Sweeps Week in the NL

John Smoltz struck out 11, pitched a three-hitter and wrote his name in baseball’s record book alongside some of the greats, with a 4-1 victory Friday for the Atlanta Braves that eliminated the Houston Astros from the National League pennant race.

In front of the Astrodome’s largest baseball crowd ever, 53,688, Smoltz won a postseason game for the 10th time, tying a record held by Whitey Ford and Dave Stewart.

“My favorite month of the year,” said Smoltz, a Mr. October for the ‘90s.

He threw 105 pitches . . . 77 of them strikes.

A nice luxury, being able to save a guy like this for a Game 3.

Smoltz felt the ball was in good hands. He said, “I’ve talked to Reggie [Jackson]. This is the time of year. There’s nobody I trust more than myself. When I’m in a car, I want to drive it. When I play golf, play basketball, I want the last shot.”

A shot by Chipper Jones into the right-field upper deck put Smoltz in the driver’s seat, 1-0, in the first inning.

Atlanta got another run in the second, on Ryan Klesko’s double and Jeff Blauser’s single. The Braves scored in the seventh the same way, on Javy Lopez’s double and Michael Tucker’s single.

Cruising, 3-0, Smoltz could afford a mistake. On a two-out pitch in the seventh, Chuck Carr homered into the right-field seats.

No more was heard from Houston.

“He started strong, and he just kept getting stronger,” Astro star Jeff Bagwell said.

The “Killer B” trio of Craig Biggio, Derek Bell and Bagwell had termites in their bats to the end, going two for 37 (.054) for the series. Bill Spiers--an honorary B--chipped in with a 0-for-11 performance.

The entire team hit .167.

Swept in this series, the Astros ended up winning three more games this season (84) than they lost.

Atlanta didn’t hit the ball much better (.217), but it wasn’t necessary. The pitching is so strong, 20-game winner Denny Neagle sat out the Houston series . . . and Manager Bobby Cox isn’t saying who will start Game 1 of the league championship series Tuesday.

The Braves already have won 104 games but are interested in nothing but the World Series.

“I won the Cy Young thing last year, you’d think I’d be happy as can be,” Smoltz said. “I wasn’t. Last year was incomplete because, ultimately, we lost.”

Smoltz took the opener of last fall’s World Series, stopping the New York Yankees on four hits.

He won 24 games, four more in the playoffs and a Cy Young Award as the league’s top pitcher. But he lost Game 5. And the Braves lost the championship in six.

This season, Smoltz was a so-so 15-12.

No use pointing out that record to Cox, who says, “A lot of people don’t realize it, but John has been on top of his game all year. His win-loss record is not an indicator. He could easily have won 20-plus. He’s a big-money guy.”

Smoltz struck out two in the seventh, two in the eighth. If not for a two-out single by Luis Gonzalez in the ninth, he would have thrown a two-hitter.

“John’s a horse,” Cox said.

Everything went haywire for Houston again, right off the bat. The sure-handed Bagwell bungled an easy play, same as in Game 2, misplaying Kenny Lofton’s game-opening grounder. Had Lofton not been picked off by Shane Reynolds, the homer one pitch later by Chipper Jones would have made the score 2-0.

Next inning, catcher Brad Ausmus fumbled a throw that might have cut down Klesko, rumbling home.

Later on, a hook-sliding Lopez just did evade Ausmus’ tag for the run that made it 3-0. A passed ball by Ausmus cost the Astros a fourth run.

“Right now, I feel mostly disappointed,” Manager Larry Dierker said. “I don’t feel happy about having a good season. I don’t feel satisfied with losing three straight in the playoffs. It certainly leaves a sour taste in your mouth.”

He envies Cox, who can sit back and rest his pitchers for three more days.

Greg Maddux could pitch Tuesday. So could Neagle. Tom Glavine will be available as well. The next series could be up to Game 4 before the Braves even need John Smoltz.