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 Smoltz still smoking Braves' righty stymies Marlins to win third straight
Posted: Sunday April 25, 1999 08:45 PM
MIAMI (AP) -- John Smoltz isn't used to starting the season this way. Not that he minds, though. Smoltz allowed six hits in 7 2-3 innings and Brian Jordan drove in three runs to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 5-1 win against the Florida Marlins on Sunday. "It's unusual for me to feel this good this early in the season," said Smoltz, who improved to 3-0. "Historically, I've struggled or gotten out of the shoot a little slow." Smoltz hasn't at all this year, posting a 2.02 ERA through four starts. He struck out seven and walked two in his longest outing of the year. "I didn't feel that I was as sharp as I could be, but then I settled in," Smoltz said. "After the third inning, I didn't have a slider, but I had a great changeup. We got a lot of fly balls and my guys ran them down." Smoltz has won his last six regular season starts against Florida, with a 1.48 ERA. The Marlins did beat Smoltz in the 1997 National League Championship Series, however. "You're never comfortable against him," said Florida's Jorge Fabregas. "Obviously, you can tell by the hacks we were taking that he was on. It seems like you're down 0-2 against him all the time. I haven't figured him out yet, but I'll keep trying." Jordan reached base five times, homering, doubling, reaching on an error, getting hit by a pitch and walking.
Jordan hit a two-run homer in the first inning for his sixth of the year. It marked the second consecutive game that Jordan has homered in the opening frame. "I don't feel my legs just yet even though it has been a great April," Jordan said. "I don't think my game is complete. I think driving in runs is OK for now. Later on, I'll get to stealing bases." Brian Meadows (3-1) gave up four runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked none. "I just didn't make good pitches," Meadows said. "I knew going in that I was going to have to battle and I battled for five innings, but I made some terrible pitches and I got hit hard." The Braves made it 4-0 in the fourth when Andruw Jones doubled, Smoltz singled him home and Keith Lockhart doubled to score Smoltz. Florida scored in the fifth when pinch-hitter Kevin Orie doubled and Craig Counsell hit an RBI single. Jordan's double, which came in the seventh, drove in Otis Nixon, who had reached on an error, and made it 5-1. Notes: Meadows' first-inning error snapped a string of eight errorless contests for Florida. The error was the first of four for the Marlins. ... Chipper Jones of the Braves appeared to pull his right groin while running from first to third in the third inning. He remained in the game but was replaced in the seventh inning with a pinch runner. He said it was doubtful he would play Monday. ... Ned Yost returned to his duties as Atlanta's third base coach after missing Saturday night's game due to the death of his father. ... The Marlins announced that Cliff Floyd, who has been on the disabled list since the start of the season with a sprained left knee, will donate $250 to the Reviving Baseball In Inner Cities Program for each home run and stolen base he has this season. The Marlins hope that Floyd, who hit 22 home runs and stole 27 bases last season, will be activated by the May 5.
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