Opener Is a Tale of Two Pitchers

For Jaret Wright, the road from Game 7 of the 1997 World Series to Game 1 of the 2004 National League division series was fraught with more detours than Pacific Coast Highway during mudslides.

There were six mediocre seasons, two major shoulder surgeries and one particularly unsettling wait for a cab ride.

It was August 2003, when Wright stood outside Minute Maid Park with his luggage after being waived by the San Diego Padres. His once-promising career at perhaps its lowest point, Wright joked that he thought about becoming a cab driver, “because I could have gotten there faster.”

But a long downward spiral turned into a quick ascent when Wright was claimed by the Atlanta Braves, who converted him from a mop-up man into a critical component of their bullpen, then made him a starter this season.

Wright, 28, responded with his best year, earning a career-high 15 wins with a career-low 3.28 earned-run average. His reward? Starting today at Turner Field against future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens and the Houston Astros.

“To have my name called in Game 1 and go up against him, I think it’s an honor,” said Wright, a former Anaheim Katella High standout who last pitched in a postseason game in 1999 with the Cleveland Indians.

Wright’s turnaround is emblematic of the other two Atlanta starters assured of pitching in the series. Game 2 starter Mike Hampton was a 15-game loser with Colorado before joining the Braves and becoming a 14-game winner in 2003. Game 3 starter John Thomson, a middling member of a miserable Texas team last season, is now a front-line pitcher with the Braves.

Wright credits Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Leo Mazzone with helping to put wayward careers back on track.

“With Leo, he makes it simple for you, that ‘this is the plan when you go out there,’ ” Wright said. “I like the fact that if you’re doing something that might not work, he’ll let you know and you iron it out from there.”

As solid as they’ve been this season, Wright (15-8) and Hampton (13-9) will have little margin for error against Clemens and 20-game winner Roy Oswalt, though history appears to be on the Braves’ side. Clemens, 42, is 0-3 and his teams are winless in his six Game 1 appearances, and the Astros are 0-7 in playoff series, including losses to Atlanta in 1997, 1999 and 2001.

Clemens, still looking haggard Tuesday after a stomach virus kept him from pitching in the Astros’ regular-season finale, dismissed his Game 1 struggles as meaningless.

“However I feel, I’m going to make the most of it,” Clemens said. “I’ve pitched with different aches and pains throughout the years.”

Clemens noted that he and Oswalt had thrived under pressure as the Astros, who were 56-60 on Aug. 14, needed each of their 36 victories in the final 46 games to win the wild-card; Clemens and Oswalt won 14 of their last 16 decisions.

“We weren’t afforded to have a hiccup or stub our toe or have a very poor outing,” Clemens said. “So that’s the way you go into this type of game, into the playoffs.”

Wright had drawn comparisons to Clemens after a rookie season with Cleveland in which he gave up two hits in 6 1/3 innings in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series, only to watch the Indian bullpen squander a late lead to the Florida Marlins.

Cox said Wright still displayed a lively arm last season with the Padres, prompting the Braves to take a chance on a pitcher who at the time had more career losses than victories.

“Leo helped him out, making him more of a pitcher than a thrower,” Cox said. “He can still run it up there 95 mph when he wants to, 96. He throws a two-seamer that he can locate on the outer half of the plate and the inner half.”

Said Wright: “When I came over here, we worked on location a lot more than velocity. I kind of got away from movement and location because I spent a long time not being able to throw the ball as hard as I used to.

“That’s the biggest thing ... throwing it where you want it instead of 110% and not knowing where it’s going.”