Reeling Dodgers Show No Punch

ATLANTA —  The Dodgers are experiencing a worst-case scenario getting darker by the moment.

They are frazzled, frustrated and facing the Atlanta Braves, who scored five runs in the eighth inning Friday night to break a tie in a 7-2 victory at Turner Field.

The Braves pounded reliever Terry Adams (4-4) in two-thirds of an inning, improving to 4-0 against the Dodgers here this season before a sellout crowd of 48,824.

Adams gave up four hits and three runs before being chased with runners at first and second. Gregg Olson gave up a two-run double to pinch-hitter Andres Galarraga, capping the scoring and closing the book on Adams.

“Just a bad outing,” said Adams, whose earned-run average increased from 2.66 to 3.32. “I fell behind a couple of guys, and I got a couple of ground balls I thought should have [resulted in outs].”

John Rocker pitched a scoreless ninth to complete the victory for the National League East leaders.

Mike Remlinger (4-2) worked a perfect eighth in relief of starter Kevin Millwood, who was outstanding again against the Dodgers in a no-decision.

Millwood gave up five hits and two runs. The right-hander had given up only one unearned run in his previous 14 innings against the Dodgers this season.

Of course, most starters shine against the Dodgers these days.

The Dodgers (59-55) have dropped five of six after losing the opener of a six-game trip.

They wasted a strong seven-inning outing from starter Chan Ho Park, who also had a run-scoring double.

The Dodgers continue to struggle offensively after going 2-4 on the homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. The San Francisco Giants also lost Friday, so the Dodgers still trail by 5 1/2 games in the NL West.

Not that it matters.

The Dodgers acknowledge they are fading fast despite still being in striking distance, and the postseason is no longer their focus.

“It is obviously late in the season, and it seems like we’re going backward instead of forward,” said left fielder Gary Sheffield, who is tied for the major league lead with 36 home runs but struck out four times. “Obviously, this is the team we’re going to go with [the rest of the season], and you have to make the best of it.”

That’s all the Dodgers are doing at this point.

“We reached critical mass about a week ago as far as the games being important,” first baseman Eric Karros said. “As a ballclub, we haven’t been able to pick up the wins we have needed to for a variety of reasons.

“We went from two out in the loss column to, heck, we can hardly even see it right now. But put it this way: Regardless of how we’re playing, there’s still 48 games left and we’re going to play ‘em.”

Again Friday, they played poorly.

The Braves (70-45) sent 11 batters to the plate in the eighth against Adams and Olson.

Park limited Atlanta to seven hits--including B.J. Surhoff’s first home run with the Braves--and two runs. He struck out six with two walks.

The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the fifth against Millwood on Chad Kreuter’s run-scoring single and Park’s two-out double. That ended the good news for the Dodgers.

Surhoff, acquired in a July 31 trade with the Baltimore Orioles, singled and scored the Braves’ first run in the fifth on Keith Lockhart’s run-scoring single. In the seventh, Surhoff hit a 1-and-0 curveball from Park into the seats in the right-field corner to pull the Braves even.

Enter Adams in the eighth.

Chipper Jones doubled to left-center to drive in the go-ahead run, and Wally Joyner extended the lead to 4-2 with a run-scoring single. Then it got worse for the Dodgers, who have something to prove.

“We’re going to see what type of people we are now,” second baseman Mark Grudzielanek said. “We’ll see how manly we are.”