By Rob Rossi
TRIBUNE-REVIEW 
Wednesday, August 2, 2006

To be sure, these Braves are not on par with the clubs that dominated the National League East division from 1991 through 2005.

Those teams won 14 divisional titles, five league pennants -- two at the heartbroken expense of the Pirates -- and a World Series.

Following a 4-2 win over the Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park, these Braves are 49-56 and barely in contention for the wild card spot.

Still, this Atlanta team and its glorious predecessors have one thing, err, man in common.

That would be John Smoltz -- and last night the veteran with 186 wins and 154 saves to his major-league credit was up to his old tricks.

"We got beat by a great pitcher, that's what this boils down to," said manager Jim Tracy of Smoltz, who has not lost a decision since June 13.

Over seven strong innings last night, Smoltz allowed just an earned run on six hits while fanning six Pirates.

He threw 69 of 99 pitches for strikes in a performance that harkened back to the National League Championship Series battles between these franchise in 1991 and 1992.

"It was typical John Smoltz," said Freddy Sanchez, who is batting .344 after going 1 for 4 with a double. "He kept us off-balance with everything. When a pitcher like him does that, he's almost never going to lose."

Smoltz has now won five of his past six starts. He is 9-5 with a 3.45 ERA.

Ian Snell owned nine wins prior to last night. He now can call his own seven losses, though his latest defeat was of the hard-luck variety.

The Pirates' 24-year-old right-hander was at times dominating. He matched a career high with 10 strikeouts.

However, Snell had great difficulty with two Atlanta batters -- Marcus Giles and Adam LaRoche.

Against Snell, Giles was 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. All three of his hits were doubles.

LaRoche hit solo homers twice off Snell, once in the third and again in the sixth.

"I made a few mistakes and it cost me," said Snell, who is 9-7 with a 4.66 ERA and a team-leading 110 strikeouts. "The first one to LaRoche was a fastball that tailed back inside. The second was a changeup that did nothing. It stayed straight and he got it.

"Other than that, though, I kept my team in the game."

Tracy was pleased with Snell's outing.

"He was very good," Tracy said. "He went out and kept us in the game against one of the better pitchers in baseball."

New acquisition Xavier Nady started at first base and went 1 for 4.

Chris Duffy, recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday, went 0 for 4 at the plate, but made a strong throw to second following a single by Brian McCann to get the Braves' catcher in the sixth.

Freedom's Josh Sharpless, also recalled Monday, worked a scoreless eighth frame.

The Pirates had won five in a row.