Johnson strong in Silver Sox win

RENO - The first-place Reno Silver Sox weren't about to let one bad game against the Yuma Scorpions on Thursday turn into a bad game against the San Diego Surf Dawgs on Friday.

The Sox got some spark from some new blood and some old in beaching the Surf Dawgs, 6-1, in front of an announced crowd of 2,367 at Peccole Park to improve to 26-15.

New acquisition James Shanks went 3-for-4, with one RBI and one run, rookie pitcher James Johnson won his first game for the Sox, going seven innings, and All-Star Doug Gredvig helped put the game on ice with a two-run home run in the eighth inning.

The Surf Dawgs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on left fielder Scott Goodman's RBI-single, but the 27-year-old Shanks, of Augusta, Ga., drove in third baseman Edgar Varela with a second inning double to tie it.

Originally drafted in the 20th round in 1998, and recently released by Albuquerque, the Marlins' Triple-A affiliate, Shanks said he's trying to make a quick impact for the Silver Sox.

"I'm basically doing what I can to help the team and get on base and score runs," Shanks said. "Our hitting coach Rafael (Melchione) has been working with me on different things. I'm trying to stay back and try to drive the ball more. I was trying to do too much. He's been working on some things to help me hit the ball well, hit it hard."

And Shanks did that to good effect against the Surf Dawgs, adding a pair of singles later in the game. Showing the same kind of speed that defined the recently departed Victor Hall, Shanks stole second base following his hit in the sixth.

"I had the green light," said Shanks, who didn't end up scoring that inning. "I want to use my speed to get in scoring position for the guys behind me, so we can put pressure on the defense."

Silver Sox manager Les Lancaster said he liked Shanks' all-around play.

"He's starting to do well, like we thought he would," Lancaster said. "He's got great speed and he's a smart hitter. When he bunts, he can make the pitcher go crazy."

But it was Sox pitcher Johnson who was making San Diego's batters go crazy. Starting his fourth game for Reno, Johnson, who entered the game with a 2.50 earned run average, improved to 1-0.

Johnson struck out four, allowing one run and spreading out six hits before being relieved by Jared Bonnell at the start of the eighth.

Johnson, who played at Pepperdine before being picked up by the Silver Sox on June 26, looked good on the mound, but said he didn't feel that way.

"I didn't feel that good. I'm still getting over the cold thing that's going around," Johnson said. "I didn't have my best stuff. I tried to make every pitch a good pitch and not try to do too much. I think I'm doing OK. I'm trying to do a good job every time I go out."

According to Lancaster, so far, so good.

"Johnson did an outstanding job. He should be (4-0)," Lancaster said. "Bonnell came in and shut the door. We're starting the second half. We didn't get a lot of hits this game, but we got the hits when we needed them and were able to get the runners in."

Bonnell pitched two perfect innings of relief, striking out one.

Reno picked it up in the fourth and catcher Jason Dewey's double to left off San Diego starter Steve Smyth brought in Gredvig for a 2-1 lead. Right fielder Phil Grau followed with a safety squeeze to score Shanks.

Varela's RBI-single in the fifth scored C.J. Lang and gave Reno a 4-1 lead. Gredvig applied the coup de grace in the eighth with a two-run bomb to left, which made it 6-1.

"I just got a good one," Gredvig said of his fifth homer of the year. "It was a 2-0 slider. I wasn't looking for a breaking pitch."

Gredvig, who went to Sacramento City College, spent six years in the minors, making it to Baltimore's Triple-A affiliate. He played in the minors for the Phillies before coming to Reno, where he's helped the Sox win the first-half title.

"I think we're pretty solid," Gredvig said. "The guys we have in the lineup can play in the big leagues. They can be on a Double-A, Triple-A lineup. Baseball is the type of game where some days you don't do enough and some days you get it going again. The whole year has been one of those days (where the Silver Sox have gotten it going)."

Lancaster said he thinks his team is on track.

"We're doing all right now," he said. "We have a few things to work on, but I'm really pleased with the way things are going. Two more (games) and we take a break (for the Golden Baseball League All-Star Game).

Reno will face San Diego in the second of their three-game series today, beginning at 6:35 p.m. Reno will start All-Star right-hander Ben Thurmond (4-1, 3.74 ERA) and San Diego will start right-hander Chris George (0-5, 5.89 ERA).

Notes: Smyth (2-1) pitched a complete game for San Diego, giving up 11 hits and six earned runs, while striking out four...Former University of Nevada standout and Sox infielder Bub Madrid did not play after "tweaking' his hamstring in Thursday's game against Yuma. There was no word on the extent of his injury or when he will return...Because they won the first-half title, the Silver Sox will host the first two games of the five-game Golden Baseball League Championship Series, on Aug. 30-31. Tickets go on sale July 19. Prices include $13 for box and dugout seats, $11 for reserve tickets and $8 for general admission. You can purchase the tickets by calling (775) 348-7769 or by going online at www.renosilversox.com.

•Contact Mike Houser at mhouser@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1220