Smoltz Gets 3,000th Strikeout

John Smoltz became the 16th pitcher in MLB history to attain his 3,000th strikeout. He did so last night when he struck out Washington Nationals infielder Felipe Lopez in the top of the 3rd. Smoltz struck out 10 batters in the game. However, he was handed his first loss of the season as the Nationals won the game 6-0. What makes Smoltz accomplishment so amazing was that he spent four seasons as a closer thus pitching far fewer innings. He also missed the entire 2000 season when he underwent Tommy John surgery. Smoltz has 210 wins and 154 saves. Aside from Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, no other pitcher has enjoyed that level of success both as a starter and a reliever. On top of that, Smoltz has spent his entire major league career going back to 1988 with the Braves.