The Associated Press

Atlanta's Javy Lopez slides safely past Chicago catcher Damian Miller in the sixth inning Wednesday. (Associated Press photo) | ZOOM |

ATLANTA - John Smoltz blew the save and got the win - good enough to keep the Atlanta Braves from the brink of another postseason meltdown.

Smoltz, making a rare two-inning appearance in a game the Braves had to have, allowed the tying run before Mark DeRosa's two-run double in the eighth pushed Atlanta past the Chicago Cubs 5-3 Wednesday night.

The Braves evened the best-of-five National League division series at one game apiece. Game 3 is Friday night at Chicago's Wrigley Field, with Greg Maddux starting for the Braves against Mark Prior.

Atlanta's vaunted lineup was overshadowed by a guy who doesn't usually play much. DeRosa was starting at second base in place of Marcus Giles, who has a deep bruise on his left leg.

But Giles appeared as a pinch hitter in the sixth and came through with a run-scoring single that put the Braves ahead 3-2.

Eager to protect the lead, Braves manager Bobby Cox called on Smoltz in the eighth - even though the closer missed nearly a month at the end of the season because of a sore elbow. Smoltz had worked two innings only three times all season, most recently July 23.

The Cubs weren't intimidated by Smoltz, who has 100 saves in a two-year span. Eric Karros singled, went to third on Aramis Ramirez's hit and scored the tying run on pinch hitter Tom Goodwin's sacrifice fly.

Smoltz redeemed himself in the bottom half of the inning, getting down a bunt with two strikes after Vinny Castilla walked against losing pitcher Dave Veres.

The Cubs walked Rafael Furcal intentionally, a move that looked good when Veres got ahead of DeRosa with a 1-2 count. But the utility infielder cleared the bases with the next pitch, lining a double to the left-center gap.

Then it was back to Smoltz, who didn't squander this lead. The Cubs went down in order in the ninth, with Smoltz pumping his fist when Mark Grudzielanek popped out to end the game.

Braves starter Mike Hampton overcame a terrible start to pitch six solid innings before a Turner Field crowd of 52,743 - the most ever for a postseason game in Atlanta.

For the second night in a row, thousands of Cubs fans boosted the standing room-only turnout.

Those fans were in a frenzy when Chicago got off to roaring start. Without making an out, the Cubs had a 2-0 lead and the bases loaded. Will Cunnane already was throwing in the Braves bullpen, trying to get loose in a hurry on an unseasonably cool Georgia night.

With everything going against him, Hampton could have folded. Instead, he got tough.

Karros struck out swinging. Ramon Martinez took a called third strike. Damian Miller flailed at strike three to end the inning, bringing the Braves' fans to their feet.

Hampton struck out the side again in the second, tying a postseason record with six consecutive K's.

The lefty wasn't out of the woods yet. Karros hit into an inning-ending double play with two on in the fourth. Two more walks in the fourth had Hampton in trouble, but Robert Fick smothered Karros' hard liner down the first-base line and flipped to Hampton for the third out.

Hampton left for a pinch hitter after the sixth, having allowed four hits, walked five and struck out nine.