News
Maloney hopes new pitches equal wins
Los Angeles (76-53) at Cincinnati (56-71), 4:10 p.m. ET
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
08/28/09 11:30 PM ET
CINCINNATI -- Saturday could be considered the unveiling of Matt Maloney 2.0 with the Reds. The left-handed starting pitcher prospect, who is being recalled from Triple-A Louisville to make the start vs. the Dodgers, has made what he hopes are some upgrades with new hardware -- namely two new pitches. "I've been working a lot on my sinker and cutter, and they've been working real well for me," Maloney said Friday. "I'm getting a lot more groundballs." That can only be considered a positive thing at Great American Ball Park. Maloney's return will be coming to a wider audience than normal. The 4:10 p.m. ET will be carried on FOX as part of national Game of the Week coverage. Thom Brennaman and Eric Karros will be calling the game. "[Maloney] went down to work on some things we asked him to work on," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He seemed happy about it and psyched about it." At Louisville, Maloney was 9-9 with a 3.08 ERA. In his three starts for the Reds, the 25-year-old was 0-2 with a 6.11 ERA, five walks and 14 strikeouts. He was optioned back to Triple-A on June 20. One of the main reasons for the demotion was an inability to keep the ball in the park. He had six homers over 17 2/3 innings -- two long balls in each start. "I didn't have a pitch that I consistently have them hit the ball on the ground with," Maloney said. "The home runs are what hurt me when I was up here before. That's why I made a big effort to go back to figure out the sinker me and [pitching coach] Dick Pole were working on. It's worked really well for me down there." While the sinker will get the defense more involved with grounders, the expectation is that the cut fastball, when thrown tight inside, will offset the changeup Maloney already throws regularly. Pole and Maloney worked on the two new pitches in the bullpen during the previous stint, but Maloney was never comfortable with trying them in a game. "They're not drastic changes to anything I have," Maloney said. "It's getting a little more movement to get them to put the ball in play early and get the ball on the ground. "Working with Dick and figuring out those two new pitches was a big thing for me. I think that's really going to help my career." Pitching matchupCIN: LHP Matt Maloney (0-2, 6.11 ERA)
At Triple-A Louisville, Maloney is 9-9 with a 3.08 ERA. His latest start was on Sunday at Toledo, where he allowed four runs and six hits over six innings with two walks and seven strikeouts. Maloney made three starts for the Reds and was optioned back to Louisville on June 20. LAD: RHP Charlie Haeger (1-1, 1.93 ERA)
Rookie knuckleballer Charlie Haeger, making only his third Major League start, pitched a gem against the Cubs and will remain in the rotation for this game, as manager Joe Torre said he'd prefer to keep Jeff Weaver in the bullpen. Haeger took a three-hit shutout into the eighth inning and the bullpen held on to preserve his first victory since 2006. Haeger struck out seven. Tidbits
Besides having Maloney pitch on Saturday, the Reds revealed that Kip Wells and Johnny Cueto would work Monday's doubleheader. Cueto, as expected, will be activated from the disabled list before his outing. That means Micah Owings is getting skipped again and his move to the bullpen is no longer temporary. "There are a few things Micah has to work on," Baker said. "We believe he has the stuff but he has trouble keeping the ball down. It's not like we haven't given him an opportunity." ... To maximize Owings' skills as pinch-hitter while a reliever, Baker is looking to contact former Brewers manager Ned Yost and former reliever/pinch-hitter Brooks Kieschnick for advice. Kieschnick often had to warm up quick after pinch-hitting, but Owings needs a lot more time as a regular starter. "Maybe for future reference figure out how we can get his arm loosened quicker, like a reliever as opposed to a starter," Baker said. "Because there's a period of adjustment you have to make for that." Tickets
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• Sunday: Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 8-7, 2.96) at Reds (Bronson Arroyo, 11-12, 4.43), 1:10 p.m. ET
• Monday: Pirates (Paul Maholm, 7-7, 4.59) at Reds (Kip Wells, 0-3, 5.85), 1:10 p.m. ET
• Monday: Pirates (TBD) at Reds (Johnny Cueto, 8-10, 4.61), 7:10 p.m. ET
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
