ATLANTA VS. CHICAGO CUBS Braves get the bounce back

Even at a game apiece, the divisional series goes to Wrigley Field.
ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Braves needed this game, and it showed.
Mark DeRosa stood at second base, thumping the side of his leg after the game-winning hit. John Smoltz raised his fist as he watched the final out settle into a teammate's glove.
The Braves, often accused of being too businesslike, showed plenty of emotion while defeating the Chicago Cubs 5-3 Wednesday night to even the NL division series at one game apiece.
"I hope the Cubs don't take offense," said DeRosa, a former college quarterback. "I've got the football mentality still. We needed this game going to Chicago."
Maddux vs. Prior
Game 3 in the best-of-5 series is Friday night at Wrigley Field. Greg Maddux will start for the Braves against Mark Prior.
"With Prior on the mound, a hostile environment, it is going to be pretty tough," DeRosa said.
At least the Braves have hope, which was in short supply after they lost the opener 4-2 and quickly fell behind 2-0 in Game 2.
But Mike Hampton battled back from a rocky start to pitch six solid innings. Smoltz squandered a lead in the eighth, but DeRosa came through with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom half. Then it was back to Smoltz, who made that lead stand up for the 13th postseason win of his career.
"You play this game with somewhat of a desperate mentality," said Smoltz, who went two innings for only the fourth time all season. "We had to have this win."
The Braves' vaunted lineup was overshadowed by a guy who doesn't usually start. DeRosa took over at second base for Marcus Giles, who had a deep bruise on his left leg after tumbling over first base in Game 1.
With a runner at second, the Cubs walked Rafael Furcal intentionally to get to DeRosa. He made them pay by lining a 1-2 pitch from Dave Veres to the wall in left-center.
"You understand that they're intentionally walking Furcal to get to you," DeRosa said. "You try to use that anger."
Painful video
After the game, Veres sat in front of a video tape player, watching a replay of DeRosa's hit for a full five minutes.
"It's not like it was in the dirt, but it wasn't a hanger by any stretch," Veres said. "If he doesn't hit it, it looked like it might have bounced off the plate. But I guess it wasn't good enough."
As an added bonus for the Braves, Giles appeared as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and came through with a run-scoring single that put the Braves ahead 3-2.
Anxious to protect the lead, Atlanta called on Smoltz in the eighth -- even though the closer missed nearly a month at the end of the season with a sore elbow.
Smoltz didn't have his best stuff. Eric Karros and Randall Simon hit back-to-back singles before Tom Goodwin tied it with a sacrifice fly.
Smoltz had not worked two innings in a game since July 23. But manager Bobby Cox also was mindful that his closer never got a chance for a save in the 2002 postseason, when the Braves lost to the Giants in the opening round.
Smoltz helped himself in the bottom half of the eighth, getting down a bunt with two strikes after Vinny Castilla walked. It was Smoltz's second at-bat of the season.
"When I went up there, I really wanted to swing," he said with a grin.
Cubs had chance
The Cubs had a chance to take a commanding lead when Hampton got off to a miserable start.
The first five hitters reached base, giving Chicago a 2-0 lead and leaving the bases loaded. Sammy Sosa barely missed a three-run homer, hitting a drive of the top of the center-field wall for an RBI double.
Karros struck out swinging and Ramon Martinez took a called third strike, then Damian Miller flailed at strike three to end the inning.
Hampton struck out the side again in the second, tying a postseason record with six consecutive Ks.
"I just couldn't get into a rhythm," Hampton said. "I guess I had to get beat up before I woke up."
CHICAGOATLANTA
abrhbiabrhbi
Lofton cf3100Furcal ss3220
Grdzln 2b4100DeRosa 2b5022
SSosa rf2021Shffield rf5010
Alou lf3011CJones lf4111
ARmrz 3b4010JvLopz c4130
Karros 1b4010AJones cf4011
Glnville pr0100Fick 1b3000
ASGzlz ss0000JuFrco 1b1000
REMtiz ss3000Castilla 3b3010
Simon 1b1010JGarca 2b0100
DMiller c2000Hmptn p2010
Godwin ph0001MGiles ph1011
Bako c0000Bragg pr0000
Zmbrno p3000King p0000
Frnswr p0000Grybsk p0000
Veres p0000Smoltz p0000
O'Lery ph1000
Totals30363Totals355135
Chicago200000010--3
Atlanta10010102x--5
DP--Atlanta 3. LOB--Chicago 8, Atlanta 10. 2B--SSosa (1), DeRosa (1). S--Furcal, Smoltz. SF--Goodwin.
IPHRERBBSO
Chicago
Zambrano5 2-3113304
Farnsworth1 1-310001
Veres L,0-1112220
Atlanta
Hampton642259
King000010
Gryboski100011
Smoltz W,1-0221100
King pitched to 1 batter in the 7th. Umpires--Home, Hunter Wendelstedt; First, Dale Scott; Second, Gary Cederstrom; Third, Jeff Kellogg; Left, Phil Cuzzi; Right, Bruce Froemming. T--3:07. A--52,743.