Another Rehab Start For Smoltz

((HT: WHDH-TV))Rehabbing pitcher John Smoltz ((pictured, thanks WHDH-TV file))took another step toward returning to the Boston Red Sox.The 42-year-old right-hander tossed 3 1-3 innings for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday night, allowing one run and three hits while striking out two and throwing 60 pitches."Another rung in the ladder," he told nearly 30 reporters -- many of them from Boston -- in a cramped interview room under the stands. "My radar screen has Boston on it. As long as that's the carrot dancing in front of you, you just keep doing what you're doing."Leadoff batter Todd Donovan lined a single up the middle that had Smoltz ducking for cover, but he retired the next eight hitters before Donovan singled again in the third and scored on Adam Calderone's triple. Smoltz got the next batter on a fly to left to end the third, and the crowd of 8,903 -- a record for MerchantsAuto.com Stadium -- rose to a standing ovation, thinking he was ...