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Smoltz beats Glavine for 200th win

May 25, 2007 - 5:15 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- John Smoltz made history on Thursday night. It was fitting that it was against good friend and old teammate Tom Glavine.

Smoltz hurled seven outstanding innings to notch his 200th major league win and the Atlanta Braves survived a ninth-inning scare for a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets in the rubber game of their three-game series.

Smoltz (7-2) and Glavine (5-2) spent the better part of 14 seasons together, and along with current San Diego hurler Greg Maddux, formed the nucleus of an Atlanta rotation that won 11 consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2002 and the 1995 World Series.

The trio - likely future Hall of Famers - have achieved a number of staggering accomplishments. Maddux has recorded 336 victories and Glavine is five wins away from winning number 300. The threesome won every Cy Young Award from 1991 to 1996 with Maddux winning four and Glavine and Smoltz one apiece.

On Thursday it was Smoltz's turn to add another one to the record books. The 40-year-old Smoltz scattered seven hits in seven frames and struck out five without a walk en route to becoming the first pitcher in major league history to win 200 games and record more than 150 saves.

"It's a number, but it's a nice number because everybody contributed in special ways," said Smoltz, who was converted to Atlanta's closer from 2001 to 2004 after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery prior to the 2000 campaign. "I never thought 200 was possible. There was a situation when I felt like I'd be put in a different role. But I was never going to let go of the fact I was going to start. I believed in myself."

"I'm happy for him personally," Glavine said. "I'm not happy it came against us and against me."

The Atlanta ace built on a dominating three-hit performance over seven scoreless innings in his last outing against the Red Sox. Smoltz hurled first-pitch strikes to 21 of 28 batters he faced and needed 101 pitches - 72 strikes - to dispatch of a dangerous Mets lineup.

"It was awesome, you got two Hall of Famers on the mound," said Braves catcher Brian McCann, who was four years old when Smoltz made his major league debut in 1988. "I feel like I am the luckiest guy in the world. I get to play in my hometown and get to be mentored by my heroes growing up. I couldn't be in a better situation."

Just like Glavine and Maddux before him, Smoltz recorded his 200th victory at the place where the trio has made so much history - Turner Field.

"All three, (Smoltz), Glavine and Maddux are a manager's dream to have," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "It was pretty good (game) with two Hall of Famers going at it and the hometown guy, now, won."

New York's best threats against Smoltz came in the third, fourth and seventh innings.

The Mets loaded the bases with two outs in the third on hits by Glavine, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran. But with the crowd of 36,660 on its feet, the 1996 Cy Young Award winner struck out David Wright on a disputed checked swing to end the threat.

A livid Wright remained in the game despite throwing his bat and helmet violently to the ground and arguing the call by first base umpire Larry Young.

New York had a runner at third with two outs in the fourth, but Atlanta second baseman Kelly Johnson robbed Ruben Gotay of an RBI single with a spectacular diving grab.

Smoltz retired the next 10 before the Mets challenged again in the seventh when Shawn Green and Gotay laced successive one-out singles. But Smoltz got groundouts from pinch hitter David Newhan and Reyes to end the threat.

Rafael Soriano worked around a walk in the eighth and Bob Wickman yielded an unearned run in the ninth before retiring Jose Reyes on a popout with a runner on third to notch his seventh save for the Braves, who have taken six of nine from the Mets this season.

"The script itself couldn't have been written any better," said Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, who missed the game after getting a cortisone shot on his bruised right hand on Wednesday. "We felt like it was a must win for us and it turned out to be a Smoltz-Glavine battle again."

Glavine pitched well against his former team, but once again came out on the losing end. The southpaw surrendered two runs and five hits, walked two and struck out two in six innings to record his 11th loss in 14 decisions against the Braves.

"The end result is hard to swallow," Glavine said. "But you have to put it behind you. I was making the pitches I wanted to make early in the game. When I missed, I wasn't missing by much."

Since the southpaw joined the Mets in 2003, Glavine and Smoltz have faced each other four times with Smoltz prevailing three times. Atlanta has won all four contests.

"I enjoy the challenge of going up against any great pitcher," Glavine said. "But I can't say I like to face (Smoltz). He keeps winning the game."

Atlanta touched up Glavine for a run in the first and second.

Johnson singled to start the first, advanced to third on a single by Martin Prado and scored on Jeff Francoeur's sacrifice fly.

Right fielder Matt Diaz added to the cushion by smashing a 389-foot homer into the Braves bullpen in right-center field to give Atlanta a 2-0 edge.