Cory Lidle pitched neatly into the seventh inning in a playoff audition, Bobby Abreu and Robinson Cano homered, and the Yankees held off the Baltimore Orioles 5–4 last night.

Joe Torre is still trying to pick a fourth starter for the postseason. The choice seems to be between Lidle and Jaret Wright, with the odd man out likely to wind up in long relief.

Lidle (4–3) gave up solo home runs to nemesis Jay Gibbons, Ramon Hernandez and Corey Patterson in 6 2/3 innings. It was Lidle’s longest outing since Philadelphia traded him to the Yankees — he was 8–7 for the Phillies — with Abreu on July 30.

Torre said before the game he was looking for “sharpness” from Lidle more than results. The right-hander walked one, hit a batter with a pitch, and gave up six hits.

Lidle was one strike away from seven full innings when Patterson homered on an 0–2 pitch and Kevin Millar followed with one of his four singles.Torre gave Lidle a pat on the shoulder when he came out to the mound to make a change.

Scott Proctor pitched the ninth for his first major league save, giving up Jeff Fiorentino’s RBI single before stranding two runners.

The Orioles lost their third in a row. Manager Sam Perlozzo was ejected in the sixth when he argued that Miguel Tejada had checked his swing on an inside pitch that sent the Baltimore cleanup man spinning into the dirt.

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BRAVES 12, METS 0

In Atlanta, John Smoltz pitched eight sharp innings for his 15th win, Andruw Jones became the first Atlanta hitter with consecutive 40-homer seasons, and the Braves beat the Mets 12–0 to extend the Mets’ late-season slump.

The NL East champions began their final six-game road trip before the playoffs. They have lost three straight and six of seven overall.

Pedro Martinez is scheduled to make his final playoff tuneup for New York tonight.

Smoltz (15–9) gave up six hits and walked two, reaching 15 wins for the first time in eight years. He struck out six.

The Mets left-hander, Oliver Perez, gave up homers to Jones, Willy Aybar and Matt Diaz. Aybar had three hits and Edgar Renteria hit a three-run double in a six-run eighth.

Smoltz is 29-16 in two seasons back in the rotation after four years as the Braves’ closer. He last reached 15 wins in 1998, when he was 17–3.

Macay McBride pitched the ninth for Atlanta.

Perez (3–13) took his third loss with only one win in six starts since joining the Mets in a trade from Pittsburgh. He gave up seven hits and six runs with three walks and five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.