Smoltz’s Return Is One to Forget

John Smoltz couldn’t wait to get back on the mound for a real game after almost 19 months away. Only one inning into his comeback, the Atlanta Braves’ right-hander couldn’t wait to get back to the dugout.

Smoltz struggled in his first start since elbow surgery, giving up three runs in the first inning and two more in the second inning of an 8-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night at Atlanta.

Smoltz retired the side in order in the third--his final inning. By then, the damage was done.

“You can’t expect miracles,” he said. “I really wanted to do well, obviously. I wanted to give the team a chance to win.”

In his first appearance since the 1999 World Series, Smoltz sprinted on the field ahead of his teammates to a standing ovation from the Turner Field crowd of 31,221.

The Rockies quickly doused the enthusiasm by batting around, with Todd Helton getting a run-scoring single before Jeff Cirillo hit a two-run home run.

“I felt like that first inning lasted an hour,” Smoltz said. “I’ve waited a long time for that moment, but it was a little bit of a rough start.”

Todd Walker added a two-out, two-run single in the second. Smoltz gave up six hits, walked two and struck out two before his night was done.

Still, the sight of Smoltz on the mound was a reminder of better times for the Braves (19-22)--who have struggled so far in their quest for a 10th consecutive trip to the playoffs.

“He threw good, but they got some hits,” outfielder Brian Jordan said. “It was good to see him back out there. Now he’s ready.”

Former Brave Denny Neagle (4-1) went six innings for the Rockies, giving up eight hits and three runs to improve his record at Turner Field to 20-6.

St. Louis 12, Pittsburgh 2--J.D. Drew hit a 468-foot, three-run home run and Ray Lankford went four for five with a homer at Pittsburgh as the Cardinals stretched their winning streak to 10 games.

The winning streak is the Cardinals’ longest since they won 12 in a row in April 1982 en route to the World Series championship. Seven of the victories have come against the last-place Pirates, who have lost six in a row and 10 of 11.

Matt Morris (6-2) won his fifth consecutive decision, giving up five hits and two runs in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked three.

Drew’s blast, which gave St. Louis a 5-1 lead in the fourth, bounced off a concrete landing into the Allegheny River.

San Diego 15, New York 3--Former Mets Rickey Henderson and Bubba Trammell hit two of San Diego’s four homers in a seven-run third inning, leading the Padres to an easy victory at New York.

Alex Arias and Ryan Klesko also homered in the inning against Steve Trachsel (1-6), who became the first Met and the 19th pitcher in major league history to give up four homers in an inning.

New York (15-25) has lost eight of nine games to drop 10 games under .500 for the first time since finishing the 1996 season 71-91. It got so bad for the Mets that Manager Bobby Valentine used shortstop Desi Relaford to pitch the ninth.

Houston 4, Chicago 2--Richard Hidalgo hit a tiebreaking two-run home run in the seventh inning at Chicago as the Astros handed the Cubs their seventh consecutive loss.

With two outs in the seventh, Kyle Farnsworth hit Jeff Bagwell with a pitch. Hidalgo drove the next pitch far over the left-field fence for his ninth homer.

The Astros completed a three-game sweep and ran their winning streak to a season-high five games. Houston is 14-7 on the road.

Arizona 7, Cincinnati 2--Luis Gonzalez hit his 19th home run shortly before a thunderstormat Cincinnati, then got his 20th under clear skies as the Diamondbacks completed a three-game sweep.

Brian Anderson (1-3) stayed fresh through a 2-hour, 53-minute rain delay, getting the victory by going six innings spread over five hours. The left-hander gave up four hits, including Jason LaRue’s two-run home run.

As the third inning ended, Cincinnati pitcher Pete Harnisch, first baseman Sean Casey, Manager Bob Boone and coach Tim Foli ran into the rain to help the grounds crew, which struggled to pull the tarp across the infield when the thunderstorm hit.

Philadelphia 2, Milwaukee 1--Second baseman Ronnie Belliard misplayed Scott Rolen’s bases-loaded grounder in the 12th inning, allowing Doug Glanville to score the winning run at Philadelphia.

Glanville singled against Brewer reliever Mike DeJean with one out and took third on Jimmy Rollins’ double down the left-field line. Bobby Abreu was intentionally walked and Rolen hit a sharp double-play grounder up the middle that bounced off the glove of Belliard.

Jeromy Burnitz drove in a run with a double in the sixth that just cleared the outstretched glove of left fielder Brian Hunter. Hunter came back to drive in Scott Rolen with a single in the bottom half of the inning after Rolen’s two-out double.

Florida 8, San Francisco 3--Kevin Millar drove in four runs and Cliff Floyd had three hits and three runs batted in for the Marlins at Miami.

Barry Bonds hit his 510th homer, moving within one of Mel Ott for 15th placeon the all-time list.