"The Dodgers weren't ahead. In fact, they were down by a run. And the game wasn't in the ninth inning.

But on the mound stood Jonathan Broxton.

Stripped of his title of closer on Friday, Broxton pitched an unspectacular, scoreless eighth inning in the Dodgers' 1-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field as part of a plan to regain the form that made him a two-time All-Star.

"We want to get his feet under him without the spotlight of the save situation," Manager Joe Torre said.

Torre described the move as temporary.

Until Broxton reclaims his role, left-hander Hong-Chih Kuo will serve as the Dodgers' primary ninth-inning pitcher.

Torre said that even before Broxton blew a three-run lead in a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night, he'd told him he would be sharing the job with Kuo.

Asked if he was fine with Torre's decision, Broxton replied, "The way I've been pitching the last four weeks? Until I can get back, Joe wants to get me out in non-pressure situations. Just got to get some work in. Can't be doing it in the ninth, especially the way I've been struggling lately."

Broxton has blown three saves and posted a 10.13 earned-run average in eight appearances since the All-Star break.

Because Kuo is a survivor of four elbow operations and requires regular rest, Torre said he would probably turn to recently acquired Octavio Dotel to close games on days Kuo is unavailable.

Dotel saved 21 games for Pittsburgh before his July 31 trade to the Dodgers. Because Kuo pitched Wednesday and Thursday in Philadelphia, Torre said he would have called on Dotel to close Friday - or pitch the eighth and ninth if the score was tied.

Torre didn't have to.

The Dodgers were held to four hits, including three over the first eighth innings by Tim Hudson, who improved to 14-5.

Hudson was nearly matched by Hiroki Kuroda, whose only mistake was serving up a solo home run to Brooks Conrad in the seventh inning.

"He's pitched so well this year," Torre said of Kuroda, who is 8-11. "He hasn't had very many games where he's just given it up.""