Jason Schmidt

For years, baseball scouts have drooled over Jason Schmidt's right arm and proclaimed that if he ever put it all together - watch out. Pitching in the biggest game of his career last night, Schmidt showed just how dominant he can be as he manhandled the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium. The hard-throwing 29-year-old held the second-best hitting team in the NL to four hits and a run over 7 2/3 innings, and shortstop Rich Aurilia provided all the offense that was needed with a pair of home runs as the San Francisco Giants prevailed, 4-1, and headed back to the city by the bay with a whopping two-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven series.

To those who didn't know him, Jason Schmidt might have appeared rough around the edges. "He was tattooed from head to toe," Susan Thomas, a close family friend, said Thursday. "But he was very loving and a good guy. " Schmidt, 31, of Jacobus, York County, Pa., was identified as the man who fell to his death Wednesday inside an empty water tower in Lower Providence Township. A coworker, identified Thursday as Miguel Martinez, 38, of Penns Grove, N.J., spent three hours suspended in midair by his safety harness inside the tower until he was saved in a dramatic rescue.

John Smoltz's first start in nearly 4 years ranked with the worst of his career. Juan Encarnacion hit a grand slam to cap a five-run first inning, Smoltz lasted only five outs and Carlos Delgado had four hits in his Florida debut to lead the Marlins over the visiting Atlanta Braves, 9-0, yesterday in their opener. Smoltz, making the transition from All-Star closer back to the rotation, threw 65 pitches and gave up seven runs, six of them earned. A Marlins-record crowd of 57,405 taunted him with tomahawk chops as he left the game, his ERA 32.40.

John Vander Wal isn't sure why he's become so proficient at pinch-hit home runs. He hit the 17th of his career in the eighth inning last night as host San Francisco beat Atlanta, 4-1, and stopped the Braves' four-game winning streak. "I guess it's a lot of at-bats," Vander Wal said of his off-the-bench success. "I don't know if there's any secret. I've been doing it a long time. " Vander Wal, acquired by the Giants on July 30 from Pittsburgh along with winner Jason Schmidt (9-7)

Livan Hernandez was traded by the Washington Nationals to the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday for a pair of minor league pitchers. Hernandez, 31, is 9-8 this season with a career-high 5.34 ERA in 24 starts. The righthander has been hampered by a sore knee for most of the season but had the latest in a string of strong outings Sunday, allowing two runs over seven innings at San Diego. "Obviously it's tough to trade a Livan," Washington general manager Jim Bowden said. "We love Livan, but we're not here to win tomorrow.

Jeff Bagwell went on the disabled list yesterday for the first time in seven seasons, an ominous setback in his battle with a degenerative shoulder condition. Bagwell, who turns 37 this month, missed only 12 games over the past three seasons despite arthritis in his right shoulder. But playing has become too painful, the Houston Astros first baseman said. "I just don't have the arm strength to get the ball to the infielders during warmups or get the bat head to the ball," he said.

Ivan Rodriguez circled the bases pumping his fist, then pointed at the jubilant, towel-twirling crowd before he crossed the plate. That was in the first inning after Rodriguez's two-run homer. Nearly 4 hours later, he found himself in the middle of an even bigger celebration. The catcher nicknamed "Pudge" lined a two-run single with two outs in the 11th inning yesterday to cap a comeback by the Florida Marlins, who beat San Francisco 4-3 and took a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five National League Division Series.

Jason Schmidt's phenomenal season is a product of his playoff experience last fall, when he emerged as the biggest star of a pitching staff that really had none. These days, Schmidt is the San Francisco Giants' unquestioned ace - and he gave the young Florida Marlins a taste of tough postseason pitching. Schmidt pitched the Giants' first playoff shutout in 16 years, throwing a three-hitter for a 2-0 victory in Game 1 of their National League Division Series yesterday. "I felt like I learned a lot more in the last two games of the World Series than I did my whole career," said Schmidt, who has allowed just seven runs in his last four postseason outings.

Free-agent closer Ugueth Urbina and the Detroit Tigers reached agreement on a $3.5 million, one-year deal yesterday that reunited him with former Florida catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Cut loose by the Marlins after they won the World Series, Urbina took his time choosing a new team. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Minnesota and San Francisco were among several clubs that talked to him, and he also attracted interest in Japan. Urbina will get $3 million this season. There is a club option for $4 million in 2005 with a $500,000 buyout.

Kevin Millwood is back, and so are the Atlanta Braves. Millwood allowed only three hits in six innings and the Braves evened their best-of-five National League Division Series with San Francisco at one game apiece, beating the Giants, 7-3, last night. Filling in for Greg Maddux, Millwood earned his first postseason win since 1999 with a dominating performance, which neatly summed up his recovery from two dismal seasons. "I was real fired up," Millwood said. "I knew this was a big game for us. We definitely didn't want to go to San Francisco down two games.

