Closer Smoltz Off to Good Start

John Smoltz already looks like a closer.

“He was outstanding. He looked a little like Goose with that mustache,” Greg Maddux said in comparing Smoltz to Rich Gossage, a three-time American League saves leader. “Who knows how it will shake out? All we know is he was awesome today.”

Maddux won his ninth consecutive decision and Smoltz made the first regular-season relief appearance of his career Sunday as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Montreal Expos, 8-2, at Atlanta.

Maddux (13-5) gave up two runs and nine hits in eight innings, struck out seven and extended his streak of innings without a walk to 51.

He is 9-0 with a 2.33 earned-run average in his last 10 starts, lowering his ERA to 2.43, second in the National League behind teammate John Burkett (2.38).

“Having all those runs to work with--they make pitching a lot easier,” Maddux said. “It’s nice to be able to relax.”

Smoltz, activated before the game from the disabled list, pitched a perfect ninth, retiring Geoff Blum and Michael Barrett on flyouts before striking out Brad Wilkerson. He made only nine pitches and was clocked at 97 mph.

After making the first 361 regular-season appearances of his career as a starter, the 34-year-old right-hander has been moved to the bullpen.

“I needed to get that out of the way,” Smoltz said. “I really did. It was unbelievable.”

Smoltz, sidelined all of last season after reconstructive elbow surgery, returned May 17 and was 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA in five starts. He went back on the disabled list June 10 because of a sore elbow and made two rehabilitation appearances in relief for double-A Greenville.

“We’ll see how it feels tomorrow,” Smoltz said. “There was no way I couldn’t throw hard.

“I couldn’t be nice and easy with all that adrenaline pumping.”

Philadelphia 3, New York 2--Bobby Abreu’s solo homer against John Franco in the bottom of the eighth broke a tie at Philadelphia, enabling the Phillies to win their first series since the All-Star break and stay two games behind the first-place Braves in the National League East.

The Mets, who went one for 14 with runners in scoring position, have lost three of four since winning five in a row.

Al Leiter pitched seven strong innings before leaving for Franco (4-2) at the start of the eighth. Abreu hit Franco’s first pitch just inside the left-field foul pole for his 21st homer.

Houston 3, Chicago 0--Shane Reynolds (9-9) and relievers Octavio Dotel and Billy Wagner combined on the Astros’ first shutout in 1 1/2 seasons at Enron Field. It took them 132 games to get the shutout. They have been shut out three times.

Jeff Bagwell hit his sixth homer in 10 games as the Astros moved within two games of the first-place Cubs in the National League Central.

Reynolds gave up three hits and no walks in seven innings to end his four-game losing streak. Dotel and Wagner finished the five-hitter, with Wagner getting his 22nd save in 23 chances.

San Diego 4, Milwaukee 0--Tony Gwynn hit a two-run double and Ryan Klesko had a two-run homer at San Diego to help send the Brewers to their ninth consecutive defeat, matching the Kansas City Royals for the longest losing streak in the majors this season.

Bobby Jones (6-12) beat Jimmy Haynes (6-13) in a matchup of the league’s losingest pitchers.

Florida 11, Cincinnati 7--A.J. Burnett, supported by a 15-hit attack at Miami, won his third start in a row. Charles Johnson, Dave Berg, Derrek Lee and Eric Owens each had two runs batted in for the Marlins.

Pittsburgh 2, St. Louis 0--Jimmy Anderson took a shutout into the ninth inning and Keith Osik broke a scoreless tie with a single in the ninth at St. Louis. Osik was batting .152 and had three hits in 36 at-bats before his hit against Mike Timlin (3-5).