Welcome to the Bourne Braves Official Website

Another Former Brave Makes the Big Leagues
Apr 24, 2008
Author: Mychael Urban / MLB.com

Former Bourne Brave Greg Smith (2004) made his major league debut this season. Story below from MLB.com

CHICAGO -- Under most circumstances, a rookie pitcher throwing to a catcher in his first full year as a starter against a red-hot and power-packed lineup isn't an ideal setup.
Not so for Oakland's battery of 24-year-olds, lefty Greg Smith and Kurt Suzuki, on Monday night.

Former Team USA teammates, Smith and Suzuki led the A's to a tense 2-1 victory over the White Sox in the opener of a two-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.

Smith, acquired from the Diamondbacks in an eight-player deal that sent former A's ace Dan Haren to Arizona in December, was brilliant throughout his seven innings of work to earn his first Major League win. In addition to guiding Smith through Chicago's juggernaut of an offense, Suzuki put together the first four-hit game of his career.

"He was the first guy I called after the trade," Smith said. "We played together in the fall of 2006 in a pre-Olympic qualifier down in Cuba, so we kind of formed a friendship there. It's been great to start that up again."

Against virtually everyone in the White Sox lineup not named Nick Swisher, Smith was better than great. Swisher, traded from Oakland to Chicago in January, walked and singled twice against Smith, who didn't allow a walk and scattered four hits against everyone else.

"For some reason ... I couldn't get him out tonight," Smith said of Swisher.

That's not entirely true. After singling in the third inning of a then-scoreless game, Swisher fell victim to Smith's deft pickoff move, one of two that earned him outs on the bases.

"I went on first move," said Swisher, who broke for second as Smith was throwing to first baseman Daric Barton, who pegged Swisher at second. "I didn't think there was any way they were going to try and pick me off."

Another former A's outfielder, Jermaine Dye, fell for the same move in the seventh, when the score was 2-1.

Or was it the same move?

"He has a couple of them," A's manager Bob Geren said. "High leg kick, low leg kick, fast leg kick, slow leg kick -- it's not just one."

Smith confirmed as much, and he credited the D-backs for teaching him how to keep runners honest.

"I've been able to use it a lot," he said. "I don't try to pick guys off. ... If I pick them off, fantastic, but I just try to control the running game."

Control it, he did. And Suzuki controlled him. Smith, who was presented with a bag of game balls moments before his father came into the clubhouse after the game, said his familiarity with the second-year catcher is a big part of his success thus far.

"Having him here and getting to work with him again this spring gave me kind of an extra level of comfort," said Smith, who has a 2.08 ERA in two starts. "Kurt's a great catcher."

Closer Huston Street, who converted his fourth straight save opportunity, also gave credit to Suzuki, who hung onto Carlos Quentin's foul tip for strike three and the second out of the ninth.

Two runners were on at the time, thanks to a single by Dye and a Street fastball that hit A.J. Pierzynski with one out. After plunking Pierzynski, Street took Suzuki's advice and didn't throw another heater.

"Zook said the slider was working, so tonight we just stuck with it," said Street, who used eight consecutive sliders to get Quentin and Joe Crede, who ended the game with a comebacker.

"He got his pitches over when he needed to," Geren said of Street.

A's designated hitter Mike Sweeney singled and scored on an RBI single by Suzuki in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie. Sweeney, who spent the first 13 seasons of his big league career with the Royals before signing a Minor League deal with the A's in December, also scored Oakland's second run, on an RBI single by Emil Brown in the sixth after the 300th double of Sweeney's career.

Chicago made it 2-1 in the sixth when Swisher reached base for the third time with a single, took third on a single by Orlando Cabrera and scored on a groundout by Jim Thome. A's relievers Santiago Casilla, Alan Embree and Street took it from there, allowing two hits without a walk over the final two frames.

A few minutes after Smith's father entered the clubhouse, Street asked him: "How proud were you tonight?" Street was asked a similar question about the A's, who have won eight of their past 10 games.

"We've been pitching well," he said. "Look at what Greg has done. Look at what the whole staff has done."

The A's have allowed three runs or fewer in nine of their 14 games.

Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com