• Goat: The Mets' Shawn Green went 3-5 and had an RBI, but came up short when he was needed most. With runners on second and third base and two outs on the scoreboard in the top of the 9th inning, Green lined out to first to end the game.
• Quotable: "It was a matchup as advertised. Both threw great. We were lucky to get more than one run off [Tom] Glavine." -- Atlanta manager Bobby Cox.
• Figure this: Smoltz earned his 194th career win and his 99th career home win.
• Elias Says: The loss left Glavine with a career 3-10 (.231) record against his former teammates and kept him nine wins shy of the 300 mark.
-- ESPN.com news services
Braves 5, Mets 3
ATLANTA (AP) -- The biggest moment for John Smoltz in his matchup
with former teammate and golfing buddy, Tom Glavine, came in the
fourth inning.
The Atlanta Braves were leading 2-1, but the New York Mets had
the bases loaded with two outs and Glavine at the plate.
Smoltz got Glavine out on a pop to third and the Braves went on
to a 5-3 win Saturday, handing the Mets their first loss of the
season.
"I honestly didn't want to face him in that situation. That's
for the rest of your life smack-talk right there," said Smoltz,
who exchanged words with Glavine following the out, but did not
reveal what he said.
It was the second time Smoltz had faced Glavine after 15 years
as teammates and golf buddies. The Atlanta right-hander also won on
July 15, 2005, but wasn't ready to give himself bragging rights.
"No. It's not necessary. I think bragging rights depend on who
wins the division and goes to the World Series," he said.
Smoltz (1-0) went six innings and allowed two runs, seven hits,
walked four and struck out four. Bob Wickman got Shawn Green to
line out to first with runners on second and third to pick up his
second save.
Glavine (1-1) pitched 5 1/3 innings and was hurt by his defense.
The left-hander gave up five runs -- two earned -- four hits, walked
three and struck out two. He fell to 3-10 against the Braves, since
signing a free agent contract with the Mets in 2003.
"It was a matchup as advertised," said Atlanta manager Bobby
Cox. "Both threw great. We were lucky to get more than one run off
Glavine."
Glavine said he never thought about the matchup with Smoltz during the game.
"When you're out there pitching and trying to win the game, it's difficult to think about that. I's a litle more difficult if it's a friend out there. But once the game starts, that's out the window," he said.
"It was vintage Glavine," said Smoltz. "We got a couple of bloop hits and there was a misplay in the outfield. If it weren't for that, we might still be playing."
It was the 194th win for Smoltz, who also has 154 saves. Glavine has 291 career wins.
Both clubs are 4-1. The Mets took the series opener Friday night 11-1.
The Braves batted around and scored three runs -- two unearned -- in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead.
Andruw Jones led off the inning with a double and went to third
on a sharp single to right by Jeff Francoeur. One out later Glavine
walked Craig Wilson to load the bases. Matt Diaz hit a sacrifice
fly to right which Green dropped.
"I just got turned around," said Green. I thought the ball was
going to break towards the line, got spun around, the wind pushed
it the other way and I still thought I had it," he said.
Reliever Pedro Feliciano came on and pinch-hitter and Chris
Woodward followed with another sacrifice fly. Another run scored
when Kelly Johnson drew a walk, loading the bases and Edgar
Renteria beat out an infield single, scoring Wilson, for the 5-2
lead.
New York got back a run in the seventh off reliever Mike
Gonzalez on an RBI single by Green, who had three hits.
The Mets tied it at 2 in the fifth on an RBI single by Carlos
Beltran, who has hit safely in all five games. His hit scored Jose
Reyes, who had walked, stolen second and gone to third on a
grounder by Paul Lo Duca. The Mets catcher gave New York a 1-0 lead
with a solo homer in the first.
The Braves went ahead 2-1 in the second on a solo homer by Diaz
off Glavine. Atlanta scored an unearned run in the first when
Johnson reached on an error by first baseman Carlos Delgado.
Glavine then walked Renteria and Andruw Jones, loading the bases
with one out before Francoeur followed with a run-scoring
groundout.
The Mets won their first four games for the first time since
1985, when they opened the season with five straight wins for their
best start ever. The Braves opened the season with a three-game
sweep over Philadelphia.
Game notes
The Mets outscored their opponents 31-3 in the first four games. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, since 1900 only one other major-league team began a season with four consecutive victories while outscoring the opposition by at least 28 runs: the 1978 Brewers. The last National League team to do that was the New York Gothams in 1884. (The Gothams became known as the Giants a year later.) ... The Mets tied a major-league record by winning their first four games of the season and allowing no more than one
run in each of those games. The 1991 White Sox and 1915 Phillies also did that.