Although the heart of the Angels' bullpen remains unsettled -- its seven losses and 5.95 earned-run average entering Friday were both worst in the American League -- closer Brian Fuentes is quietly putting together a spectacular season.
After a slow start in which he blew two of his first seven save opportunities, Fuentes has gone on a tear, giving up only one run in his last 10 appearances to pull into a tie for the league lead with 13 saves starting the weekend. And the Angels expect more.
"He is working his way into his stuff. There's a little more in there," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's done it for a long time really on his deception and his command. He's feeling much more comfortable with that.
"Outside of a couple of rough outings, he's having a great year."
Two of those rough outings came in the first week of the season when Fuentes gave up four runs and six hits in consecutive appearances against Oakland and Boston -- not the kind of start you want when you're replacing the single-season saves record-holder. And Fuentes, who signed a two-year, $17.5-million free-agent deal to replace Francisco Rodriguez in December, said he heard the grumbling.
"I know there's a lot of people that wrote me off early. Whether it was front office, fans or whoever. But no one will ever really admit to it," he said.
Scioscia and pitching coach Mike Butcher never wavered in their support, though, and Fuentes said he never lost his confidence.
"There's a comfort level that comes with time, regardless of how well you're doing," said Fuentes, who is on pace for a career-high 46 saves. "There's always that confidence that I have, that I carry, that I know over the course of the year that I'll perform. I just try to remain optimistic and go out and pitch the way I'm capable."
--
Name game
Most baseball players answer to some sort of nickname and the Angels are no exception. Which is how Australian-born reliever Rich Thompson came to be known as Chopper, after a character in an Australian movie, and right-hander Ervin Santana as Magic, after the former Lakers' great.
In high school Fuentes' coach began calling him Tito, after former big-league infielder Tito Fuentes, who played his last game before the Angels' closer had turned 3.
"I didn't know who he was then, my freshman, sophomore year in high school," said Fuentes, who has subsequently met his namesake. "As I'd meet other people through baseball, they'd introduce me as Tito. Now, predominantly, that's the name I get."
