Article:The Tomahawk Times - Smoltz, Braves sweep away Mets with 3-1 win

ATLANTA --  John Smoltz threw five shut-out innings against Mets ace Johan Santana to earn his first win of the season, as the Atlanta Braves scored a 3-1 win over the New York Mets on Sunday.

Battling through a 3-for-23 start to the season,  Mark Teixeira collecte a pair of hits in three trips to the plate. His two-run home run off Aaron Heilman in the ninth inning provided valuable insurance that would come in handy in the bottom half.

The Mets did not go quietly in their last at-bat. Facing Braves closer Rafael Soriano, New York got an two-out RBI-single from Ryan Church to get the Mets on the board and make it a 3-1 game. Teixeira's defense shined, as a lunging grab and toss to first against Brian Schneider provided the final out in the Atlanta victory.

Smoltz (1-0) allowed just two hits and threw 78 pitches in his five innings of work, striking out six New York hitters without walking a batter. Bobby Cox made the decision to go to the pen when a knot in Smoltz's right trapezius began to the bother him.

The injury is not believed to be series, and had it not been his first start of the season, Smoltz probably would have worked his way through it. New York recieved a quality start from Santana (1-1), who allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three in seven innings against Atlanta.

On Deck: The Braves will take the show on the road, beginning a 10-game roadtrip with a four game set against the Colorado Rockies. Tom Glavine will face Aaron Cook in the opener on Monday. Game time is set for 8:35 PM EST.

''Grant McAuley covers baseball for the Atlanta Braves Radio Network. For more, click here.''