Whispers Fall Silent in Wake of Hershiser, 7-6 : Baseball: He works six-plus innings for victory over the Braves after suffering cut fingers on his left hand in accident at home.

Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser had heard the whispers after his last start. His fastball no longer had enough velocity, it was said.

Hershiser answered his critics by pitching a strong six-plus innings Saturday night as the Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves, 7-6, to end a two-game losing streak and extend their lead in the National League West to four games over the Cincinnati Reds.

After going 1-1 with two no-decisions in his last four stars, Hershiser gave up four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks before he departed to a standing ovation from a Dodger Stadium crowd of 47,207 with a 7-2 lead. He left after he gave up a leadoff single to Otis Nixon and hit Lonnie Smith with a pitch to open the seventh.

“I like to watch what the club is doing when I pitch,” Hershiser said. “Am I keeping the club in the game? Right now we’re 6-2 when I’m on the mound. If the team contines to win when I pitch, that will convince people I can pitch.”

Hershiser threw 86 pitches--including 55 strikes--in his longest stint since June 19, when he lasted six innings against the Cub.

“He (Hershiser) mixed up his pitches well and got himself out of a few jams,” Brave center fielder Ron Gant said.

Hershiser, who battled his way back from radical surgery on his right shoulder, severely cut the second, third and fourth fingers on his left hand in an accident in his attic Saturday.

After visiting a sports memorabilia show in Anaheim on Friday, Hershiser, who buys baseball cards by the case for his children, went rummaging in his attic to check out his own card collection. It got hot in the attic, so he turned on a fan.

But as he attempted to adjust the fan, Hershiser got his left hand too close to the blades.

“I felt this big burst of cold air because I guess the air conditioner had just clicked on,” he said. “I reached up to see which way the fan was blowing, and I didn’t realize that I was so close to the fan that I reached up just to feel the air and I stuck my hand in it.

“The people in the ballpark saw that any time I had to catch a ball or get a comebacker, I did a lot of jumping around because I took some pretty good slashes across my first three fingers. They couldn’t get any stitches because of where the cuts are, but they’re deep enough for stitches.

“I’d rather deal with the fans in the stadium than the fans at home.”

Hershiser appeared in pain when he fielded a sharp line drive back to the box by Brave starter John Smoltz in the second inning. But he was able to continue.

While Hershiser stymied the Braves, center fielder Brett Butler extended his hitting streak to a personal-best 20 games, tops in the major leagues this season, with a first-inning bunt single. Butler went two for three, driving in two runs with a fifth-inning single.

“I’m not an RBI man by any means,” Butler said. “I just try to hit the ball through the infield.”

Although Hershiser (3-2) left with a five-run lead, the Dodger bullpen nearly blew it.

Dodger reliever Dennis Cook lasted only one batter after taking over for Hershiser, walking Terry Pendleton to load the bases. He was replaced by Craig Hartley, who promptly gave up a bases-clearing double to Gant.

Hartley struck out shortstop Jeff Blauser and first baseman Brian Hunter before walking catcher Greg Olson. Hartley should have been out of the jam when Mark Lemke grounded to second, but second baseman Juan Samuel threw the ball away. Gant scored, cutting the Dodger lead to one run.

But John Candelaria came in to end the inning, getting pinch-hitter Rafael Belliard to ground out. After working a scoreless eighth, Candelaria was lifted for a pinch-hitter, and Kevin Gross retired the Braves in order in the ninth for his third save.

As much as the Dodgers must dread facing All-Star pitcher Tom Glavine of the Braves, they must enjoy facing Smoltz. After going 0-3 against Smoltz last season, the Dodgers have beaten him four consecutive times this season.

Smoltz, who entered the game with a 7.24 earned-run average in three losses to the Dodgers before Saturday night, was making his first start since he gave up eight runs in 5 1/3 innings of last Sunday’s 11-4 loss to the Dodgers at Atlanta.

Smoltz lasted only 1 2/3 innings Saturday night, giving up five runs and four hits before departing.

But the Dodgers aren’t the only team that Smoltz has had trouble with. He hasn’t won since May 30, when he beat the Giants, 7-2, at Candlestick Park. He is 0-5 with two no-decisions since then.

Smoltz will spend the All-Star break trying to forget about his miserable first half.

“(Atlanta Manager) Bobby (Cox) told me to forget about it, and that’s what’s I’m going to do,” Smoltz said.

“But it’s tough to forget about it in games with the Dodgers. During the All-Star break, I’m not going to think about anything.”

* NOT ENOUGH: Danny Tartabull hits three home runs in a losing effort as the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals, 9-7. C6

* FIRED: The Cleveland Indians, who have the worst record in the major leagues, fire Manager John McNamara and replace him with Mike Hargrove. C6