Miracle Turns to Nightmare : Baseball: The anemic Dodger offense produces five runs during the ninth, but the Braves then score twice to win, 9-8.

Eric Karros sat in the dugout and cheered late Tuesday night, flush with the excitement of a two-run home run that capped a five-run ninth inning comeback against the Atlanta Braves.

Three more outs, and the season would suddenly feel good again.

“I was sitting there like an excited fan,” Karros said. “I was going ‘Yeah! No! Yeah! Yeah!”

No.

The Braves came back to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth against three relievers and score a 9-8 victory before 42,523 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

The winning rally consisted of three singles around two walks and a wild pitch. It was capped by Rafael Belliard’s two-out single up the middle on Roger McDowell’s first pitch of the game.

Not only was Belliard using a bat borrowed from Mark Lemke, but he later claimed it wasthe first time he had a game-winning, ninth-inning hit in the major leagues.

For the suddenly renewed Dodger spirits, it was a long way down.

“As hard as it was to believe that we could score five runs in the ninth inning . . . it is just as hard to believe that they could score two runs in the bottom of the inning and beat us,” Todd Benzinger said.

Said Karros: “Actually, it is not that hard to believe. We’ve been seeing this all year.”

It is also not so hard to believe that the Dodgers have lost a season-high six consecutive games and fallen in a tie for last place with the Houston Astros, 10 1/2 games behind the first-place Cincinnati Reds.

It is only the fourth time since divisional play began in 1969 that the Dodgers have been this far back in mid-June.

It is definitely not hard to believe that the Braves have 15 victories in 17 games, their best streak since 1966.

“The message we were trying to get across tonight was, you shouldn’t leave early,” pitcher John Smoltz said.

The Dodgers said that the loss meant the message involved in their comeback was lost.

“We don’t need great comebacks,” Benzinger said. “We need wins.”

A victory was not yet on their minds when they began the ninth with the Braves leading, 7-3, and their top young relief pitcher, Mark Wohlers, on the mound.

The Dodgers were 1-27 when trailing after eight innings. The bottom of their order was coming to the plate.

But after walks to Mike Scioscia and Jose Offerman with one out, Wohlers was replaced by Mike Stanton.

Then, after Brett Butler’s grounder, Mike Sharperson hit his second consecutive run-scoring double, and Stanton was relieved by Juan Berenguer.

When Mitch Webster hit Berenguer’s first pitch for a two-run single, those in the dugout rose to their feet. Moments later, they were leaving their feet when Karros hit Berenguer’s first pitch over the left-field fence for his team-leading ninth home run.

Karros had five hits in his previous 33 at-bats (.152) with one run batted in during that time.

“It was like a breath of fresh air,” Butler said. “It was like, ‘Yes, finally!”’

It was not only their biggest inning of the year. They scored as many runs with two out in the ninth inning as in their previous 37 innings combined.

“But,” Karros said, “the anxiety was still there. We have been in a lot of games this year where one play makes the difference. I thought, ‘Here we go, facing another one.’ ”

Jay Howell started the ninth inning in place of Tim Crews, who had a chance to pick up his first victory of the season after working two scoreless innings.

Terry Pendleton beat Howell with a single to center on an 0-and-2 pitch, then Ron Gant popped to first baseman Benzinger, bringing up David Justice.

John Candelaria was brought in to face Justice, then threw a wild pitch that moved Pendleton to second base and walked Justice. It proved to be the key at-bat of the rally.

“When you look at it, it’s my fault,” Candelaria said of the loss. “I couldn’t get my guy.”

In came Jim Gott, who gave up a pinch single to Jerry Willard that tied the score. Then, after Damon Berryhill struck out, Mark Lemke walked.

Belliard came to the plate and Lemke, in a sense, struck again.

The Braves had scored their seven runs in four innings after Berryhill’s two-run double during the first, consecutive home runs by Gant and Justice during the third, and a two-run triple by Pendleton during the fourth.

It was enough to knock Kevin Gross out after six earned runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings, his worst numbers of the season.

“Consolation because of the comeback?” Manager Tom Lasorda said in response to a question afterward, his voice rising. “Was there any consolation?”