on the clutch watch

Every game is big now in the big leagues. Contending teams are counting on clutch performances, such as the one Paul Maholm delivered for Atlanta on Friday night. The former Mississippi State standout threw 5 1/3 shutout innings — why oh why was he pulled? — to propel the Braves to a 3-0 win over the New York Mets, Atlanta’s third straight shutout. News flash: The Braves actually gained a game on Washington in the National League East, now sitting 6 ½ back. Maholm is 3-3 with a 3.48 ERA in seven starts for the Braves. That’s clutch. … Ole Miss product Seth Smith went 2-for-5 on Friday to help Oakland beat Seattle (and the great Felix Hernandez), halting a three-game skid. The A’s are still in the hunt in the American League West, 4 1/2 games behind Texas. Smith is 6-for-16 in September. Clutch. … Desmond Jennings, the former Itawamba Community College star, is hitting .300 with eight runs scored in his last 10 games for Tampa Bay, which is lurking just 2 games off the pace in the AL East. … The Chicago White Sox are clinging to a 1-game edge in the AL Central, and Jackson native Donnie Veal has played an unsung role. The lefty reliever has put up a 1.08 ERA in 12 appearances. … Northwest Rankin, Meridian CC and MSU alumnus Tyler Moore hasn’t gotten a lot of playing time for the first-place Nationals of late. The right-handed hitting slugger is 4-for-20 since Aug. 13. … Former Bulldogs star Mitch Moreland is batting just .200 over his last 10 games for Texas. … Since being moved to the bullpen in St. Louis, Ole Miss product Lance Lynn is 0-2 and has yielded five runs in six innings over five appearances. He took the loss Friday after giving up a 13th-inning homer to Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun. The Cardinals are 8 ½ games back of Cincinnati in the NL Central. … The Reds have been without ex-UM star Zack Cozart, their regular shortstop, since Sept. 3 because of a lingering back problem.