Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz is hit on the foot by a hit from Montreal Expos F.P. Santangelo during sixth inning action Saturday, June 20, 1998, in Montreal. Smoltz allowed four hits over seven innings in his return from the disabled list as the Atlanta Braves beat Montreal 5-1 Saturday. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Smoltz hot whippin' Montreal

Making his first start since May 23, Smoltz looked fresh and sharp, working seven innings and allowing one unearned run

Web posted June 21, 1998

By Bill Zack
Morris News Service

MONTREAL -- If there were any lingering doubts in the visitors dugout, John Smoltz laid the fears to rest Saturday night.

He's back and looking like a Cy Young winner again.

That's bad news for the National League, which has enjoyed a three-week respite while the right-hander recovered from an inflamed elbow.

Making his first start since May 23, Smoltz looked fresh and sharp, working seven innings and allowing one unearned run as the Atlanta Braves evened the series with a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Expos before 11,139 fans at Olympic Stadium.

The Braves' 50th win extended the best start in club history and boosted their division lead to a season-best 9 1/2 games over the Mets.

``I was kind of hoping it would go like it did today,'' Smoltz said. ``That would be my wildest dream. I've never really been too nervous, I've pitched in a lot of big games, but I was pretty nervous before the game.''

Activated from the disabled list Saturday afternoon, Smoltz, who hasn't lost to the Expos since May 1994, ran his win streak to seven against them with a season-high eight strikeouts and no walks. He matched his season-low by yielding four hits and allowed only three runners to advance past first base.

Said catcher Javy Lopez, who staked Smoltz to a 3-0 lead with his 16th homer against Expos starter Carlos Perez in the first inning, ``The way he pitched today really surprised me. Usually pitchers coming back from injuries start slow. He looked even stronger than when he was here at the beginning.''

Montreal Expos Rondell White is safe at third on a sacrifice fly hit by Expos Mark Grudzielanek during fifth inning action Saturday, June 20, 1998, in Montreal. Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones covers third. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Smoltz (5-1) looked like the dominant pitcher who has averaged 17 wins over the last three years. He showed off an overpowering fastball and a hard slider, mixing the two so effectively the poor Expos were left flailing helplessly. Eight times in seven innings they went down swinging at a third strike and the only run they managed followed third baseman Chipper Jones' error on Rondell White's grounder in the fifth.

``I couldn't be more pleased with anybody coming back from a rehab assignment,'' Braves manager Bobby Cox said. ``His velocity was extremely good and he was in total command.''

While Jones' error spoiled a shutout, it was Jones' bat that provided Smoltz with a pair of insurance runs in the fifth. He followed singles by Walt Weiss and Gerald Williams with a double up the left-center field gap against Perez (6-6), who lost to the Braves for the second time in six days.

While Smoltz was dominant, he was also economical. He didn't want to exceed 90 pitches and he ended the seventh with exactly 90. Sixty-six of his pitches were strikes and the Expos were amazed by the variety and the velocity.

``We didn't do anything with Smoltz,'' Expos manager Felipe Alou said. ``He was really, really tough. I know he pitched seven, but the first five were untouchable.''

Said Lopez, ``At the beginning of the year all he threw were fastballs. Today he was using everything, fastballs, curves, sliders, changeups, even cutters. I haven't seen him throw a cutter since last year. You name it, he was throwing it.''

After yielding a one-out double to Jose Vidro in the first inning, Smoltz didn't allow another runner to reach second base with a hit until the sixth when F.P. Santangelo led with a single and Brad Fullmer singled with two outs. He worked out of the jam by forcing a grounder from White, who entered with a homer in each of his last three games.

``I don't want to say I kept amazing myself, but I kept telling myself to stay smooth and quick,'' Smoltz said. ``It felt so good to be free and easy. I can't remember too many pitches I'd like to have back. I still have a ways to go with arm strength and stamina, but that was huge.''

With Smoltz gone, the last two innings were an anticlimax. Kerry Ligtenberg and Dennis Martinez combined to retire the last six hitters in order, the first time since May 24 the bullpen has pitched a perfect eighth and ninth.

Afterward, Cox had the look of a man who allowed his breath to escape after holding it for three weeks.

``He looked like the same old Smoltz to me,'' he said. ``I'm thrilled to see that. You're talking about one of the greatest pitchers in the league for years bouncing back.''

Atlanta -- 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -- 5 12 1
Montreal -- 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -- 1 4 0

E -- ChJones (6). LOB -- Atlanta 7, Montreal 4. 2B -- ChJones (14), Vidro (10). HR -- JLopez (16) off CPerez. RBIs -- ChJones 2 (59), JLopez 3 (52), Widger (28). SF -- Widger. GIDP -- AJones.

Runners left in scoring position -- Atlanta 3 (ChJones 2, DBautista); Montreal 2 (Fullmer, RWhite).

Runners moved up -- VGuerrero, Grudzielanek.

DP -- Montreal 1 (Andrews, Vidro and Fullmer).