Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

NL notebook

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 15, 2001

Braves rest, wait for LCS

ATLANTA -- John Smoltz leaned against the dugout railing Sunday at Turner Field, fielding questions from reporters and preparing to shag fly balls during batting practice.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals and Diamondbacks had yet to play their deciding fifth game.

"I'm kind of rooting for 21 innings and every pitcher has to pitch," Smoltz said with a grin.

The Braves, the first team to advance when they swept Houston, had to wait to find out their next opponent.

Either way, Atlanta is in the League Championship Series for the ninth time in 10 years after losing in the opening round last year.

"Compared to last year, it already feels like a much longer year," Smoltz said. "We made it past the first stage with an opportunity to still play our best baseball."

Although Smoltz has been a major part of the Braves' success in the past decade, he no longer is the dominant starter who went 12-4 in eight postseasons. He now is the closer and finished all three games against the Astros.

"I can honestly say I've enjoyed that part of it," Smoltz said. "But the series only goes as our offense and starting pitching goes, and of course, I try to do my part if given the opportunity."

BACKSTOP DILEMMA: Atlanta's starting catcher for the next round still is up in the air. Paul Bako played all 27 innings against Houston with normal starter Javy Lopez out with a sprained ankle.

Lopez's status for the rest of the playoffs is questionable, and Bako missed Sunday's workout to be with his wife, Lauri, who is about to give birth. General manager John Schuerholz said he had not heard from Bako and didn't know what his status would be for Tuesday's opener.

Lopez caught 20 minutes in the bullpen Sunday and took batting practice but said he's not sure when he will be back.

"The injury I have, they say it takes a month for it to heal," said Lopez, who hurt his ankle Sept.30. "So I've only had two weeks, and already I'm doing more than they think I should do.

"I can hit with no problem, and I can catch. But I have trouble blocking pitches and getting up to throw. I just hope the Braves go with three catchers on the roster so if I do play, we'll have Bako or Eddie (Perez) just in case something happens."

ROTATION UNCERTAIN: Braves manager Bobby Cox said starting pitcher Kevin Millwood would be on the roster announced Tuesday, but Cox said he hadn't decided on the rotation. Millwood missed the Astros series when Atlanta went with three starters.

Having three days between games allows the Braves to have Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Burkett ready to start the first three games of the next series, but the extra rest might not be good for the offense.

"We've never played real good after one day off, much less three days off," Chipper Jones said. "But it's playoff time, and hopefully, everybody will bring their 'A' game when we do get to play again."

NEW GUY: First-year Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly said his job hasn't changed much in the postseason, except that everyone's watching.

"One obvious difference is the amount of people who are willing to second-guess every decision you make," Brenly said. "But that goes with the territory, and I knew that going in."

One other difference is the way he has to keep his pitchers on a short leash.

"You don't have the luxury of allowing a guy to get back into a rhythm," Brenly said. "If he's struggling early, you really can't afford to let him go out there and continue to struggle."

NEW LOOK: Reggie Sanders batted cleanup for Arizona in Games 1 and 2. Danny Bautista hit fourth in Game 3. Greg Colbrunn had the honors in Game 4. And Steve Finley batted fourth in Game 5.

Is that the first time a team has used four cleanup hitters in a five-game series?

"I don't know," Brenly said. "We've tried to stack a lineup where we put our best on-base percentage guys ahead of our hottest hitter. Right now, Steve Finley is our hottest hitter."

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright