasons, Cedeno had 12 home runs.

They met after the game and Butler grinned and said, ``You see?''