To those who didn't know him, Jason Schmidt might have appeared rough around the edges. "He was tattooed from head to toe," Susan Thomas, a close family friend, said Thursday. "But he was very loving and a good guy. " Schmidt, 31, of Jacobus, York County, Pa., was identified as the man who fell to his death Wednesday inside an empty water tower in Lower Providence Township. A coworker, identified Thursday as Miguel Martinez, 38, of Penns Grove, N.J., spent three hours suspended in midair by his safety harness inside the tower until he was saved in a dramatic rescue.

Lefthander Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants reached a preliminary agreement yesterday on the largest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, a $126 million, seven-year deal. The lefthander is joining the Giants three weeks after the club came to terms on a $16 million, one-year contract with slugger Barry Bonds for a 15th season. Zito's father, Joe, and the pitcher's publicist, Kathy Jacobson, confirmed the deal. The Giants were waiting for Zito to take a physical today before making it official.

Free-agent pitcher Jason Schmidt and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a three-year contract worth $47 million, ESPN.com reported last night. The team has been in the market for a starting pitcher, especially after losing Greg Maddux to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Schmidt, 33, was the Giants' lone all-star this season, going 11-9 with a 3.59 ERA. He pitched 213 1/3 innings in 2006, the third time in four years he went over the 200-inning mark In Los Angeles, Schmidt would join a rotation that includes righthander Derek Lowe (16-8, 3.63 ERA)

Russell Martin homered to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat San Francisco, 1-0, last night after Greg Maddux and Jason Schmidt matched zeros for eight innings. Martin drove a 1-0 pitch from Vinnie Chulk (0-1) over the fence in leftfield for his sixth homer. Takashi Saito (5-2) intentionally walked Barry Bonds with one out and nobody on in the top of the 10th, then retired Moises Alou and Shea Hillenbrand. Bonds was 0-for-3 with a walk, extending his home-run drought to 25 at-bats since hitting his 723rd on Aug. 4 against Colorado.

Livan Hernandez was traded by the Washington Nationals to the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday for a pair of minor league pitchers. Hernandez, 31, is 9-8 this season with a career-high 5.34 ERA in 24 starts. The righthander has been hampered by a sore knee for most of the season but had the latest in a string of strong outings Sunday, allowing two runs over seven innings at San Diego. "Obviously it's tough to trade a Livan," Washington general manager Jim Bowden said. "We love Livan, but we're not here to win tomorrow.

Brad Penny has had a rough time since he started the All-Star Game for the National League. He took a big step toward turning it around last night. Penny pitched six sharp innings and drove in a run to help the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-3, last night for their fifth straight victory. Penny (11-5) snapped his three-game losing streak and won for the first time since July 5 against Arizona. He allowed two runs and three hits, walked two and struck out six. "He threw hard," Ken Griffey Jr. said.

Albert Pujols' record-tying 13th home run in April did nothing to bolster the spirits of the St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols hit his 13th home run in the month, but Nick Johnson and Ryan Zimmerman homered in the first inning to help the visiting Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-3, last night. Pujols' drive in the eighth inning came off a 2-0 pitch from Felix Rodriguez and matched the mark shared by Ken Griffey Jr. in 1997 with Seattle and Luis Gonzalez in 2001 with Arizona.

Albert Pujols became the first player in major league history to hit 30 home runs in each of his first five seasons, helping the St. Louis Cardinals end John Smoltz's eight-game winning streak with an 11-3 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves last night. Pujols hit a two-run shot in the first for his 190th homer since breaking in with the Cardinals in 2001. His total of 160 homers over the first four seasons is second behind Ralph Kiner's 168 from 1946 to '49. His five-year total is tied for second with Eddie Mathews, 25 behind Kiner.

Jeff Bagwell went on the disabled list yesterday for the first time in seven seasons, an ominous setback in his battle with a degenerative shoulder condition. Bagwell, who turns 37 this month, missed only 12 games over the past three seasons despite arthritis in his right shoulder. But playing has become too painful, the Houston Astros first baseman said. "I just don't have the arm strength to get the ball to the infielders during warmups or get the bat head to the ball," he said.

John Smoltz's first start in nearly 4 years ranked with the worst of his career. Juan Encarnacion hit a grand slam to cap a five-run first inning, Smoltz lasted only five outs and Carlos Delgado had four hits in his Florida debut to lead the Marlins over the visiting Atlanta Braves, 9-0, yesterday in their opener. Smoltz, making the transition from All-Star closer back to the rotation, threw 65 pitches and gave up seven runs, six of them earned. A Marlins-record crowd of 57,405 taunted him with tomahawk chops as he left the game, his ERA 32.40.