by Ken Rosenthal

One Sox official envisions Smoltz as a vintage, late-career Curt Schilling, only with a slightly better breaking ball. Except for the first inning, in which Smoltz got caught up in the moment, fell out of rhythm and allowed four runs, he displayed more weapons than Schilling had near the end.

"I thought he had plenty of stuff," pitching coach John Farrell said after the Sox's 9-3 loss to the Nationals. "There was some emotion wrapped up in that first inning. It caused him to elevate some balls. But the velocity he showed, the assortment of pitches, the ability to execute was as good or better than we anticipated."

Here's the best part for the Red Sox, who next visit Smoltz's former club, the Braves (Saturday, MLB on Fox, 4:10 p.m.):

They do not need Smoltz to be the pitcher he once was. They have time. They have alternatives. And, lest anyone forget, they have the best record in the American League.

Virtually every other club is short on starting pitching, but the Red Sox had no problem waiting until June 25 for Smoltz to make his return from shoulder surgery. They will not even have a problem if he turns out to be less than they expect, and as long as he stays healthy, the chances of that appear slim.

John Smoltz threw 92 pitches in Thursday's loss. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)

"Obviously, he didn't have his great fastball. Obviously, he didn't have his great command that he probably is accustomed to having," said the Nationals' Adam Dunn, who twice struck out on sliders. "I know he's going to be so much better, so good for those guys."

Smoltz's fastball was 92-93 mph, peaking at 94. His slider command was off at times, but overall he was satisfied with its movement. His split-fingered fastball was sharp enough that he wondered afterward how the Nationals fouled off some of those pitches.

His velocity still might climb. His command should only improve. Smoltz is 42, for heaven's sake. He underwent major surgery just over a year ago. The Braves feared that he again would break down, and did not seem terribly displeased when he bolted for Boston. Their vindication, if it comes, will have to wait.

In his postgame news conference, Smoltz recalled two other disappointing starts that followed long, emotional buildups — a three-inning effort against the Rockies on May 17, 2001, after he missed the entire 2000 season following elbow surgery; and a 1 2/3-inning mess against the Marlins on April 5, 2005 in his return to the starting rotation after three-plus years as a closer.

His 34-pitch first inning Thursday night amounted to a startling case of deja vu, but Smoltz opened his remarks by saying, "I can't be disappointed ... I'm very encouraged with how good I can be."

"When you go through this process, everyone wants to come out throwing great," he continued. "I threw so many quality pitches I was pleased with. I know within a matter of a few starts I'll be honed in to where I want to be."

If Smoltz performs only at the level of a No. 4 starter and contributes in the postseason, the Red Sox's offseason strategy of signing physically questionable players to low-risk, high-reward contracts will look even shrewder.

Rather than spend $161 million on CC Sabathia and $82.5 million on A.J. Burnett, the Sox invested $5.5 million in Smoltz and $5 million in Brad Penny, giving both the opportunity to earn more through incentives. They also signed reliever Takashi Saito and outfielder Rocco Baldelli to similar, less expensive deals.

The Sox were in a less urgent position than the Yankees with their starting pitching; they already had two top-of-the-rotation starters, Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, a reasonable facsimile of a third, Daisuke Matsuzaka and a potential ace-in-waiting, Clay Buchholz.

Naturally, not everything has gone according to plan; Beckett and Lester struggled early and Matsuzaka went on the disabled list with a shoulder strain. The Sox, for all their depth, are only 12th in the league in rotation ERA. But that statistic is a small-sample aberration, not an indication of underlying weakness.

For every potential problem, the Sox offer a potential solution. Like Smoltz, Tim Wakefield is an age/injury risk; he already has pitched 88 2/3 innings, and might not get beyond 120 to 140 at age 42 without suffering renewed shoulder problems. Not to worry: Buchholz, who has a 1.93 ERA in 74 2/3 innings at Class AAA, is ready to make an impact in the second half. Matsuzaka will be out for a while, but not forever.

If necessary, the Red Sox could even add a starter, or upgrade in other areas. They are "way under budget," according to one club official, and the resurgence of designated hitter David Ortiz, improved defense of shortstop Nick Green and looming return of shortstop Jed Lowrie have — for now — temporarily eased the team's biggest crises.

Meanwhile, the Sox's bullpen is so deep, the club are perfectly open to trading Saito, whose swing-and-miss percentage entering Thursday night was higher than closer Jonathan Papelbon's. Saito, 39, is earning $2.5 million, and his contact includes a series of roster and appearance bonuses. The Sox would pay a healthy percentage of those to get a better prospect.

Thus, in the big picture, John Smoltz is a very small cog — and yet, he's still John Smoltz. Wandering around the stands Thursday night, Smoltz's former boss in Atlanta, Nationals president Stan Kasten, mused that Smoltz could pitch five more years if he had only a knuckle-ball.

He has more than a knuckle-ball.

He is, as always, impossible to count out.