Johnson an Option Brenly Won’t Use

Contrary to popular belief, the biggest difference between the teams in the National League championship series is not in their bullpens or their bats.

The biggest difference is in the manager’s office.

Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves is as conservative as a 60-year-old NASCAR fan, which he is.

Bob Brenly of the Arizona Diamondbacks is as bold as a 47-year-old former player and announcer, which he is.

Cox pushes buttons. Brenly does it by hand.

Cox has let the same players play the same way for 10 years. Brenly tried to win the division series last weekend with a ninth-inning squeeze bunt.

The latest disparity in strategy became clear during Thursday’s day off.

Even if the Diamondbacks lose Game 3 tonight, Brenly is set on starting untested Albie Lopez instead of Randy Johnson in Game 4 Saturday.

No matter what happens tonight, it appears Cox will counter with Greg Maddux.

A second potential matchup between Johnson and Maddux now becomes a mismatch.

One that could potentially cost the Diamondbacks the series.

Cox is willing to use Maddux on three days’ rest, but Brenly is not willing to use Johnson in the same capacity.

“We watched Albie pitch extremely well against the Braves. ... We just think that he should be capable of going out there and doing it again,” said Brenly.

He’s talking about Lopez’s 2-0 record with an 0.64 earned-run average against the Braves this year.

But Lopez struggled against the St. Louis Cardinals in the division series--his first postseason appearance--giving up four earned runs in three innings.

And, really, why make Johnson wait?

Cox knows that if you get beat this time of year, you want to get beat with your best.

He’s not only going to pitch Maddux on three days’ rest, but also Tom Glavine.

“Both of them are--were--well under 100 pitches [in their first start],” Cox said. “So both of them are set.”

Johnson threw 125 pitches in the series opener. But he has all winter to rest. Just as Brenly could have all winter to ponder.

*

Another difference between the teams was evident in Thursday’s workout.

The Braves didn’t have one, so only two of their regulars showed up, Javy Lopez and B.J. Surhoff.

The Diamondbacks held an optional workout, and all but Luis Gonzalez showed up.

The workout fits into a Diamondback culture best described earlier this week by, well, Gonzalez.

“We’re nothing flashy, we’re just a bunch of grinders,” Gonzalez said. “Nearly all of us have been with other teams. We’ve all been around. We don’t take anything for granted.”

*

On Thursday morning, there were 13,000 unsold seats in 50,000-seat Turner Field for tonight’s game.

This, after there were about 11,000 unsold seats in the opener in Arizona.

*

Continuing the low attendance theme, some are referring to this as the junior varsity championship series, in comparison with the ballyhooed ALCS between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees.

“I can understand that,” Mark Grace said. “They have the three-time defending champions against the team with the best record in baseball.”

And this series is ...

“Well, the 10-time division champions against the expansion team,” Grace said.

But, he warned, that doesn’t mean that neither one of the National League teams wouldn’t have a chance against the American League winner.

Both the Diamondbacks and Braves have future hall of fame pitchers. Both teams, particularly the Diamondbacks, play steady defense.

“We’ve always thought, if we could just get to the playoffs, we’d take our chances with our two big guys and the way we play the game,” Grace said.

TODAY

DIAMONDBACKS’

CURT SCHILLING

(2-0, 0.50 ERA)

vs.

BRAVES’

JOHN BURKETT

(1-0, 2.84 ERA)

Turner Field 5:15 PDT, Channel 11

Update--Although the National League championship series is tied at one game apiece, this is already a must-win game for the Diamondbacks. They may never enjoy a greater pitching mismatch this fall. Schilling has been their postseason ace, while Burkett, with an overall 4.35 postseason earned-run average, is one of the Braves’ few potential liabilities. In 19 starts after Diamondback losses this year, Schilling is 15-1 with a 1.97 ERA.