Tonight's pitchers: Guthrie vs. Smoltz

RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-9, 5.21) tonight will make his 21st start of the 2009 season, his 11th at home and his 3rd this year vs. Boston. Guthrie's last outing was Saturday at Boston. He gave up five runs in 6 2/3. In four July starts, he is 1-2, 5.62. Right-handed batters are hitting .261 against him and lefties bat .272 vs. Guthrie. He has allowed 23 homers in 115 2/3 innings on the year. He has struggled often early in his starts. Of the 71 runs he has given up this season, 35 have come in the first two innings of his starts. The O's are 8-12 when Guthrie starts, but have won four of the last six. He has recorded nine quality starts. In ten home starts, Guthrie is 4-4, 4.10. Guthrie vs. Boston: 2009: 0-1, 7.94, two starts (11 1/3IP, 16H, 10ER) Career: 1-3, 4.34, nine starts (56IP, 65H, 9 HR) RHP John Smoltz (1-4, 7.04) today makes his 7th Major League start of this season, his 3rd on the road and his 3rd this year vs. Baltimore. Smoltz, coming off right shoulder surgery from last June, did not make his first big league outing of this season until June 25th. Smoltz made six minor league rehab starts before that outing, going 1-1, 2.63 over 27 1/3 innings. Smoltz has allowed five runs or more in four of his six starts and Boston is 1-5 in his six outings. Right-handed batters are hitting .261 against Smoltz and lefties are batting .381 vs. him. Smoltz pitched twenty years (1988-2008) with Atlanta. His career record is 211-151, 3.29 in 3,426 innings, making 472 starts. He is the only pitcher in Major League history with more than 200 wins and 150 career saves. He and Dennis Eckersley are the only two pitchers ever to record both a 20-win season and a 50-save season. Smoltz is an 8-time all-star. He won the Cy Young award in 1996, going 24-8, 2.94. He is 16th on the all-time strikeouts list with 3,039. Smoltz vs. Baltimore: 2009: 0-1, 7.00, two starts (9IP, 12H, 7R-ER, 2B, 8K) Career: 1-2, 5.12, 8 games, 5 starts (31 2/3IP, 35H, 5B, 27K>