Dykstra’s Homer Wins It for Phillies, 4-3 : NL Game 5: Drive off Wohlers in 10th inning gives Philadelphia a 3-2 series lead over Atlanta.

Exactly seven years later, Lenny Dykstra did it again.

In 1986, it was a ninth-inning home run that won Game 3 for the New York Mets against Houston. On Monday, it was a 10th-inning homer that gave the Phillies a 4-3 victory over Atlanta and a 3-2 lead in the National League playoffs after another heart-stopping ninth inning.

“We’re not supposed to be on the same field as Atlanta, according to some people.” Phillies Manager Jim Fregosi said, “but I think we’ve shown the last two days that we’re a good club, a solid club and that we don’t quit.”

Curt Schilling, who pitched eight shutout innings, couldn’t even talk about the ninth, it was so dramatic and turbulent.

“I can’t. There were so many things going through my mind,” he said.

For the third time in this bizarre series, Mitch Williams relieved with a lead and made a mess. For the second time, defensive replacement Kim Batiste made an error at third that allowed the Braves to come back and tie.

It’s been a perilous playoff for the Phillies. Wins aren’t good enough unless they come after high-wire walks over disaster. The ninth was so tense that at times Schilling sat in the dugout with his head down and a towel around his head.

“It was a combination of frustration and anxiety,” he said,

But he didn’t have to worry. Once again, the Phillies held off the Braves just in the nick of time. So, despite being outscored, 30-17, in the series, the Phillies moved within a game of their first World Series since 1983.

The playoffs now return to Veterans Stadium for Game 6 on Wednesday. The Phillies will start Tommy Greene, rocked for seven runs in 2 1/3 innings in Game 2. Atlanta, on a two-game losing streak for the first time since Aug. 19-20, will start Greg Maddux, the Game 2 winner.

“This isn’t over by a longshot,” Dykstra said. “That’s a very good team over there. It does no good to win three unless you win the fourth.”

Dykstra, whose ninth-inning homer gave the New York Mets a dramatic 6-5 playoff victory over Houston on Oct. 11, 1986, drove a pitch from Mark Wohlers over the right-center field fence with one out in the 10th. The comparisons with seven years ago came quick.

“This was even bigger to me,” he said. “Back then, I was just a kid trying to contribute in any way that I could. I was in la-la land. This year, I’ve been one of the main guys since Day One, and I expect that of myself.”

Atlanta, seeking to become the first NL team to win three straight pennants since the St. Louis Cardinals from 1942-44, must win two in a row on the road, just like it did two years ago at Pittsburgh. If the Braves get by Game 6, Tom Glavine would start Game 7.

“We’re just going to send out our two best pitchers,” said Steve Avery, who allowed two runs--one earned--and four hits in seven innings. “They have to beat two of the best pitchers in the league and that’s tough to do.”

At the start, the other Phillies outfielders were the stars. Right fielder Wes Chamberlain’s throw was relayed and caught Jeff Blauser trying to score in the first. Chamberlain then threw out Damon Berryhill trying to stretch a single into a double in the second.

Terry Pendleton, the batter before Berryhill, was denied when Pete Incaviglia, maligned for his defense, made a back-handed, diving catch in left.

After John Kruk’s run-scoring double in the first put Philadelphia ahead, the Braves defense faltered. Ron Gant missed Incaviglia’s fourth-inning fly to left for a three-base error and Chamberlain followed with a sacrifice fly.

But that wasn’t the biggest gaffe. The Phillies’ defense came apart in the ninth on a play reminiscent of Game 1. With Philadelphia leading, 3-0, after Darren Daulton’s homer off Greg McMichael in the top of the inning, Schilling, trying to complete a four-hit shutout, walked Blauser. Batiste, who replaced Dave Hollins in the eighth, failed to come up with Gant’s grounder to third. That was it for Schilling.

“I gave everything I had after the seventh,” Schilling said. “I was on adrenaline after that.”

In came Williams, also an instant disaster in Games 1 and 4.

Fred McGriff singled on the first pitch to make it 3-1. David Justice’s sacrifice fly to left pulled the Braves within a run.

Then Terry Pendleton lined a single to center, moving McGriff to second. Up came Francisco Cabrera. It was his two-run single off Stan Belinda with two outs in the ninth that won Game 7 and the pennant for the Braves last year against Pittsburgh.

Could it happen again?

Almost.

“I was just trying to hit the ball,” Cabrera said. “I didn’t have time to think about last year. If I had, I’d lose my concentration.”

He bounced a two-hopper just past shortstop Kevin Stocker as McGriff scored the tying run and Pendleton sped to third. Mark Lemke--5-for-10 in his career against Williams, including that drive Milt Thompson caught in front of the left field wall Sunday night--came up and missed the winning hit by about a yard -- a drive to left that landed three feet foul.

“I thought it was going to stay fair, but then it kept hooking, hooking, hooking “ Lemke said.

That was as close as the Braves would come. Lemke struck out and pinch-hitter Bill Pecota flied softly to center.

Atlanta went quietly in the 10th against Larry Andersen, the Phillies’ 40-year-old right-hander who was knocked around for four runs in one inning during Game 2. Otis Nixon flied out, Blauser struck out swinging, and Gant took a called third strike.