DODGERS END SKID AT EIGHT WEAVER SHUTS DOWN BRAVES DODGERS 7, ATLANTA 4.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

ATLANTA - On an afternoon when they finally didn't need it, the Dodgers got a masterfully-pitched game. On an afternoon when he finally didn't need it, Jeff Weaver got plenty of run support.

The result for the Dodgers was the end of their longest losing streak in a dozen years, which they snapped at eight games with a 7-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves in front of 31,850 on Saturday at Turner Field. Los Angeles had scored a total of 18 runs during the skid, had been shut out three times and had gone 20 consecutive innings without scoring.

That drought was extended to 22 innings before the Dodgers finally broke through in the third against Braves right-hander Jaret Wright (2-5).

With runners on first and second and one out, right fielder Juan Encarnacion hit what might have been yet another rally-killing, double-play grounder. But Adrian Beltre slid hard enough into second - and delayed the relay to first just long enough - that Encarnacion was able to reach safely. That allowed Milton Bradley to score from third, the Dodgers' first run since the seventh inning of Wednesday night's loss at Philadelphia.

Jason Grabowski, who now is hitting .385 in 11 starts since left fielder Dave Roberts went down with a right hamstring strain, followed with a two-run homer that just eluded a leaping Chipper Jones at the left-field wall.

And the Dodgers didn't quit, even with two outs and none on.

David Ross singled, then scored on Alex Cora's triple, giving Weaver a rare four-run cushion with which to work. He didn't disappoint, pitching seven shutout innings before tiring in the eighth and giving up a three-run homer to Dewayne Wise at a point when the outcome wasn't really in doubt.

Weaver had started just once before against the Braves. He pitched a five-hitter for Detroit in Atlanta on June 18, 2002, one of his three career shutouts.

``I knew Atlanta was a strong fastball-hitting team,'' Weaver said. ``I was able to stay ahead of them by being aggressive and mixing in a lot of off-speed stuff. Once we got those four runs, it built some confidence for me. I just stayed aggressive and made pitches when I needed to. After having some success in this park in the past, you come in with a lot of confidence that you're going to pitch well. It's a big park, where you get away with some long fly balls.''

In Weaver's previous eight starts this season, the Dodgers had averaged 3.25 runs. This time, for the first seven innings anyway, it looked as if that might have been enough.

Ultimately, it didn't have to be. David Ross made it 5-0 with an RBI single in the fifth, Alex Cora 6-0 with a two-out homer in the seventh and Encarnacion 7-0 with an RBI single in the eighth.

The scoreboard operator inadvertently credited the Dodgers with two runs on Encarnacion's hit, giving them a momentary 8-0 lead before correcting the mistake.

There have been many occasions over the past 10 days when the Dodgers could have used such charity. But on this day, finally, they created their own breaks.

``It's never fun, obviously, to go through what we have been through,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``But I have to (point out) the way this team handled themselves and the way they stuck together. Nobody likes to go through that, but in the long run, we'll gain from it.''

The Dodgers (23-18) assured themselves of holding onto at least a share of first place in the National League West, where they have resided every day for the past five weeks and all but three days since the start of the season.

``It's so much easier to have more than one at-bat a day,'' Grabowski said.

``If we're a better team with DR out there, then DR is going to be out there. That's the way it is. But hopefully, this will make a tough decision for them.''

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

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(color) Closer Eric Gagne, right, and catcher David Ross celebrate Saturday after the Dodgers end their eight-game losing streak.

John Bazemore/Associated Press

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