It just took one pitch to Saltalamacchia, an 89-mile-per-hour fastball the catcher smashed onto the turf beyond the center-field fence. Smoltz’s night was done, his outing washed away by three home runs and four runs in the sixth inning, leaving the Sox flailing in a 6-3 loss at the Ballpark at Arlington in front of 28,916.
The details were stark: Home run by Young, double by Josh Hamilton, strikeout of former teammate Andruw Jones, line single by Hank Blalock, strikeout of Marlon Byrd, home run by Murphy, home run by Saltalamacchia. It was the first time in 15 years, since the first inning June 19, 1994, against the Reds, that he had allowed at least three homers in the same inning, having given up four that day. It also marked the first time since June 8, 1997, he had allowed three homers in a game. That was it for Smoltz, that one pitch to Saltalamacchia, about five batters too late.
“I’m trying my best to not get frustrated over the results, but they do frustrate me because I felt like the game was well in hand,’’ said Smoltz, who dropped to 1-3 with a 6.31 ERA. “One pitch I’d like to have back, but at the end of the day I gave up six runs. Shake my head, and battle. It’s unacceptable.’’
But the pitch to Murphy, on which Smoltz slipped, was the one that haunted him. The one that left him lamenting his outing, and predicting an uneasy night.
“I hit the side of the mound and I pulled the fastball in,’’ Smoltz said. “It was supposed to go away and he golfed it. You’ve got to tip your hat to him. Certainly not the pitch I wanted to make. The two-out runs are getting a little bit on my nerves. I feel like each time that there is two outs I’m making the pitches I need to make, but today in this ballpark, and the way they hunt the fastball, I felt like I made pitches all the way up until that last spot with two outs.
“Two-run home run was the backbreaker for me.’’
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