Nomo Hopes to Avoid Repeat Performance

The Dodgers will tell you that he has more courage than anyone on the pitching staff, perhaps the entire team.

There is no one the Dodgers would rather have pitching for them today than Hideo Nomo, who has the task of staving off elimination in the first round of the National League playoffs.

The Dodgers trail the Atlanta Braves, 2-0, in this best-of-five series, and only a magnificent performance by Nomo may be able to save them.

“I know what I have to do,” Nomo said. “As I learned last year, I’m just going to try not to allow any runs.”

Nomo, who flopped in the Dodgers’ season finale last year when he gave up seven hits and five earned runs in five innings in Game 3 of the playoffs against the Cincinnati Reds, has been nasty against the Braves this season. He is 2-0 with a 1.61 earned-run average, striking out 19 in 22 1/3 innings.

“You never see his type of delivery and the variety of pitches that he has,” Brave third baseman Chipper Jones said. “That’s where he has the advantage. We did see him a couple times this year, and we’ve got him in our home ballpark, and their backs are against the wall.

“Hopefully, that will turn things our way.

“We’re about due to beat him, anyway, because he’s beat us pretty good over the last couple of years.”

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Brave starting pitcher Tom Glavine on trying to follow the outstanding performances of John Smoltz and Greg Maddux, who gave up one earned run in 16 innings:

“There’s pressure keeping up with the Joneses,” Glavine said. “There’s always that pressure around here though. That’s what we always feed off. It’s a relaxing factor in the playoffs because each time you win a game, there’s less pressure on the next guy.”

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The Dodgers are expected to start Juan Castro again at second base instead of veteran Delino DeShields. Castro, who started Thursday in Game 2, is batting .286 (two for seven) against Glavine. DeShields, a left-handed batter, has a career .200 batting average against Glavine and is two for 11 (.182) against Glavine this season. . . . The Dodgers also plan to start Chad Curtis in center instead of Wayne Kirby. . . . The Dodgers, embarrassed by their failure to sell out their two playoff games, will be playing in front of a full house today. The game was sold out days ago, but there are 2,000 tickets remaining for Game 4. The Dodgers are the only team in baseball that has failed to sell out a playoff game this year. They tried to liven up the crowd Thursday by playing loud music and flashing “Make Noise” several times on the scoreboard. It is the first time in years the Dodgers have resorted to such tactics.