SEASON SERIES
	May 15 May 16 May 17 Aug. 14 Aug. 15 Aug. 16	at Atlanta 5, Colorado 3 at Atlanta 6, Colorado 4 Colorado at Atlanta, 7:35pm ET Atlanta at Colorado, 9:05pm ET Atlanta at Colorado, 9:05pm ET Atlanta at Colorado, 9:05pm ET

Smoltz has not pitched since 1999 because of arm problems. He spent all of last season and the beginning of this campaign rehabilitating from elbow surgery performed on his throwing arm on March 23, 2000. He will be limited to a certain amount of pitches Thursday by Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone.

"My competitive spirit will want to win the game, but I've got to take steps to be as good as I can for the entire year," Smoltz said. "That's not going to happen real easy."

The 34-year-old righthander tore the right medial collateral ligament in spring training before the 2000 season. In 1999, he went 11-8 with a 3.19 ERA in 29 starts but was placed on the disabled list twice with a strained elbow. He is 8-3 lifetime against the Rockies in 13 appearances.

"A lot of things will be replayed in my mind," said Smoltz. "Just walking out to the mound is going to be exciting."

After taking the first two games of the series, Atlanta looks to complete its first sweep of the year.

The Rockies have dropped four straight after winning four in a row. One more loss will match the season-high five-game losing streak they suffered from April 6-April 11.

Denny Neagle (3-1, 4.07) will make his ninth start of the season for Colorado. It will be the lefthander's fifth start on the road where he is 1-1 in 25 2/3 innings. Neagle is coming off a 13-4 victory over Montreal in which he allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings.

The 32-year-old, a former Brave, is 6-4 lifetime against Atlanta but did not face the Braves last year.

Atlanta won Wednesday's game, 6-4, on a two-run homer by Chipper Jones in the eighth inning.