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After going hitless in his first three at-bats against the Dodgers in the National League division playoff series opener Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, Atlanta Brave catcher Javier Lopez decided to change his approach when he led off the 10th inning against reliever Antonio Osuna.

“After being very impatient in my first three at-bats, I said I’ve got to be patient and just take pitches,” Lopez said. “They won’t pitch to you if they see that you swing at everything. I said to myself in one out of four at-bats I have to be patient “

Patience was a virtue for Lopez.

After Osuna got two quick strikes on him, Lopez worked the count to 3-and-2 before hitting a home run into the right-field bleachers to give the defending World Series champions a 2-1 win.

“I was looking for a fastball up and in and he tried to get me with a fastball low and away and I just reacted,” Lopez said. “I wasn’t sure the ball was gone because [Dodger catcher Mike] Piazza hit a ball [that was caught at the Braves’ bullpen gate to end the eighth inning] that didn’t carry, so when I hit that ball I was waiting until the ball passed the fence before I celebrated.

“I thought I was going to get jammed when he got two strikes on me, and every pitch he threw me I was ready to hit or at least make contact. He gave me a few pitches right around the plate and I fouled them off and the last one, he tried to get the outside part of the plate and I fouled it off.”

Then Osuna made a mistake.

“He just made a terrible pitch,” Dodger Manager Bill Russell said.

Lopez, who hit a career-high 23 home runs this season, including two in last Friday’s 6-4 victory over the Montreal Expos, seems to thrive in the playoffs.

After hitting .444 with three RBIs in the division series against the Colorado Rockies last season, Lopez hit .357 with a double, a homer and three RBIs as the Braves swept the Cincinnati Reds in the National League championship series.

Lopez had only three hits in 17 at-bats in the World Series against the Cleveland Indians, but all of them were extra-base hits.

The hero of Game 2, Lopez hit a two-run homer off Dennis Martinez to break a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning. After the Indians cut the lead to one-run an inning later, Lopez picked Manny Ramirez off first base in the eighth to erase the potential tying run.

“Everyone expects Chipper [Jones], [Fred] McGriff or [Ryan] Klesko to have the big hit and drive in every run, but no one thinks about me,” Lopez said. “They have to be careful of those three guys on our team because they have the best productivity, so I know they’re going to pitch me around the plate and I can hit it the way I want to.”

Starter John Smoltz, who limited the Dodgers to a run and four hits with seven strikeouts in nine innings, said Lopez, who batted .324 with two home runs and five RBIs in the final 10 games of the season, has the potential to become one of baseball’s best catchers.

“I always thought he was a Piazza-type hitter, and I think he will get there some day,” Smoltz said. “He’s gotten great as a catcher, and he’s got so many skills offensively.”

Piazza agreed.

“I always thought Javier was an outstanding catcher who could hit with power,” Piazza said. “I don’t think it’s a big surprise what he did today.”

Although Lopez was the hero Wednesday, he doesn’t figure to start tonight because starting pitcher Greg Maddux prefers Eddie Perez behind the plate.

“It won’t be tough being out of the lineup because we have a guy like Eddie Perez who can handle the game like I do, or probably even better,” Lopez said. “Maddux always throws pretty good when he catches and we all want to win, so whatever is convenient for Maddux, we will do. But I’ll be ready as a pinch-hitter.”

If Lopez pinch-hits, the Dodgers might be wise to intentionally walk him.