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Changing It Up Is Key For Rays' Kazmir

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By MARC LANCASTER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

Updated: 06/11/2008 12:13 am

ANAHEIM, Calif. - A funny thing happened to Scott Kazmir as he whiled away his time during March and April, working his way back from a strained left elbow.

Advised by the Rays' medical staff not to throw his slider because of the twisting action required to do so, Kazmir threw changeup after changeup during his workouts. That was a departure for the lefty, who rarely used the off-speed pitch in past seasons.

"I just started getting more and more comfortable with it," Kazmir said. "I was throwing it in warm-ups all the time, so I got a good feel for it."

Oddly enough, the pitch that helped Kazmir get well has been the difference-maker in his remarkable run since coming off the disabled list. He kept using the changeup once he returned to action, not only because he had gotten used to it but also because he was initially fearful of putting excessive strain on his elbow.

As Kazmir prepares to make his eighth start of the season today against the Angels, the changeup has all but replaced the slider in terms of usage - especially against right-handed hitters. He likes it because it gives hitters a much different look in terms of velocity, coming in several miles an hour slower than his slider and providing a sharper contrast to his mid-90s fastball.

"Before it was like everything was hard - fastball, slider, fastball, fastball, fastball, slider," Kazmir said. "Now it's just like, changeup, OK, get 'em off the fastball. I can game-plan a little more right now."

Kazmir said he has had a really good feel for his slider just once in seven starts - May 26 at home against the Rangers. He allowed three hits and a run in seven innings that night, striking out a season-high 10 without walking a batter.

"Besides that game, it's really been fastball-changeup and kind of picking and choosing spots where I can just give them a different look with the slider," he said.

That change in approach has brought his strikeout totals down a bit, but Kazmir has been more efficient than in the past, throwing strikes more consistently and staying in the game longer.

As Rays manager Joe Maddon said, Kazmir has often been his own nemesis in times of failure, with his pitch count skyrocketing early and driving him from games by the fifth or sixth inning.

With progress made toward addressing that self-inflicted problem, Kazmir has been nearly unstoppable, piling up a 6-0 record and 0.88 ERA in six starts since a rocky season debut May 4 at Boston. Those numbers aren't likely to last, but Maddon believes the quality will.

"I see it as what he's capable of doing; I don't see it as being on a roll," Maddon said. "You give this guy some defense and some run support, he's going to pitch you a pretty good game every time out there."

As good as he has been over the past month, Kazmir still believes he will get better.

"Don't get me wrong - I don't want to change a thing," he said. "But I still feel like there's a part of my game that I feel like I really haven't used that much, and that's the slider."

Until everything clicks together with that pitch, though, Kazmir has found a useful substitute.

Reporter Marc Lancaster can be reached at (813) 259-7227 or mlancaster@tampatrib.com.

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