Struggling right-hander Ervin Santana will remain in the rotation for at least one more start, against Tampa Bay on Friday night, but with a limit of 15 outs, said Angels Manager Mike Scioscia.
Of course, the way Santana has been pitching -- he’s 4-10 with a 6.00 earned-run average and 23 homers given up after he was rocked for six runs and eight hits in 1 2/3 innings of Saturday’s loss to the Rangers -- the Angels would be elated to get 15 outs from him.
“We want him to concentrate on getting into a flow of the game and going hard and go from there,” Scioscia said. “A number of guys have responded positively to this over the years. Hopefully, he’s not worried about facing a lot of these hitters for the fourth time in a game and can throw more at them early.”
Scioscia said he has used similar tactics with pitchers such as Scott Kazmir and Aaron Sele, whose Angels careers did not end well.
“It’s a tool to get them to where they’re not saving anything for later in the game,” Scioscia said. “We’ve done it with guys who are struggling and beating their heads against the wall.”
And what if Santana retires the first 15 batters of the game?
“He could strike out the first 15 guys, and that’s it,” Scioscia said. “He’s done.”
-Mike DiGiovanna
