Schilling Leaves Braves in Slop

They knew that even one mistake might be too much with Curt Schilling on the mound and momentum at stake in a tied National League championship series.

The Atlanta Braves seemingly understood their predicament, though one had to wonder Friday night after watching them stumble repeatedly in a 5-1 loss in Game 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks before only 41,624 at Turner Field.

One of the smallest postseason crowds in the ballpark’s brief history watched one of the worst innings in the Braves’ 10-year playoff run, which might not continue much longer this season unless they quickly get back into the game mentally.

The Braves certainly didn’t appear to be focused on the field as the Diamondbacks scored three runs and took a commanding 5-1 lead in a blunder-marred fifth inning.

First baseman Julio Franco had a mental lapse on Schilling’s leadoff single, and things quickly got worse for the Braves. Franco and second baseman Marcus Giles were confused about the infield rotation on a bunt play, and catcher Javy Lopez committed a two-run error on a bases-loaded play when he shied away from a catchable throw from third baseman Chipper Jones.

They couldn’t afford an inning like that with Schilling still in his remarkable postseason form.

The right-hander dominated the Braves as he did the St. Louis Cardinals in the division series, pitching a four-hitter with 12 strikeouts in his third consecutive complete game.

With fastball clocked consistently between 95-98 mph, Schilling simply overpowered the Braves, who scored their only run on Jones’ run-scoring single in the fourth after a double by Giles.

“I’ve never thrown better in more important games than I have the last three or four games,” Schilling said. “I think that’s pretty obvious, based on where we’re at and what we’re doing as a team right now.”

Including the regular season, Schilling improved to 16-1 with a 1.54 earned-run average after Arizona losses. He is 3-0 with an ERA of 0.67 in the 2001 playoffs.

“I don’t know what else you can say at this point,” Arizona Manager Bob Brenly said of Schilling. “The cream rises to the top. I mean, whatever cliche you want to throw on it, we’ve talked about it throughout the postseason.

“When the light seems to be shining the brightest, when people expect the most from him, when we expect the most from him, he goes out there and exceeds even what we expected. I don’t know if there are any superlatives for Curt Schilling.”

Schilling has led the Diamondbacks to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with the help of the Braves.

“Bottom line, if we get those plays done [in the fifth], it’s a different ballgame,” Giles said. “But that’s the nature of the beast. You’re not going to be perfect every day. We’re all human, we’re all going to make mistakes, but you can’t point fingers.

“You can’t expect sound defense every day. We’re not going to go out there and make no errors every day. You can’t expect that. Things are going to happen. The thing is, when you make a mistake with Schilling on the hill, it’s tough to come back.”

Steve Finley gave the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead in the third with a two-run double against loser John Burkett.

The Braves cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth, sparking some interest in the small crowd. But the mood of the Braves’ fans turned with the club’s circuslike performance in the fifth.

It started horribly for the Braves with Schilling getting a single through the hole at first. The Braves had a shot at getting the slow pitcher when Brian Jordan fielded the ball in shallow right, but first baseman Franco forgot to cover the bag.

And it would get worse for the Braves.

Tony Womack laid down a bunt that Burkett got in front of the mound, but second baseman Giles was late covering the bag at first after Franco broke in on the play. The runners moved up on Craig Counsell’s bunt, and Luis Gonzalez was walked intentionally to load the bases with cleanup batter Matt Williams coming to the plate.

“It’s a situation where I’m playing Womack up the middle ... it’s my fault, I should have told Julio that I was playing up the middle in case he bunts,” Giles said. “It’s not a bunting situation. He bunted it for a hit, obviously. He didn’t bunt for a sacrifice, he bunted for a hit.

“I’m so far up the middle, and the ball is right back to the pitcher. Normally, I’m covering on that ball, but I’m up the middle.”

Enter reliever Steve Reed.

Williams grounded to third baseman Jones, who barehanded the ball while charging and made a solid throw to try to nail Schilling at the plate.

With the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Schilling near the plate, Lopez couldn’t handle the throw, which got away from him for a two-run error.

Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox defended his club’s play in the inning, accepting responsibility for some of the miscues.

“The problem [on Womack’s bunt] was Womack didn’t show bunt, then he did,” said Cox, who matched an NL championship series record by a losing club in using seven pitchers in the game. “The first time, we play him way up the middle with our second baseman. He’s almost further away than the hitter is, actually.

“So, it’s kind of my fault probably. ... I should have had him closer probably. [On the play at the plate], Javy thought he should have caught it.”