October 21, 2001	Sunday	Shaba'an 3, 1422

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ATLANTA (Georgia), Oct 20: The Arizona Diamondbacks posted a 5-1 triumph over the Atlanta Braves in Game Three of the National League Championship Series Friday as Curt Schilling continued his postseason brilliance.

Schilling pitched a four-hitter and Braves catcher Javy Lopez committed a costly error that allowed a pair of runs to score as the Diamondbacks took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

The road victory means that Arizona have won four straight games at Turner Field, where the next two games will be played.

Schilling (3-0) allowed two singles, two doubles and two walks. He struck out 12, including four of the final six batters.

The 34-year-old right-hander has won all three of his postseason starts, allowing two runs and 13 hits in 27 innings. More important, he improved to 16-1 this season following an Arizona loss.

With the way Schilling was pitching and Arizona already ahead 2-1, Atlanta could ill afford a sloppy inning. But that is exactly what the Braves endured in the fifth.

Atlanta starter John Burkett (1-1) surrendered a leadoff single to Schilling and Tony Womack bunted in front of the plate. Rookie second baseman Marcus Giles failed to cover first and Arizona was set up for a big inning.

Craig Counsell, who had three hits, sacrificed and Luis Gonzalez was intentionally walked.

Atlanta manager Bobby Cox opted for Steve Reed and he got exactly what his team needed — a chopper to third base.

But Lopez missed Chipper Jones’ catchable throw to the plate, allowing Schilling and Womack to score for a 4-1 lead.

Lefthander Mike Remlinger came on and Steve Finley singled up the middle for a four-run lead that was never threatened.

After batting .421 in the Division Series, Finley was just 1-for-6 in the first two games of the series. In addition to his RBI single in the fifth, he had a two-run double in the third.

Atlanta will send ace Greg Maddux to the mound in Game Four while Arizona counters with 19-game loser Albie Lopez. Maddux was the losing pitcher in Game One.

Arizona threatened in the first as Counsell singled with one out and took third on Matt Williams’ two-out double. Burkett retired Finley on a flyout to right.

The Diamondbacks broke on top in the third. Counsell beat out a grounder to first that Julio Franco was slow to field. One out later, Williams walked and Finley made it 2-0 with a sharp double to left.

Schilling struck out the side in the third but Atlanta closed to 2-1 in the fourth. Giles opened with a double and scored one out later on a single up the middle by Jones.

Any chance the Braves had of tying the contest quickly evaporated when Brian Jordan bounced into an inning-ending double play.

With Atlanta trailing 5-1 in the sixth, Giles walked with two outs and Franco followed with a single to right. But Schilling struck out Jones on four pitches.

Jordan opened the seventh with a double and Lopez drew a two-out walk. Cox opted for pinch hitter Dave Martinez, who struck out to drop to 6-for-28 in his career against Schilling.—Reuters