* * * Savannah Morning News • Saturday, June 19, -1999 - 7 F
National League Minor League
Innings have i
now
caught up
with Smoltz a pain on opposing
By Donald Heath .
. He has been instrumental in.help'-. The Bats didn't get another hit
Savannah Morning News ' ing Greensboro extend its winning until the seventh, but in the same
Savannah Morning News streak to 12 and finally make its way period. Savannah managed only two:
Scott Wiggins is taking a step back- back to the .500 mark at 35-35. . In the seventh, Greensboro used
PHOENIX — John Smoltz knows ward in hopes of taking a leap for- "(Wiggins) struggled at first, but three extra-base hits to doubled its
pain. ward. - he's been coming around," said Bats' run production and go ahead 6-1.
Boy, does he ever, " A year ago, the Greensboro Bats manager Stan Hough. "He made In the ninth, .Teuris Olivares
Atlanta's right-hander has pitched left-hander was further up the New about three or four starts in extend- • matched Novak's home run. •
with his elbow throbbing to varying York Yankees'organizational ladder, ed spring training and now he's here "It's taken'some time to get some
degrees for much of his career/some playing in Tampa of the high Single givjng^is a lift." .consistency, but better, late : than •
pitches not too painful, others bring- A Florida State League. Pitching coach Steve Webber says never," said Hough, whose squad has
ing tears to his eyes. ^Ut Wiggins' painful shoulder ' the Bats watch for signs of problems, 29 hits and 22 .runs in thefirsttwo
Even now, as he worked Friday needed surgery. Ten months after from the tender pitcher.. games of the four-game set witht
night in the opener of a three-game surgery, the 23-year-old Newport, Ky., -'"We're keeping- an eye on him to Savannah. . -r
series against the Arizona resident is throwing without pain, - see if he's tiring or if he's starting to NOTE: Novak earned the Batter of
Diamondbacks, the surprise leader biit with an 85-pitch count in the low labor, but.we didn't see any of that," the Week, announced by Howe'
in the National League West, he was- A South Atlantic League. . Webber said; r •..-... Sportsdata for the week of June 1J,
n't certain what to expect from an " Friday, he struck out six. and: . In fact, Wiggins left after striking 17. Novak batted 381 in sfx games
elbow that's undergone two opera- allowed only three hits, leading the out Travis Hafner in the" sixth. with three home runs and nine RBI.
tions in the past four years. ' Bats to a 7-2 victory over the Wiggins had just thrown his 84th
In his last start against the Orioles, Savannah Sand Gnats. pitch and the outing lowered his
he. lasted only 21/3 innings in a 22-1 A crowd of 4,945 fans in Grayson earned run average to 1.97. • GREENSBORO SAVANMAH
ab r h bi
debacle and was seen grimacing in Stadium bad little to cheer about 'Despite having its league-leader Bfti»n I 5 0 2 3 Harris ct 3 0 00
the bullpen while warming up. Was Otvresu
until the post-game fireworks.. in earned run average on the mound. SeaM3l>- 5 2 3 1 Ononesss 3 0 0 Q 1 4
1f
1 1
0 a- -
he experiencing pain in his elbow? Greensboro picked up three runs in Savannah couldn't match the pitch- Giconlb 4 0 0 0 K«M2b S O I I Hafner dh 40 o
Yes. Did he admit afterward that his the second inning and pulled away ing success. All-Star right-hander Rhpdwr T 3 0 1 0 OfcvteH 4 o-
4 o o•
elbow was bothering him? No. with three more in the seventh. Travis ' Hughes -struggled and WslingHdh EUoodc
2 0
t 2 « Mrcrte.ib
Nov*rl : 2
4 0\
Smoltz, who has won seven of nine Only an error by Bats' second allowed nine hits and six runs in 8 O 3 . 2 1 0 ' Cttnerfcab 3 0 0 0
Sienkoc 3 000
decisions with a 3.47 ERA this sea- baseman Scott Kidd could aid the 2/3 innings as his ERA ballooned to
son, got his fastball up to 94 niph Gnats in scoring a run in the fourth 2 . 4 7 . Totals 37-713 7 Tot* 31 2 S I
. ' . •• • . ; . • . • . . Gratntbora .i .-•. ..030000 301 7
against the Orioles, but it's his slider inning. John Novak's monstrous ; In the second inning, Hughes may Swmnih ......;.. 000100 IPO 2
• John B&remore/The Associated Press '
that strains his elbow. After Sunday's home run to left-center accounted Have deserved better. With two outs, E Metah, Kidd. Hughes. DP Greensboro 1. Sa-
game, he stayed behind in Atlanta to. Braves' starting pitcher John Smoltz has had two operations on Ns for Savannah's second run in the sev- Dion Washington reached on anvannah 2. LOB Grwrebbro87. Savamah 6No-"
B.Brwm2. Otfcvaere. Kidd 3 Seabol. HR
2B. ..
