BOSTON -- John Smoltz has heard the whispers insisting that the 42-year-old is no longer equipped to get Major League hitters out coming off major shoulder surgery.

It’s tough for the future Hall of Fame pitcher to argue with the notion when the results aren’t there, and they certainly weren’t present on Sunday afternoon.

Smoltz forced his way through five innings of far-from-easy work, and saw his fastball consistently get roughed up for nine hits and six earned runs before he was finished for the afternoon in a 6-2 loss to the Orioles. Jacoby Ellsbury and Adam LaRoche each put together two-hit performances, but otherwise the Boston bats were kept in check by yet another rookie in Baltimore right-hander David Hernandez.

The defeat combined with a New York Yankees win again puts the Sox 2 ½ games back in the AL East, and leaves all kinds of questions about how much longer Smoltz will get to prove he’s still got “it”.

The Baltimore hitters were consistently on top of his 93-mph fastball and smacked line drives all over Fenway Park while dropping Smoltz to 1-4 on the season. But on the positive side, Smoltz had his best slider of the season and racked up six strikeouts – and in some ways doesn’t seem all that far away from finding himself.

With six starts under his belt since coming of the 15-day disabled list, Smoltz is looking ominously at a 7.04 ERA, though, and serious question marks linger about just how much is left in the longtime Atlanta hurler’s tank.

How high is the frustration level for a pitcher accustomed to success and accolades along with a string of zeroes up on the scoreboard?

“Pretty high,” said Smoltz. “Me saying I had good stuff and I felt good is irrelevant. I know I’m good enough to make changes. I’m a fighter and I came over here because I know the expectations are high, and my frustration is that it looks like I’m not delivering.

“One way or the other that’ll change; I can promise you that. I work at it pretty hard. I’m not a guy that has a ton of anger on or off the field when I’m pitching, but I’m grinding. People are going to all of a sudden talk about different solutions because it looks pretty bad, but I feel a lot better than I’ve looked.”

Sox manager Terry Francona, pitching coach John Farrell and the hurler himself all believe that all of the tools are there for Smoltz to have success in Boston, but the ace’s margin for error is thinner than a tight-rope wire.

While Smoltz can’t dial things up to 96-mph on his fastball as he might have during his salad days with the Braves, he should be able to get big league hitters out with well-placed 92-mph heat and a slider that’s gained power and depth over the last month.

Farrell indicated that there was no chance of Smoltz getting skipped in the rotation in favor of a youngster like Michael Bowden or swing man Justin Masterson. It’s clear the Sox are expressing patience in the certified big game pitcher with an eye toward the playoffs.

Smoltz simply has to take stock of what’s working – and consequently not working – and either turn things around or wait for the other shoe to drop if his mound struggles continue.

“His career’s not over,” said Sox manager Terry Francona. “I don’t think we look at it like that. He’s worked hard to get back and he’s a member of our club now. As results get better, I’m sure he’ll feel better. I think he’s frustrated. We want better results, certainly so does he, but there’s plenty to win (with).”

Sox management and Smoltz are saying all the right things, so all that’s left is for the storied hurler to go out and fight for his spot in Boston’s rotation.

 

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