GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NL: NY METS (29-16) at ATLANTA (27-19)

Smoltz beats Glavine for 200th win

<h3>ATLANTA 2, NY METS 1</h3>ATLANTA (Ticker) -- John Smoltz made history on Thursday night.It was fitting that it was against good friend and old teammateTom Glavine.

Smoltz hurled seven outstanding innings to notch his 200th majorleague win and the Atlanta Braves survived a ninth-inning scarefor a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets in the rubber game oftheir three-game series.

Smoltz (7-2) and Glavine (5-2) spent the better part of 14seasons together, and along with current San Diego hurler GregMaddux, formed the nucleus of an Atlanta rotation that won 11consecutive division titles from 1991 to 2002 and the 1995 WorldSeries.

The trio - likely future Hall of Famers - have achieved a numberof staggering accomplishments. Maddux has recorded 336victories and Glavine is five wins away from winning number 300.The threesome won every Cy Young Award from 1991 to 1996 withMaddux winning four and Glavine and Smoltz one apiece.

On Thursday it was Smoltz's turn to add another one to therecord books. The 40-year-old Smoltz scattered seven hits inseven frames and struck out five without a walk en route tobecoming the first pitcher in major league history to win 200games and record more than 150 saves.

"It's a number, but it's a nice number because everybodycontributed in special ways," said Smoltz, who was converted toAtlanta's closer from 2001 to 2004 after undergoing "Tommy John"surgery prior to the 2000 campaign. "I never thought 200 waspossible. There was a situation when I felt like I'd be put in adifferent role. But I was never going to let go of the fact Iwas going to start. I believed in myself."

"I'm happy for him personally," Glavine said. "I'm not happy itcame against us and against me."

The Atlanta ace built on a dominating three-hit performance overseven scoreless innings in his last outing against the Red Sox.Smoltz hurled first-pitch strikes to 21 of 28 batters he facedand needed 101 pitches - 72 strikes - to dispatch of adangerous Mets lineup.

"It was awesome, you got two Hall of Famers on the mound," saidBraves catcher Brian McCann, who was four years old when Smoltzmade his major league debut in 1988. "I feel like I am theluckiest guy in the world. I get to play in my hometown and getto be mentored by my heroes growing up. I couldn't be in abetter situation."

Just like Glavine and Maddux before him, Smoltz recorded his200th victory at the place where the trio has made so muchhistory - Turner Field.

"All three, (Smoltz), Glavine and Maddux are a manager's dreamto have," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "It was pretty good(game) with two Hall of Famers going at it and the hometown guy,now, won."

New York's best threats against Smoltz came in the third, fourthand seventh innings.

The Mets loaded the bases with two outs in the third on hits byGlavine, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran. But with the crowd of36,660 on its feet, the 1996 Cy Young Award winner struck outDavid Wright on a disputed checked swing to end the threat.

A livid Wright remained in the game despite throwing his bat andhelmet violently to the ground and arguing the call by firstbase umpire Larry Young.

New York had a runner at third with two outs in the fourth, butAtlanta second baseman Kelly Johnson robbed Ruben Gotay of anRBI single with a spectacular diving grab.

Smoltz retired the next 10 before the Mets challenged again inthe seventh when Shawn Green and Gotay laced successive one-outsingles. But Smoltz got groundouts from pinch hitter DavidNewhan and Reyes to end the threat.

Rafael Soriano worked around a walk in the eighth and BobWickman yielded an unearned run in the ninth before retiringJose Reyes on a popout with a runner on third to notch hisseventh save for the Braves, who have taken six of nine from theMets this season.

"The script itself couldn't have been written any better," saidAtlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, who missed the game aftergetting a cortisone shot on his bruised right hand on Wednesday."We felt like it was a must win for us and it turned out to bea Smoltz-Glavine battle again."

Glavine pitched well against his former team, but once againcame out on the losing end. The southpaw surrendered two runsand five hits, walked two and struck out two in six innings torecord his 11th loss in 14 decisions against the Braves.

"The end result is hard to swallow," Glavine said. "But you haveto put it behind you. I was making the pitches I wanted to makeearly in the game. When I missed, I wasn't missing by much."

Since the southpaw joined the Mets in 2003, Glavine and Smoltzhave faced each other four times with Smoltz prevailing threetimes. Atlanta has won all four contests.

"I enjoy the challenge of going up against any great pitcher,"Glavine said. "But I can't say I like to face (Smoltz). Hekeeps winning the game."

Atlanta touched up Glavine for a run in the first and second.

Johnson singled to start the first, advanced to third on asingle by Martin Prado and scored on Jeff Francoeur's sacrificefly.

Right fielder Matt Diaz added to the cushion by smashing a389-foot homer into the Braves bullpen in right-center field togive Atlanta a 2-0 edge.