FIRST LOOK / THE MATCHUP

CATCHER

Atlanta’s Javier Lopez had a superb league championship series, batting .542 with two homers, five doubles and six RBIs in winning most-valuable-player honors, and his arm can be a lethal weapon--remember his bullet throw that picked off Cleveland’s Manny Ramirez at first base in Game 2 of the 1995 World Series? Yankee Jim Leyritz’s homer ignited a six-run rally in the pennant-deciding Game 5 victory over Baltimore, and Joe Girardi has had some clutch playoff hits and is a capable defender, but neither is in Lopez’s class.

EDGE: BRAVES

FIRST BASE

He spent most of the National League playoffs in an offensive funk, but Atlanta’s Fred McGriff snapped out of it Thursday night with three hits, including a homer and a triple, three RBIs and four runs scored, and he should find Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch to his liking. Yankee Tino Martinez says he has been swinging the bat well in the playoffs, although his numbers--.216, no RBIs--don’t reflect it. That’s why Manager Joe Torre is considering using Cecil Fielder at first for games in Atlanta, where the designated hitter will not be used.

EDGE: BRAVES

SECOND BASE

Something about the October weather seems to bring out the best in the Braves’ Mark Lemke, who batted .444 with a homer and five RBIs in the league championship series. Lemke also batted .417 in the 1991 World Series against Minnesota and .333 in the 1992 NLCS against Pittsburgh. Mariano Duncan, after batting .313 with three RBIs in the Yankees’ division series victory over Texas, was slowed because of a pulled hamstring and batted .200 against Baltimore in the ALCS.

EDGE: BRAVES

THIRD BASE

Despite all the veterans on the Braves’ roster, many think 24-year-old Chipper Jones, who batted .311 with 30 homers and 110 RBIs in the No. 3 hole, is the team’s emotional leader. The switch-hitter, who batted .440 in the NLCS, is better than average on defense. Yankee Wade Boggs swears the back spasms that bothered him in August and September have not been a factor in October, but his .108 postseason batting average seems to indicate otherwise. Charlie Hayes, who bats right-handed, will replace Boggs against left-handers.

EDGE: BRAVES

SHORTSTOP

The Yankees scored runs in 26 postseason innings, and rookie Derek Jeter had a key hit in 10 of those innings, including leadoff hits to start three game-winning rallies against Texas and Baltimore. He has also showed flashes of brilliance on defense, making a diving stop of Cal Ripken Jr.’s second-inning grounder in Game 4 of the ALCS and throwing Ripken out from his knees. Atlanta’s Jeff Blauser, who has been in and out of the lineup because of injuries this season, poses little offensive threat, but has shown an uncanny knack for getting hit by pitches at the right times.

EDGE: YANKEES

LEFT FIELD

Darryl Strawberry, who hit three homers in the ALCS, is expected to start despite a hairline fracture of his right big toe, but if he’s unable to go, the Yankees have a pretty good Plan B in speedy leadoff batter Tim Raines. Raines has batted .258 in postseason play but was benched the last two games of the league championship series, once because of sore hamstrings and again because of Strawberry’s hot bat. Speedy and powerful 19-year-old Andruw Jones, who homered in Game 7 against St. Louis, probably will start for the Braves, with regular left fielder Ryan Klesko moving to designated hitter in New York.

EVEN

CENTER FIELD

If Bernie Williams somehow keeps his playoff performance going--he batted .467 with three homers and five RBIs in the division series, then came back with a .474 average, two homers and six RBIs in the ALCS--the Yankees might as well order a bronze bust of Williams and hang it in Monument Park with those of the other Yankee legends. The Braves’ Marquis Grissom, a speedy leadoff batter, is no slouch, having batted .308 with 23 homers and 74 RBIs and made several clutch postseason defensive plays.

