Glavine Will Have the Weight of Team’s Chances on His Mind

Tom Glavine will be carrying a lighter payload and a heavy burden when he takes the mound tonight for the Atlanta Braves, who are in danger of getting swept by the New York Yankees in this World Series.

His scheduled Game 1 start postponed because of severe flu-like symptoms, Glavine has lost at least five pounds since Friday.

But the Braves will be counting on Glavine, an October heavyweight, to pitch them back into the best-of-seven series, which the Yankees lead, 2-0, going into Game 3 tonight.

“I don’t know how my stamina is going to be, to be quite honest with you,” Glavine said Monday. “I think if it was a summertime game and it was going to be 100 degrees, I’d be a whole lot more concerned about it than I would be [tonight], when it’s going to be cool. That obviously will help a lot.”

Is Glavine, who has a 4-3 record and an impressive 1.75 earned-run average in seven World Series starts, anywhere near 100%?

“If I had to make an assessment right now, I’d say it’s about 80% to 85%,” he said.

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Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter has four hits in nine at-bats in two series games and has a 15-game playoff hitting streak. In his fourth full year in the big leagues, Jeter is batting .329 with 34 runs in 43 postseason games.

“This kid is special--I can’t find another word to use, maybe ‘extraordinary,’ ” Yankee Manager Joe Torre said. “If you look in his eyes, I mean, he’s ready to wrestle alligators, lions, anything you want to send out there. He just loves the competition--he thrives on it--and he’s never afraid to make a mistake.”

Tonight

BRAVES’ TOM GLAVINE (14-11, 4.12 ERA) vs. YANKEES’ ANDY PETTITTE (14-11, 4.70 ERA)

* Update--Glavine has been one of baseball’s most consistent and successful October pitchers, but Pettitte’s reputation as a big-game pitcher has blossomed in recent years. Pettitte is 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in two playoff starts this season.