Smoltz shelved by ailing shoulder

John Smoltz felt tightness in his right shoulder and missed his start. Pedro Martinez was pain-free, and it appears that he won’t be under a pitch count heading into the regular season.

The Atlanta Braves sat Smoltz against the Indians at Kissimmee, Fla., on Friday, but the veteran said he would have pitched through the pain if the game counted.

“I’m not worried,” Smoltz said. “It’s not worth taking any chances right now. I’m smart enough to realize that you don’t pitch through it now. You pitch through it during the season.”

In Port St. Lucie, Fla., Martinez gave up two runs and five hits in five innings, and David Wright hit a two-run homer in the Mets’ 8-2 win over the Nationals.

Mets manager Willie Randolph doesn’t expect to have Martinez on a pitch count this season.

“It depends on how he feels,” Randolph said. “This year he feels strong, he’s not even icing a lot. I’m not going out there with a 90-pitch thing. Besides with Pedro, when he gets to smelling it at the end of the game, he’s not going to come out just because of how many pitches he’s thrown.”

Smoltz said he felt the stiffness in the back of his shoulder while throwing on the side Wednesday. Braves manager Bobby Cox said Smoltz wanted to make the start against the Indians despite the discomfort.

“He’s been pitching super. There’s no reason to push it,” Cox said. “We’ll see what happens.”

When asked if Smoltz might open the season on the disabled list, Cox said, “I don’t think so.”

Cox confirmed Friday he plans for Tim Hudson to make the season-opening start March 30 at Washington. Smoltz had been expected to start the March 31 home opener against Pittsburgh, but the Braves have an off day on April 1 and won’t need a fifth starter until April 6 – the last game of a three-game series against the Mets.

Indians 6, Braves 4

At Kissimmee, Fla., C.C. Sabathia gave up three runs in the first three innings and then settled down, allowing only one hit in his final three frames.

Yankees 2, Rays 1

At Tampa, Fla., Morgan Ensberg was hitless in four at-bats and then was added to New York’s 40-man roster, a key step in making the Yankees’ opening day roster.

Reds 5, Pirates 1

At Bradenton, Fla., Cincinnati opening-day starter Aaron Harang limited Pittsburgh to four singles over six shutout innings in his next-to-last spring start.

D’backs 9, Dodgers 8

At Tucson, Ariz., Randy Johnson allowed three runs and five hits in 32â3 innings, and Arizona got a pair of three-run homers by Chris Snyder and a two-run shot by Justin Upton.

Giants 4, White Sox 3

At Scottsdale, Ariz., Barry Zito turned a rough spring into a promising season in one outing, pitching 52â3 scoreless innings for San Francisco. Chicago’s Gavin Floyd allowed two runs and six hits in six innings.

Blue Jays 5, Tigers 3

At Lakeland, Fla., Detroit’s Dontrelle Willis gave up five runs and seven hits with four walks in 31â3 innings, and manager Jim Leyland expressed concern about the consistency of his delivery. Gary Sheffield and Ivan Rodriguez both homered for the Tigers.

Cardinals 7, Orioles 4

At Jupiter, Fla., St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright allowed four earned runs and nine hits in 42â3 innings with a strikeout and a walk.

Rockies 7, Cubs 3

At Tucson, Ariz., Mark Redman made a strong statement as he tries to make the Colorado rotation, allowing two runs and seven hits in six innings.

Phillies 3, Twins 2

At Fort Myers, Fla., Adam Eaton allowed a run and pitched into the sixth inning for Philadelphia.

Marlins 8, Astros 3

At Kissimmee, Fla., Andrew Miller allowed two runs and six hits in 52â3 innings for Florida.

Brewers 4, Padres 3

At Phoenix, Dave Bush bounced back from a shaky start to pitch five solid innings, and Ryan Braun hit a three-run homer.