BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : To Braves, a 2-0 Lead Is a Shrug : National League: With 6-2 victory, and Maddux up next, Atlanta is in control, but not celebrating yet. For Reds, it was home sour home.

The Atlanta Braves cordially shook hands, but there was no shouting or screaming. The stereo was never turned on. There wasn’t a beer to be found, let alone any evidence of champagne.

The Braves calmly accepted their 6-2, 10-inning victory Wednesday night over the Cincinnati Reds, acknowledged that it now may be impossible to lose the National League championship series, but simply shrugged their shoulders in the visiting clubhouse at Riverfront Stadium.

You must understand, these are the Braves.

They have been to these playoffs four consecutive seasons, and taking a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series with ace Greg Maddux taking the mound Friday in Atlanta merely puts them in position for the ultimate goal.

“That’s the way it’s been since Day 1 in spring training,” said John Schuerholz, executive vice president. “You won’t see a big celebration until we achieve our goal, and that’s to win the World Series.

“When we won the division and beat Colorado in the first round, we had champagne, but it was almost obligatory more than celebratory. Certain things have to be accomplished in the interim, but you won’t see any celebrating until that goal is realized.”

The Reds kept trying to tell everyone that their season isn’t over, but few listened. The Reds now have to play the next three games in Atlanta, and the first pitcher they’ll be facing is Maddux, who’s expected to win his fourth consecutive Cy Young Award.

“Those boys are in trouble, real trouble, deep trouble,” Atlanta outfielder Dwight Smith said. “I’m not going to say it’s over, but come on, man, I just don’t see it. I don’t see them coming back.

“We got Mad Dog [Maddux] on the mound Friday. You tell me if he wins, we’re going to lose four in a row. No way. Come on, we’re not the Angels or Yankees. It ain’t going to happen.”

The Braves won the game in the 10th inning, when Mark Portugal threw a wild pitch that allowed one run to score, and then gave up a three-run homer to No. 7-hitter Javier Lopez that bounced off the foul screen.

“It was the happiest moment of my life,” Lopez said. “I just swung as hard as I could and prayed it would stay fair.”

While Lopez was being lauded as the game-winning hero, the Braves will tell you the real hero was pitcher Alejandro Pena, who kept the Reds at bay.

Pena left the Reds screaming to the heavens, believing they once again gave away the game, going one for nine with runners in scoring position, and failing to hit the ball out of the infield in eight of those at-bats. Yet, no inning might haunt them more this winter than the eighth.

The score was tied, 2-2, when Barry Larkin led off with a double to right field. He immediately stole third. At that stage, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox was probably hoping Pena could keep the Reds to one run.

Then it happened, stunning the crowd of 43,257 (44,624 paid) and leaving the Braves with the feeling that this really is their year.

Larkin stood at third base as Ron Gant hit an infield pop-up to second baseman Mark Lemke; Reggie Sanders struck out for the 11th time in his last 15 at-bats, and, after an intentional walk to Hal Morris, Benito Santiago struck out.

“Once we saw that,” Cox said, “we knew we had a chance.”

Said reliever Greg McMichael, who opened the ninth and got the victory: “My throat’s killing me. We’re all worn out. We just screamed when Pena did that.”

Said Larkin: “That took the life out of us. . . . I’m sure it will be reported that this is over now.”

Pena, playing for his third team this season and eighth since leaving the Dodgers in 1989, provided all of the gusto the Braves needed. They had failed to score since the fourth inning, but came alive in the 10th off Portugal.

Lemke led off with a single to right. Chipper Jones moved him to second on a hit-and-run. Fred McGriff, who set a league series record with three doubles, was intentionally walked. And David Justice loaded the bases with a sharp single to right.

Cox called on left-handed hitter Ryan Klesko. Red Manager Davey Johnson ignored left-handed reliever Chuck McElroy. Right-hander Portugal got ahead with two quick strikes, but then wasted a curveball in the dirt. It skipped past catcher Santiago, scoring Lemke for a 3-2 lead.

Portugal induced a pop-up from Klesko, but perhaps relaxed, knowing that Lopez was at the plate. He threw a fastball over the middle of the plate. Lopez sent it high into the night, bouncing off the foul screen for a home run.

“That was all we needed,” Jones said. “We had the big cushion, and we didn’t have to worry about the crowd, because they all went home.”

In all likelihood, for the winter.