Dodgers Stagger Home

Weary and eager to go home, the Dodgers could have gone through the motions Thursday afternoon against the hot Atlanta Braves.

They still did what they could, even facing a big deficit, but a late rally stalled in the Braves’ 6-3 victory at Turner Field.

The Braves swept the three-game series, won their 10th in a row and handed the Dodgers their fourth consecutive loss before 37,750.

They withstood the Dodgers’ late challenge after scoring fourruns in the sixth to take a 6-0 lead--the key blow being Chipper Jones’ towering three-run home run against starter Chan Ho Park (3-2), who was bothered by blister problems on his pitching hand and matched his single-game career high with seven walks.

Terry Mulholland (3-2) provided the Braves’ third outstanding start of the series, something expected in these parts. The left-hander gave up only five hits in seven innings. Kevin Elster’s seventh-inning solo homer--his sixth--accounted for the only run against Mulholland.

Then Atlanta’s bullpen kept fans interested with a shaky performance.

Eric Karros’ two-run homer--his fifth--in the eighth against Kerry Ligtenberg made the score 6-3. And the Dodgers loaded the bases in the final two innings--including with none out in the ninth against closer John Rocker.

Rocker escaped his second jam in as many days while nailing down his fourth save. The left-hander struck out Adrian Beltre, Chad Kreuter and Elster swinging to cap a 9-0 homestand, the most successful in franchise history.

For the Dodgers, who stranded a season-high 14 runners, it was another disappointing moment on a draining seven-game trip that had finally ended.

“No question, we were a little drained, and it showed [in the final two innings],” said second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who grounded out to end the eighth.

“We lacked a little bit of enthusiasm, we were just a little beat, but we battled. A couple of big hits there [in the eighth and ninth] would have put us right back in it, if not win it.”

The Braves found a way again.

The Dodgers were the last team to sweep a nine-game homestand, in 1993.

“Unbelievable homestand,” Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said. “We’ve had some great streaks here the last nine, 10 years, and this was a great one.”

The Dodgers hope their streak ends soon.

They finished 3-4 on the trip after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds in the opening series. Thursday’s game was the most frustrating of the bunch.

Park experienced blister problems in his previous start, and another formed on his right middle finger early against the Braves. The right-hander had problems throwing off-speed pitches and it showed.

He threw only 54 strikes in 109 pitches, laboring during most of his time on the mound.

“I was worried about the new blister, but I’m not supposed to worry about that,” said Park, who gave up eight hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings. “Obviously, it [his finger] feels different, but I was thinking too much.”

His command problems hurt the Dodgers most in the sixth. With a run already in on third baseman Beltre’s error, Park walked leadoff batter Quilvio Veras and Andruw Jones with Chipper Jones on deck.

Chipper Jones hit a 1-and-0 fastball from Park over the wall in right-center for his fifth homer.

The blast was estimated at 444 feet, the second-longest homer in the ballpark’s brief history.

“Other than that one pitch, I thought Chan Ho threw all right,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “It was just a fastball down to the wrong guy, and he clobbered it.

“It seems like we came alive, but we just couldn’t come through with the big hit. It’s time to go home.”