Smoltz, Braves Buck Pirates

John Smoltz pitched so effortlessly and efficiently in his most dominating start of the season, even the opposing Pittsburgh Pirates didn't know where the time went.

Smoltz overwhelmed the Pirates while pitching a three-hitter for his first shutout in nearly a year, and Andres Galarraga hit a two-run homer to power the Atlanta Braves to a 3-0 victory Friday night.

"He could have pitched against the '27 Yankees tonight and Ruth and Gehrig would have been 0-for-8," Braves manager Bobby Cox said of Smoltz, who needed only 2 hours, 8 minutes to pitch his 12th career shutout. "That was awesome."

The Braves' 68-35 record is the best in club history through 103 games. They are 6-1 record against the Pirates, outscoring them 37-11 and outhomering them 12-4.

Smoltz (9-2) didn't need much help, striking out a season-high 10 and walking none in his first complete game of the season.

He so fooled the Pirates by mixing in a slider and split-finger pitch with his fastball that they didn't have a fly ball out after the fourth inning. He retired the final 10 batters, four on strikeouts and six on ground balls.

"That's the best anybody has thrown against us this year, without a doubt," said Al Martin, who was 20-for-41 lifetime against Smoltz before going 0-for-3. "You'd go up there and he'd get you out before you knew it. One guy would go up, then another and all of a sudden the game was over."

Smoltz, who didn't allow more than one hit in any inning, hadn't pitched a shutout since striking out nine in a 6-0 victory in Pittsburgh on Aug. 4.

His only worry is the recurring trouble with the right elbow injury that required surgery in December, shortly after he followed up a 24-win season in 1996 by going 15-12. He went on the disabled list two months into this season, but is 5-1 with a 2.52 ERA since being activated June 20.

"I can never feel like I'm back or the rest of the season can be injury free; I still have to face that," Smoltz said. "This is what I feel I can do almost every time I step on the mound. But, over 36 starts, you're obviously not going to do it every time."

Smoltz's 138th career victory came just one day after the 10th anniversary of his first, a 6-1 decision over the Mets on July 23, 1988.

"I felt I could throw any pitch in any count and I did. I'm just very cautious about how I'll feel," Smoltz said. "I know what I can do if I'm healthy and I have my stuff working."

Galarraga drove in all three Braves' runs, putting them ahead 1-0 in the first with a force-play grounder following Tony Graffanino's one-out double and Chipper Jones' single. Graffanino went 2-for-4 while batting second in the Braves' order for only the fourth time this season.

Galarraga's two-rn shot in the fifth off Chris Peters (4-8) was his 33rd of the season and his 30th against the Pirates, including three this season. He had a two-homer game in Pittsburgh on April 8.

His latest homer was the Braves' NL-leading 140th of the season and scored Chipper Jones, who had reached on a force play. Galarraga was in a 3-for-29 slump before hitting a 1-0 pitch into the left-field seats for his third homer in three games.

Atlanta has won three in a row and eight of 11 and leads the New York Mets by 12 ½ games in the NL East.

The Pirates, who had won six of seven and eight of 11, threatened only twice in their 10th shutout loss this season.

Kevin Young doubled to start the second and moved to third on a wild pitch, but Smoltz struck out Jose Guillen and Martin and got Keith Osik to ground out.

"If he wasn't overpowering, I don't know if we'll be overpowered all season," Pirates manager Gene Lamont said.

Pittsburgh had two on and two out in the sixth, but Young struck out on a check swing.

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