Cox Defends Catcher Move

Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox sent catcher Javy Lopez, a better hitter than Perez, in to hit for Perez in the bottom of the first inning with the Braves trailing, 3-1, with two out and the bases loaded.

Lopez grounded out to end the inning.

“It was the right thing to do,” Cox said “To have a chance to get back into the game against a guy like [Marlin starter Kevin] Brown, you have to do it. You just don’t know how many more chances you’re going to get.”

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Denny Neagle, scheduled to start Game 4 against the Marlins, pitched three innings in relief Tuesday night.

“It won’t affect him starting,” Cox said. “He was well rested. He could have pitched six innings tonight and been fine.”

TODAY’S GAME

FLORIDA’S ALEX FERNANDEZ (17-12, 3.59 ERA) vs. ALTANTA’S TOM GLAVINE (14-7, 2.96 ERA) Turner Field, 1 p.m.

TV--Channel 4

* Update--The Braves haven’t always started well during their league championship series appearances in the 1990s, losing openers in 1991 and ’93. They rallied to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games in ‘91, and lost the other series to the Philadelphia Phillies in six games. “Game 2 is a swing game,” Glavine said. “It can either put [Florida] in a commanding 2-0 lead, even up the series, or put us down 0-2.” Fernandez also realizes the importance of the game. “This is when I like to pitch the most,” Fernandez said. “This is what I look forward to.”

SERIES AT A GLANCE

(Florida leads series, 1-0)

* Game 1--Florida 5, Atlanta 3

* Game 2--Today, Florida at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

* Game 3--Friday, Atlanta at Florida, 5 p.m.

* Game 4--Saturday, Atlanta at Florida, 4:30 p.m.

* Game 5--Sunday, Atlanta at Florida, 1 p.m.*

* Game 6--Tueday, Florida at Atlanta, 5 p.m.*

* Game 7--Wednesday, Florida at Atlanta, 5 p.m.*

* If necessary