With 87 career rushing touchdowns, Smith needs just 13 more to reach 100.
And that seemed to provide just the bit of breathing room Smith needed.
And Smith might need to order that phone line real soon.
Still, Smith will need more than words to break down an offensive line that is one of the biggest in the league.
Smith then needed to be on top of his game to defeat Lewis 6-2 in the fifth.
He slipped trying to recover, and that was all the time Smith needed to reach first base.
Not that Smith would need to hear the order spoken.
Smith needed them, to survive; he'd said so himself.
Smith needn't have lowered his voice as they stepped outside.
Smith has plenty of raw tools and needs the work.