Final
Red Sox-Nationals Preview
Jun 25, 2009 - 3:52 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS WriterBoston (43-27) at Washington (20-48), 7:05 p.m. EDT
John Smoltz's lengthy run of success in the majors has come in three different decades, as a starter and a closer, for a World Series champion and a 100-loss team.
But until now, he's worn only one uniform.
That will change Thursday night when the 42-year-old right-hander makes his much-anticipated return from shoulder surgery with the Boston Red Sox, hoping to pitch his new club to a fifth straight win and a three-game sweep of the host Washington Nationals.
For much of his career, Smoltz formed a dominating pitching trio with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, helping the Atlanta Braves to 14 straight postseason appearances. Even after Maddux and Glavine left Atlanta, Smoltz remained synonymous with the Braves franchise, pitching there for 20 seasons.
But after his 2008 campaign was shortened by shoulder problems, he signed with the Red Sox as a free agent in January and worked his way back from surgery. He'll be limited to 85-90 pitches in his first major league outing since June 2, 2008, but he's confident in his decision to come back.
"It will be a success," Smoltz said, "and I came back with this mindset that it ain't about stories, it ain't about to say 'I can do it again.' This is about pitching and getting hitters out. The end result is going to be that, and three, four, five starts from now, I think you'll see why I feel the way I do."
The timing of Smoltz's return couldn't be better for Boston. He'll fill Daisuke Matsuzaka's spot in the rotation after the struggling right-hander was placed on the disabled list Sunday.
Although the scheduling of his first start ensures that he won't face the Braves this weekend, he will find a familiar opponent awaiting him. Smoltz has made 68 appearances against the Nationals franchise, and Washington has had trouble with him lately.
Since the beginning of the 2007 season, he is 4-3 with a 1.77 ERA in seven starts against the Nationals, striking out 45 in 45 2-3 innings.
Red Sox manager Terry Francona said he doesn't expect him to be able to light up radar guns quite as he has in the past, but Smoltz - the only pitcher ever to win 200 games and save 150 - had a 2.63 ERA in six minor league rehab starts.
"He's gone through a lot to put himself in a position where I think he can help us win a lot of games," Francona said. "He wanted to pitch into the playoffs. I think he's tried to put himself into a position where that'll happen."
The way the Red Sox (44-27) have been playing, it certainly seems possible. After Wednesday's 6-4 win - a victory sparked by a three-run David Ortiz homer - Boston improved to an AL-best 15-5 in June.
Ortiz went 2 for 3 and is batting .357 with six homers and 12 RBIs in his last 15 games.
The Nationals (20-49) have lost three straight to quickly erase any good feelings from last week's four-game winning streak. They are 9-28 since May 15 and could fall to 20-50 for the first time since their inaugural season as the Montreal Expos in 1969.
While Smoltz has made 466 starts in the majors, Thursday will be the 12th for Washington's Jordan Zimmermann. The right-hander, who was 2 years old when Smoltz made his big league debut, is looking for his first win since April 26.
Zimmermann (2-3, 5.03 ERA) has allowed four runs in his last three starts but has also received four runs of support in those outings.
- ML
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 8 2
WASHINGTON 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 x 9 11 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: BOS - JOHN SMOLTZ, DANIEL BARD (6TH), TAKASHI SAITO (7TH), RAMON
RAMIREZ (8TH) AND JASON VARITEK, GEORGE KOTTARAS (7TH)
WAS - JORDAN ZIMMERMANN, TYLER CLIPPARD (8TH
Jun 25 9:59 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY ROCCO BALDELLI (4) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 9TH OFF TYLER CLIPPARD SCORED JULIO LUGO.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 3, WASHINGTON 9
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: N GREEN (.286, 0-FOR-3)
Red Sox 3, Nationals 9 Top 9, 0 OutsJun 25 9:56 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY WILLIE HARRIS (3) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT
IN THE 7TH OFF TAKASHI SAITO SCORED JOSH BARD.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 1, WASHINGTON 9
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: A HERNANDEZ (.263, 1-FOR-2, BB, 2 RBI)
Red Sox 1, Nationals 9 Bot 7, 0 OutsJun 25 9:23 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY CRISTIAN GUZMAN SCORED WILLIE HARRIS AND ANDERSON
HERNANDEZ.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, C GUZMAN ON FIRST, J ZIMMERMANN ON SECOND, 0 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 1
WASHINGTON 7 BOTTOM, 6TH
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: E DUKES (.244, 0-FOR-2)
Red Sox 1, Nationals 7 Bot 6, 0 OutsJun 25 8:53 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY DAVID ORTIZ SCORED J.D. DREW.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J BAY ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 1
WASHINGTON 5 TOP, 6TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: M LOWELL (.284, 0-FOR-2)
Red Sox 1, Nationals 5 Top 6, 0 OutsJun 25 8:41 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSH BARD SCORED JOSH WILLINGHAM.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J BARD ON FIRST, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 0
WASHINGTON 5 BOTTOM, 3RD
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: W HARRIS (.220, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 0, Nationals 5 Bot 3, 0 OutsJun 25 8:03 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY ANDERSON HERNANDEZ SCORED ADAM DUNN AND JOSH
WILLINGHAM.
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, A HERNANDEZ ON FIRST, J BARD ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 0
WASHINGTON 4 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: J ZIMMERMANN (.000, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
Red Sox 0, Nationals 4 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 25 7:27 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSH BARD SCORED RYAN ZIMMERMAN.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, J BARD ON FIRST, J WILLINGHAM ON SECOND, A
DUNN ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 0
WASHINGTON 2 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: W HARRIS (.222, 2 HR, 12 RBI)
Red Sox 0, Nationals 2 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 25 7:22 PM - ML
AT WASHINGTON - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSH WILLINGHAM SCORED NICK JOHNSON.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J WILLINGHAM ON FIRST, A DUNN ON SECOND, R
ZIMMERMAN ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 0
WASHINGTON 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR WASHINGTON: J BARD (.250, 1 HR, 10 RBI)
Red Sox 0, Nationals 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsJun 25 7:20 PM
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