Now John Smoltz gets a chance. Obviously the Braves rely heavily upon their starting pitching, and through most of this World Series it has not been good enough. So Smoltz, who has an excellent record in postseason play, particularly the World Series, is going to unload everything he has in tonight’s start.
“I’m going to approach Game 4 as absolutely my last game pitched,” Smoltz said, “because that’s the way to approach it at this time of the year.”
Smoltz also will undoubtedly try to approach his start much the same way he did against the Yankees in the 1996 Fall Classic. Smoltz went 1-1 against the Yankees that Series, with a 0.64 ERA. In Game 5, Smoltz lost 1-0 to Andy Pettitte in one of the best pitched games in World Series history.
Smoltz has been involved in other great 1-0 games, too. In the famous Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, Smoltz pitched 71/3 scoreless innings against the Twins. Unfortunately for the Braves, Jack Morris threw 10 innings of shutout ball in the biggest game of the season as the Twins won the game 1-0 and World Series 4-3.
Tonight, Smoltz will be matched up against Roger Clemens, with the Braves in a 0-3 hole after last night’s 6-5 loss. But Smoltz is too experienced to think that he is pitching against Roger Clemens. He knows he is pitching against a dangerous and patient Yankee lineup.
“I never try to get caught up in that,” he said. “I got caught up [in ’91] because it was my first year, in the matchup with Jack Morris. But the individual situation doesn’t come into play in this atmosphere. In a regular season game, maybe it’s more pitching against the other pitcher.”
Overall Smoltz didn’t have a great record this season, going 11-8, but he had a typically low ERA of 3.19. Tonight will be his eighth World Series start. His record is only 2-1 with four no-decisions, but his ERA is a sterling 2.25.
Smoltz’s last appearance was not a very good one. It wasn’t his Game 4 start in which the Mets came from behind to win 3-2 at Shea. It was his relief appearance in Game 6 when he gave up four runs as the Mets tied the game 7-7 on Mike Piazza’s two-run home run in the seventh inning.
“That’s forgotten,” Smoltz said. “That’s a different role. A lot of credit goes to those Mets hitters. I should have changed speeds but I didn’t based on how I felt.”