EDGE: YANKEES

RIGHT FIELD

No one needed five days off more than Yankee Paul O’Neill, who put unnecessary stress on his strained hamstring when third-base coach Willie Randolph inexplicably waved him home from second on Luis Sojo’s sixth-inning single with a 6-0 lead against Baltimore on Sunday. O’Neill was thrown out at the plate and got up gingerly. But a recovered O’Neill should be a huge boost to the Yankee offense. Atlanta rookie Jermaine Dye has filled in admirably for injured David Justice but appeared overmatched in the league championship series.

EDGE: YANKEES

DESIGNATED HITTER

Yankee Cecil Fielder had only three hits in the ALCS but drove in eight runs, thanks to a two-run homer in Game 3, a three-run homer in Game 5 and some well timed, run-scoring ground outs. The former Detroit Tiger also had four hits and four RBIs in the division series win over Texas and, if it were not for Williams, might be garnering a few more votes as Mr. October of the 1990s in New York. Andruw Jones or Klesko, whoever doesn’t start in left field in Yankee Stadium, will be an added bonus for the Braves, who use the designated hitter only in World Series play. Klesko had 34 homers and 93 RBIs but batted only .230 against left-handers.

EDGE: YANKEES

STARTING PITCHING

Remember that offensive juggernaut the Cleveland Indians took into the 1995 World Series? The Braves’ rotation, led by Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine, held the Indians to a .179 average, 19 runs and 59 total bases in six games. The Braves take a 1.62 postseason earned-run average into this World Series and have a 1.97 postseason ERA for 1995-96. The Yankees have two very good left-handers in Andy Pettitte and Jimmy Key, and David Cone is about as good a big-game pitcher as you’ll find, but probable Game 4 starter Kenny Rogers has been ineffective in his two playoff starts, putting the Yankees at a distinct disadvantage.

EDGE: BRAVES

BULLPEN

Two of baseball’s elite closers, Yankee right-hander John Wetteland, 43 saves, and Atlanta right-hander Mark Wohlers, 39 saves, will be featured in this series, but the Yankees also have superior setup man Mariano Rivera, who has not given up a run in 14 playoff innings. The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs against Rivera in the eighth inning of ALCS Game 4 but still couldn’t score. The Yankees also have two quality middle relievers in David Weathers and Jeff Nelson, whereas the Braves’ middle relief is suspect.

EDGE: YANKEES

BENCH

Fielder, Strawberry or Raines will be the first Yankee pinch-hitter, depending on the lineups Manager Joe Torre goes with, and Boggs and Hayes will be available on the nights the other is starting at third. Andy Fox provides speed, and Sojo has been a steady late-inning defensive replacement at second base. The Braves have experienced pinch-hitters Luis Polonia and third baseman Terry Pendleton, but there isn’t much pop off the bench, unless Klesko doesn’t start.

EDGE: YANKEES

MANAGERS

Perhaps because his sister actually is a sister, Sister Mary Marguerite Torre, principal of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin School in Brooklyn, and has been praying extra hard for her little brother this October, just about every move Yankee Manager Joe Torre has made in the playoffs has worked. After their ALCS victory, players heaped praise on Torre for his handling of the Yankees. Brave Manager Bobby Cox hasn’t been given enough credit for Atlanta’s five consecutive postseason appearances, but he clearly outmanaged Cleveland’s Mike Hargrove in last year’s World Series.

EDGE: BRAVES

INTANGIBLES

No matter how dire the circumstances, the Yankees never believe they are out of a game. They came from behind to win all three of their division series games against Texas and two of four games against Baltimore, and each rally seemed to further boost their confidence. The Orioles never seemed to recover from the Yankees’ stunning, four-run, eighth-inning rally that gave them a 5-2 win in Game 3. The Braves haven’t needed such late-inning dramatics in the playoffs but showed tremendous character against St. Louis, coming back to win the NLCS after being down, 3-1. And their pitchers, as Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine did this week, always seem to rise to the postseason occasion.

EVEN

PREDICTION: Braves in six.