DODGERS NOTEBOOK: YOUNG CONTENT AS WHITE'S `CADDIE'.

Byline: Brian Dohn Daily News Staff Writer

The list included Jose Vizcaino, Mark Grudzielanek, Devon White, Adrian Beltre, Todd Hollandsworth and Todd Hundley.

On the plane flight from Los Angeles to Cincinnati, Dodgers leadoff hitter Eric Young thought it may be time for him to take a shot at it.

It's the No. 2 spot in the Dodgers lineup, and Dodgers manager Davey Johnson spent the spring and the first two months of the season trying to find a capable, consistent hitter.

Young, who wasn't warm to Johnson's idea of hitting second in the spring, saw the offense struggling and reconsidered. Devon White leads off in the new order.

``I realize Devo has led off before and he's been on a championship team as a leadoff hitter,'' Young said. ``I don't have an ego. If Devo can lead us to a championship, I'll be his caddie.''

In the two games Young has batted second, the Dodgers haven't mis-clubbed. They've won both and Young is 3 for 8 with three runs scored and four RBI.

Young can do what the Dodgers' other No. 2 hitters haven't done. He can hit behind a runner, take pitches, hit the ball to the opposite field and bunt.

``I think I have the bat control to do it,'' Young said. ``I feel pretty confident batting second. If we get hot, don't even think about moving me back to the leadoff spot.''

Hollandsworth batted first in the Dodgers' 4-3 win against Cincinnati on Thursday, until an injury forced him out of the game. But the ideal situation has center fielder Devon White leading off with Young, who has good bat control, second.

The White-Young sequence worked well in Wednesday's game. White doubled to lead off the game, Young singled to right to score White and went to second on the throw home. Young stole third and scored when Reds third baseman Mark Lewis was late covering third and the throw went down the line.

Johnson called the feel of it ``100 percent championship baseball.''

``I got chills. What took me so long?'' Johnson said. ``There's two ways of looking at it. You take a guy (White) that can hit a double, it's the best way to lead off. If you're bunting and the leadoff guy is an RBI guy, it offsets his on-base percentage. Those two guys in the one and two spots is the best scenario we've got.''

Hollandsworth hurt: Hollandsworth left the game in the bottom of the fifth inning with a rib cage strain. He suffered the injury swinging at a pitch but continued his at-bat.

However, after scoring from first on a double by Young, Hollandsworth reached for his lower back on the right side. ``It hurt to breathe,'' Hollandsworth said. ``Something popped.''

Johnson said Hollandsworth is expected to miss three to five days, but added the team would know more this morning.

Borbon returns: Dodgers reliever Pedro Borbon spent the 1995 and 1996 seasons pitching for the Atlanta Braves in Fulton County Stadium, and each day he would see Turner Field and anticipate pitching there.

But Borbon hurt his arm late in the '96 season and spent the next two years rehabilitating it after surgery. Though it's unlikely he'll pitch today for the Dodgers given he's thrown the past two days, Borbon figures to get to the mound at some point during the three-game series.

``One thing I think about is I never did step on the mound in a real game there,'' Borbon said. ``I saw it being constructed but never got a chance to be on the mound. I saw it being built from scratch and it looked like a nice place.''

Extra bases: Dodgers team psychiatrist Herndon Harding arrived in the Dodgers clubhouse before the game and spoke with several players. . . . Also before the game, Johnson talked briefly with his former employer, Reds owner Marge Schott, in the Dodgers dugout. . . . Cincinnati reliever Scott Williamson struck out all six Dodgers he faced. Williamson has struck out the last seven batters he's faced and nine of the past 10. The other batter reached base on a walk. ``I might be able to find a spot for him,'' Johnson said. . . . Reds pinch-hitter Hal Morris was ejected after striking out in the eighth and arguing with home-plate umpire C.B. Bucknor.

DODGERS vs. ATLANTA

Time: 4:40 p.m., at Turner Field.

TV/Radio: Ch. 5; KXTA-AM (1150), KWKW-AM (1330, Spanish).

Matchup: The second leg of a three-city road trip begins today as Dodgers right-hander Darren Dreifort (5-2, 4.98) opens up a three-game series with the NL East-leading Braves. Dreifort is tied for the team lead in wins and is coming off a six-inning stint in which he allowed five runs on six hits against St. Louis. Dreifort is 1-4 with a 6.38 ERA in 11 games against Atlanta but won his only start this season against the Braves when he allowed four runs in 5-1/3 innings. Lefty Odalis Perez (2-2, 5.54) starts for the Braves. Perez allowed three runs on five hits in four innings in an April 21 start at Dodger Stadium. Saturday: Dodgers LH Carlos Perez (1-6, 6.39) vs. Braves LH Tom Glavine (3-5, 5.54); Sunday: Dodgers RH Kevin Brown (5-3, 2.39) vs. Braves RH Greg Maddux (4-3, 4.48).

- Brian Dohn

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Box: DODGERS vs. ATLANTA (See text)