Smoltz Smokin' In Braves Return

John Smoltz pitched pretty good. His hitting wasn't too bad, either.

Smoltz returned from the 15-day disabled list and pitched six scoreless innings Tuesday night, leading the Atlanta Braves over the Colorado Rockies 7-2.

Smoltz (6-1), activated earlier in the day after being sidelined by an inflamed right elbow, gave up four hits. He walked none and struck out five.

"It looked to me like he didn't miss a beat," Atlanta manager Bobby Cox said. "He had everything going and he didn't forget how to swing the bat, either."

Cox lifted Smoltz as a precaution after the right-hander threw only 79 pitches, leaving with a 4-0 lead.

"I was very pleased to find out for myself that I could stay under control and throw all my pitches," Smoltz said.

He also didn't forget how to hit, going 2-for-3, scoring a run and driving in another.

"I just tried to tell myself to see the ball and hit it," he said. "I've got a lot of confidence in that area, too. That's what happens when you get some hits, and it really helped us win the game."

Smoltz increased his batting average to .364 (8-for-22).

"John came off pretty good," Colorado manager Jim Leyland said. "He's one of the best in the business. It looks like he picked up right where he left off."

The Rockies, 3-6 during a 10-game road trip that ends Wednesday, made four errors that led to three unearned runs. Colorado pitchers walked 11 and hit a batter.

"It should have been 12-2 instead of 7-2," Leyland said. "There's no defense for it. We had a lousy game."

Smoltz opened the third with a double off Bobby Jones (1-4) and took third when shortstop Neifi Perez bobbled Gerald Williams' grounder for an error.

Bret Boone then bounced to Vinny Castilla, but in the ensuing rundown, the third baseman missed the tag for an error. Smoltz safely returned to third, loading the bases.

Chipper Jones hi a two-run single off the left-field wall. Andruw Jones drew a two-out walk that loaded the bases again, and Brian Hunter was hit on the right foot with a pitch that scored the third run of the inning.

Smoltz added a two-out RBI single in the fifth.

Atlanta added a run in the seventh when Andruw Jones doubled with one out and scored when reliever Curt Leskanic's pickoff throw sailed into center field for an error. Hunter doubled home a run in the eighth.

Jeff Reed hit a two-run homer in the Rockies seventh off reliever Russ Springer.

Smoltz, who threw 79 pitches, was placed on the DL on May 17. He had arthroscopic surgery on the same elbow during the winter of 1997 and went on to a 17-3 record last season.

He is 18-2 in 23 starts since the 1998 All-Star break and 24-4 since Sept. 19, 1997.

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