Cards fall to Smoltz's change in repertoire

JUPITER, Fla. -- John Smoltz saw former teammates Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux baffle hitters with soft stuff for years.

Now, Smoltz wants the changeup to be a bigger part of his own repertoire.

The Atlanta ace allowed only two hits in five shutout innings Monday, leading the Braves to an 8-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Smoltz struck out four, walked one and gave a lot of credit to the changeup he's been working on in spring training.

"The changeup is a pitch I have to have a feel for," he said. "I am looking at areas of the plate I've never looked at before. That's the biggest adjustment.

"For a long time, people knew John Smoltz could give you a fastball. Now, I think I can throw what looks like a fastball and it just misses. There's nothing better for a pitcher than to hear a batter grunt and get mad. I've watched Glavine and Maddux do it forever. The reason they are so great is they never tipped that pitch."

Mike Remlinger, Oscar Villarreal, Chris Reitsma and Anthony Lerew combined to allow one run and two hits over the last four innings in relief of Smoltz.

"What Smoltz did was so impressive," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "He didn't open any doors."

Anthony Reyes lasted four innings, allowing three runs and six hits in his second start and fourth appearance of the spring for St. Louis.

Edgar Renteria hit a solo homer in the third for Atlanta and Jeff Francoeur added a two-run shot in the fourth.

"A day like today, if you make a mistake, you don't want to leave the ball up. He did that twice for three runs," La Russa said.

Neither Albert Pujols nor Juan Encarnacion, just back from the World Baseball Classic, played for St. Louis. It's uncertain when they will make their next start.

"I like them to play when they're ready to turn the page mentally and physically," La Russa said. "They have time and they've already been working hard."

Braden Looper and Brian Falkenborg each threw a scoreless innings in relief for the Cardinals.

Falkenborg, competing for a spot in the bullpen, has not allowed a run in eight spring training appearances. He has given up five hits in 7 2-3 innings with six strikeouts.

"He throws strikes, has three pitches -- and his three pitches are major league caliber," La Russa said.

Notes: Cardinals LHP Mark Mulder made a minor league start for Memphis against Albuquerque in a Triple-A game. He threw five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, three walks and striking out three. La Russa watched the first two innings of Mulder's start before returning to the main diamond. "I think he's all right. He got his work in. I would have stayed to see the whole thing, but I wanted to see Anthony, too."

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Cardinals box score

BRAVES 8, CARDINALS 1

ATLANTA ST. LOUIS

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Jordan 1b 4 1 1 0 Eckstein ss 3 0 2 0

Reitsma p 0 0 0 0 Cruz 3b 1 0 0 0

BPena ph 1 1 1 0 Duncan rf 3 0 0 0

Lerew p 0 0 0 0 Falkenborg p 0 0 0 0

Renteria ss 3 1 2 1 Schumkr cf 0 0 0 0

TPena ss 1 1 0 1 Rolen 3b 3 0 1 0

Jones 3b 3 0 1 0 Hernandez c 1 0 0 0

Timmns 3b 0 0 0 1 Edmonds cf 2 0 0 0

Lngrhns cf 3 0 0 0 Johnson p 0 0 0 0

Crespo cf 2 0 1 2 Cali p 0 0 0 0

Diaz lf 2 1 1 0 Rodriguez ph 1 0 0 0

Ryan lf 2 0 0 0 Spiezio 1b 3 0 0 0

Francr rf 3 1 2 2 Taguchi lf-rf 3 0 1 0

Kelton rf 1 1 1 0 Molina c 2 0 0 0

McCann c 4 0 0 0 Miles ss 1 0 0 0

Orr 2b 3 0 0 0 Spivey 2b 3 0 0 0

Schrhlz 2b 1 1 1 0 Reyes p 1 0 0 0

Smoltz p 2 0 0 0 Isringhausn p 0 0 0 0

Remlingr p 0 0 0 0 Looper p 0 0 0 0

Sltlmccha ph 1 0 0 0 Gall ph-lf 1 1 0 0

Villarreal p 0 0 0 0

Jurries 1b 1 0 1 1

Totals 37 8 12 8 Totals 28 1 4 0

Atlanta 001 200 014 -- 8

St. Louis 000 001 000 -- 1

E--Johnson. DP--Atlanta 3, St. Louis 1. LOB--Atlanta 6, St. Louis 3. 2B--Renteria, Eckstein. HR--Renteria, Francoeur. SF--Timmons.

Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO

Smoltz, W 5 2 0 0 1 4

Remlinger 1 1 1 1 1 0

Villarreal 1 1 0 0 0 1

Reitsma 1 0 0 0 0 1

Lerew 1 0 0 0 1 0

St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO

Reyes, L 4 6 3 3 1 3

Isringhausen 1 0 0 0 0 1

Looper 1 0 0 0 0 1

Falkenborg 1 0 0 0 0 2

Johnson 1 1 1 1 1 1

Cali 1 5 4 4 0 0

HBP--by Cali (Timmons). WP--Johnson.

T--2:20. A--7,153.