DODGERS NOTEBOOK: BLISTER BLIGHT HITS PITCHING STAFF.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

Dodgers right-hander Ismael Valdes held out the palm of his right hand and pointed to his middle finger and the redness from the blister. It's the reason Valdes was taken out after 6-1/3 innings Sunday against the San Diego Padres instead of finishing the seventh inning.

Reliever Antonio Osuna has the same thing, a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Manager Davey Johnson hopes Osuna will be fine by today.

``I don't know what's (going on) with blisters,'' Johnson said. ``Everybody's got a blister.''

Valdes, who allowed three earned runs on six hits, threw 102 pitches, but he said the blister affected him most on breaking pitches. Valdes usually develops a blister on the side of his middle finger, but never in the middle, where it bothers his gripping of the baseball.

``He gave me more than I thought he could,'' Johnson said. ``I didn't want to give him a chance to lose the ballgame and exacerbate the blister.''

Charting the rotation: Johnson said he would talk with pitching coach Charlie Hough today about whether to skip a pitcher in the rotation or push everyone back a day because of Thursday's off day.

Much of that discussion may be framed around Valdes' blister. It could mean skipping either Darren Dreifort, Valdes or lefty Carlos Perez in the rotation.

The Dodgers also have next Monday off before beginning a nine-game road trip, and Johnson has said in the past that seven days off for a starter is too long.

Prince of thieves: Any time Dodgers second baseman Eric Young wants to run he can. Those are the directions given by Johnson, and so far Young has taken off 13 times and been caught just twice.

Not only does Young have more than twice as many steals as anyone else, only six major-league teams entered Sunday with more stolen bases than Young.

``Technique-wise, (Young) is right in there with (Barry) Larkin,'' Johnson said. ``A quick start, smart baserunner. He's got that instinct to know when to go. That can be contagious. If I have guys that are smart baserunners, I'll give them the green light to go.''

Young is setting the trend for the Dodgers, who lead baseball with 22 stolen bases. Even Valdes got into the action Sunday, stealing second in the sixth inning. It was Valdes' second career stolen base and first since Aug. 24, 1997, at Philadelphia.

Extra bases: Dodgers catcher Todd Hundley threw out Damian Jackson on an attempted stolen base in the fifth inning. It was the first time in 13 attempts Hundley threw a runner out. . . . The Dodgers and Padres drew 156,852 to Qualcomm Stadium, a three-game record for San Diego.

DODGERS vs. ATLANTA

Time: 7:10 p.m., at Dodger Stadium.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West 2; 1150-AM, KWKW-AM (1330 Spanish).

Matchup: If Dodgers manager Davey Johnson follows through on what he said after Carlos Perez's last start, it doesn't look good for the lefty to make it into the seventh inning. In each of Perez's two starts, he's given up four runs in the seventh inning, and after the last episode Johnson said it was his fault for not getting Perez out of the game earlier. Of course, in the last two years Perez (0-2, 6.59 ERA) has thrown 15 complete games. The Braves counter with John Smoltz (1-0, 2.77). The right-hander is making his third start of the season and is coming off a no-decision in which he allowed four earned runs in six innings against Philadelphia. He's 14-11 with a 2.84 ERA in 30 career starts against the Dodgers. Tuesday - Dodgers RHP Darren Dreifort (2-0, 2.25) opposes Atlanta righty Kevin Millwood (1-1, 5.68); Wednesday - Dodgers RHP Kevin Brown (1-1, 3.15) pitches against Braves left-hander Odalis Perez (0-0, 0.00).

- Brian Dohn

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BOX: DODGERS vs. ATLANTA (see text)