By BRENDAN MCGAIR

Sports writer

PAWTUCKET – Even though he’s penciled in to make one more rehab start – next Thursday in Syracuse for the Pawtucket Red Sox – John Smoltz feels healthy and set to join up with the Boston rotation.
Smoltz dazzled a packed McCoy Stadium (10,064) with six strong innings of one-run ball in Pawtucket’s 2-1 victory over Durham on Saturday night. The 42-year-old Smoltz, out with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, permitted one run on one hit. Throwing 74 pitches (51 strikes), Smoltz walked a pair and struck out three.
“I’m very pleased with the progress, so too with the results,” Smoltz said. “All and all I’ll ride home happy and hope the recovery goes in a positive way so that in my side session, I can pick it up where I left off.”
Smoltz cruised through the first inning on nine pitches before stumbling a bit in the second. A leadoff walk was followed by a single and a sacrifice fly that enabled the Bulls to tie the game at one. Smoltz, signed to a one-year/$5.5 million deal in January, wound up throwing 22 pitches in the second, 12 for strikes.
Smoltz retired the first two Bulls in the third before an error by Gil Velazquez and a walk prolonged matters. No damage ensued as Smoltz raced over to cover first on a chopper to Jeff Bailey.
From that point Smoltz settled in on Easy Street. He needed just nine, nine and six pitches to get through innings 4-6. A 20-year veteran of the Atlanta Braves, Smoltz retired 10 straight Bulls to close out his outing, which concluded with him doffing his cap to the appreciative crowd and shaking hands with Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson.
Smoltz mentioned Friday, the night he was originally scheduled to pitch for Pawtucket, that he wanted to attack the Durham batters as if he were toeing the rubber against big league outfits. His three previous rehab outings, Smoltz noted, were about refining pitches.
“When I get into a groove, which is what any pitcher wants, you can throw your pitches for strikes at anytime,” said Smoltz, who reached 91 mph on the McCoy radar gun. “I felt I kept (Durham) off-balance, which is the one thing you need to do (in the majors). The big thing I’ve learned is to keep making progress with an eye towards the major leagues.”
Smoltz readily admits he’s no longer a pitcher who will blow hitters away. His trek through the minors has presented him the opportunity to reinvent himself, for which Smoltz is grateful for.
“I’m going to be a different pitcher than I was in the past. I’m going to be a guy who pounds the strike zone with fastballs and accompany it with a good split,” Smoltz said. “There’s still things a hitter has to look for, and that’s the weapons you want to have when you’re in a jam.”       
That includes incorporating a change-up, a pitch Smoltz has normally shied away from in the past. “I know it’s not a pitch that I absolutely need to have, but it’s nice if the other pitches aren’t where they need to be. In the past people thought I could rely on stuff to get hitters out. I’ve been pitching for awhile. Coming back from this surgery will be no different for me. I’ll hit my spots, move it around and try to take the sting out of the bat, which is the goal of every pitcher.”
Smoltz has been using MLB-issued baseballs during his tour through the minors, and Saturday was no exception.
“More than likely I’ll go seven innings in Syracuse and hopefully that will be the last of what’s been a pretty good tune-up,” Smoltz said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better four-game stretch to get to this point.”
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EXTRA BASES: Bailey and Chip Ambres each blasted solo home runs for Pawtucket. Bailey’s came leading off the last of the first, the seventh time he’s turned the trick the past two seasons. … Fernando Cabrera nailed down the final five outs for his 11 th save in as many opportunities. He stranded two runners in each of the eighth and ninth innings. … Chris Carter was in the original lineup but wound up being a late scratch, the result of a tight hamstring. … Johnson mentioned Jonathan Van Every, currently on the disabled list with a left knee sprain, could start taking batting practice as soon as Monday. … SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research, conducted a meeting Saturday morning at McCoy in which ESPN’s Peter Gammons and Johnson were the featured speakers. … Michael Bowden looks to get back on track after three subpar outings (9.58 ERA) when he faces Durham’s Matt DeSalvo this afternoon.
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Durham    010 000 000 – 1-4-0
Pawtucket    110 000 00x – 2-3-2
Jason Cromer, Jason Childers (6), Julio DePaula (8) and John Jaso. John Smoltz, Rocky Cherry (7), Billy Traber (8), Fernando Cabrera (8) and Dusty Brown. 2B: Ray Sadler, Chip Ambres. HR: Jeff Bailey, Chip Ambres.