visit with club ortEopedist Dr. Joe pitching elbow bi the last four years. ' '-.; . .' * enth. ' . . - infield single, stole second and went Oarjcan.CS vak (4)..0trvares (3). SB - -Ofvares 2. Washincfoh. -
Chandler, who checked out his elbow . ' ^Wiggins and reliever -Chris- to third on a wild pitch and then Gwtnsboro Quhones. ~
IP. H Eft BB S O '
and assured him nothing was wrong- • •Spurting scattered five hits and scored on Brad Elwood's infield sin- Wiggins W,?0 Spurting S,5
5'J 3 0 } . 6-•
Vi 1 7' 3 '
Yet, the jjain persists* and Smoltz out seasons, He uses a changeup reg- erratic knuckleball. never more than one in an inning. gle. Savannol) IP • H ER BB SO
Hughes L.4S 6 3 1
wonders how long his elbow will ularly now and despite the strain on Sporting a pitch he developed sev- "I'm still trying to get in the After another single; right-handed Frey 0 0 1
hold up. He hardly threw at all his elbow, his slider. remains a eral years ago while the Braves', groove," said Wiggins, who was mak- Billy Brown was late on a pitch, but Rosoda- 1 0 1 '
between starts and he'll continue to w e a p o n . ••.'..' * . .- starting second baseman, Lemke ing just his fourth start after joining punched a double down the right-
: HBP Green (by Hughes). WP Hughe* 2 T
limit his throwing, trying to conserve "IVe learned now with my elbow pitched the ninth inning of the the team three weeks ago. • field line, scoring two to make it ^56 A 4.945.
as much strength in his arm as possi- situation that an out is an out," he. Jackals' 14-4 victory over the
ble. But regardless of the precau- said! "(Early in mycareer) I threw Adirondack Lumberjacks of the
10ns he takes, he knows there's a way too many pitches. I didnt know independent Northern League. American League
^ood chance that sooner or later he's how to put a guy away." Lemke gave up one hit and one
. going back on the disabled list to rest :
It's ironic that now that he's a com- run in his • professional pitching
his elbow and allow the infiamma.-
tion to calm down.
plete pitcher; the winningest pitcher debut. He would have made i l
in .the majors over the last three . through the inning unscathed but for Strawbeny suspension slated to run though Aug. 11
This is Smolte's 11th full season in years, his elbow limits him in the three .wild pitches, the first allowing
the major leagues and during that same'way his lack of experience a batter he had struck out to reach Th« AssocMed Pre$s A p r i l 2 4 - •••; ' " "A-lot of people had secondi third
period he's pitched' nearly 2,300 once did. first base. -..-.'• "I'm just happy there may be a chances. Why not him?" Yankees
innings. That's a ton of pitches and "Lemmer just had nasty stuff out NEW YORK — Darryi . light at the end of-the tunnel for designated hitter Chili Davis said.
it's natural to. wonder, how many Ex-Brave tank* makes : there tonight,"' Jackals catcher D.C. Strawberry's suspension ft-om base- : Darryl," New York Yankees manager "Steve Howe had 29.00Q chances." »
more pitches he has in his ami. Olsen said. "He has worked so hard ball will run through Aug. 11, com- Joe Torre said . ' ' '. Because of his ailing left knee.
"Maybe I can pitch another four or minor league pitching debut to get to this point. I was really proud missioner Bud Selig said Friday in a The 37-year-old Strawberry, who Strawberry will need several weeks
five years," he said. of him, the way he handled himself decision that allows the outfielder to has repeatedly found himself in in the minor leagues to rehabilitate;
Maybe not He's 32 and the state of LITTLE FALLS, N J . - - Former out there. ' . " • return for the season's final 71/2 alcohol, drug and tax trouble since meaning the best-case scenario is
his elbow has forced him to become Atlanta Braves inflelder Mark "He has. come such a long way in weeks. . ' .. 1987, could return slightly sooner, probably a return to the majors
a more resourceful pitcher, which Lemke made his minor-league pitch- getting his knuckleball over, spotting Strawberry's suspension will total with Selig saying he will review the sometime around Sept. 1, when
.isn't a bad thing. He's not all about ing debut Friday night with the New his fastball, and i n all aspects of 120 days, retroactive to/his April 14 situation July 22 because of "mitigat- active rosters expand from 25 to 40. „
power anymore, as he was earlier in Jersey Jackals, uncorking three wild knowing.what a pitcher needs to do arrest in Tatnpa, Fla. Selig had sus- ing health factors." He did riot elabo^
his career when he four 200-8trike- pitches but 8triking,out two.-yrith an out there," OLsen said. . . pended Strawberry indefinitely on ' r a t e . •' • " • • . - : • • • . • . . • • .- :
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