DODGERS SHUT DOWN ATLANTA : DODGERS 8, ATLANTA 1.

Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer

In the absence of any real playoff possibility, Kevin Brown vs. John Smoltz in front of a sellout crowd Saturday night at Dodger Stadium was a great consolation gift.

Add to that a three-run homer by Todd Hollandswoth and 53,533 fans who wanted to cheer more than boo Raul Mondesi, and the Dodgers' 8-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves was a solid effort from a team that was expected to do this from opening day.

Brown was masterful, winning his fifth consecutive game by limiting the Braves to four hits in seven scoreless innings. During that stretch, he has allowed just seven runs in 38-2/3 innings, a 1.61 ERA that has dropped his overall number to 3.14.

``When you get the runs, it changes everything,'' Brown said. ``I struggled at the beginning, but then I was just able to throw it down the middle. Our defense did a great job.''

Brown (14-6) outpitched Smoltz, the former Cy Young Award winner, who was forced to leave the game in the sixth inning with a sore right groin.

Brown sailed through the middle innings, retiring 13 of final 14 batters he faced before giving way to Alan Mills to begin the eighth inning. The Braves scored their only run in the ninth when Andruw Jones opened with his 23rd home run, off left-hander Pedro Borbon.

Brown was rewarded with an exciting effort by the Dodgers offense. They ignited the club's sixth victory in eight games. During the seventh inning, Mondesi and Todd Hundley pulled a double steal and Mondesi later scored. For a moment the crowd did not boo Mondesi, who has come under fire since blasting management last Wednesday in Montreal.

Mondesi hasn't spoken publicly since the incident, but manager Davey Johnson said a big hit will turn the fans around.

``They still love him, but they're hurt,'' Johnson said. ``I'm not worried. That first home run will put them back on his side.''

Even with Mondesi, the mood was festive. The Dodgers' 11th sellout of the season was sparked by a lunch-box giveaway. It didn't hurt that the Dodgers were facing the league's top team. The Dodgers, who are now in third place in the National League West, 13 games behind Arizona, knocked Atlanta back into a tie for first with the New York Mets in the East.

``I think when you're facing a team like this, everbody is excited,'' Johnson said. ``We want to show that we can play, too.''

The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning after scoring two in the fourth against Smoltz (8-6). Eric Karros, who is white hot with runners in scoring position (9 for 13 in the last 11 games), opened the inning with a double to right center, his 34th of the season. Karros moved to third on a single by Hundley and scored on a fielder's choice by Adrian Beltre.

Beltre, who hit his 13th homer in Friday's loss, then stole his 13th base. He scored on a single by second baseman Greg Counsell, playing after Johnson decided to rest Eric Young, who just came off the disabled list.

The Dodgers added a run in the fifth when Hollandsworth, playing center in place of Devon White, reached on a fielder's choice, took third on the second of three hits by Gary Sheffield and scored on a single by Karros.

The RBI was Karros' 83rd of the season. His career high is 111 in 1996.

When Mondesi followed with a single, Smoltz walked off with mound. He first injured his groin pitching to Counsell in the fourth inning, when Braves manager Bobby Cox brought his trainer to the mound.

Smoltz, who has been on the disabled list twice this season with elbow problems, is listed as day to day.

He was long gone by time Hollandsworth came to the plate in the eighth with Mark Grudzielanek and Jose Vizcaino aboard. The pitcher was the Braves' highly touted left-hander Bruce Chen, whom the Dodgers sought in trade talks during July.

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Photo

PHOTO Keith Lockhart forces out Todd Hundley at second base during Dodgers' 8-1 win over Atlanta.

John Hayes/Associated Press