Washburn Changing Pace of His Fastball

DENVER — Players refer to a hard fastball as “cheese.” Angel pitcher Jarrod Washburn has hit 94 mph on the speed gun, putting him in definite cheese range, but one reason the left-hander is 5-0 with a 2.81 earned-run average in his last nine games is a fastball that is as soft as warm brie.

About 10 starts ago, Washburn, who will start tonight against the Colorado Rockies, began experimenting with what he calls a “batting practice fastball,” an 84-mph pitch he has used to offset his hard fastball and slider.

“It helps keep the hitters off balance,” Washburn said. “I just take a little off my fastball. Some cut, some sink, some go straight. I don’t know where they’re going to go. It’s been hit hard a few times, but that’s part of the process of gaining confidence in it.”

Washburn is coming off an eight-inning shutout of Oakland Monday night, a no-decision in which he gave up five hits, struck out nine and induced three infield popups.

He relies mostly on fly-ball outs, which wouldn’t seem conducive to the launching pad that is Coors Field, but Manager Mike Scioscia doesn’t want Washburn to change his approach tonight.

“If you’re a sinker-ball pitcher on artificial turf, would you change your game?” Scioscia said. “No. You would be doing yourself a disservice. It’s not like every fly ball here goes out of the park.”

Troy Glaus, selected as a reserve for the American League All-Star team, did not know by Friday whether he will be asked to participate in Monday’s home-run hitting contest.

The defending AL home run champion--Glaus hit 47 homers last season and has 22 this season--is open to the idea, and Scioscia has no qualms about his participating, even though some such as Alex Rodriguez have begged off for fear of hurting their swing.

“Troy has a natural home run swing, so it’s not going to hurt him,” Scioscia said. “Mike Piazza’s thing is driving the ball to right-center field, and he felt very uncomfortable doing a home run contest this time of year. He felt it took a week to get his swing back.”

TONIGHT

ANGELS’ JARROD WASHBURN

(6-4, 3.55 ERA)

vs.

ROCKIES’ DENNY NEAGLE

(6-2, 4.36 ERA)

Coors Field, Denver, 5 PDT

TV--Channel 9. Radio--KLAC (570), XPRS (1090).

Update--Washburn has lowered his ERA from 7.56 to 3.55 in his last 12 starts, pitching into the seventh inning 11 times and posting a 6-1 record in that span. Few thought Neagle, who signed a five-year, $51-million deal with Colorado last winter, would thrive in Coors Field, but the left-hander is 4-0 at home, and the Rockies are 10-5 overall in his first 15 starts.