Baseball

Starting Point

Indians righthander Fausto Carmona has bounced back from his debacle as a closer to dominate in the rotation

A YEAR AGO Indians righthander Fausto Carmona was a failure of historic proportions, becoming just the second major league pitcher to lose four games in relief in a span of seven days. During that stretch in July and August, he blew saves in three consecutive ninth-inning appearances. But recast this season as a starter, Carmona has emerged as a surprise candidate for the AL Cy Young Award.

Armed with a strong work ethic; a dynamic, mid-90s sinking fastball; and a newfound ability to slow down the game, Carmona, 23, was tied for fourth in the AL with 13 wins and had a 3.26 ERA through Sunday. After outdueling Red Sox righthander Josh Beckett and shutting down arguably the league's top lineup for a 1--0 win last month, Carmona followed his typical postgame routine, hitting the weight room to improve his shoulder strength and stamina. With Indians first base coach Luis Rivera acting as his interpreter, Carmona, who is from the Dominican Republic, said of his extensive workout regimen, "This is fun for me. I do it with joy."

His serious nature and relish for hard work helped Carmona respond to his disastrous stint as a closer. He embraced winter ball and enhanced his repertoire, adding a superb change-up and a fine slider to go with his calling card, a two-seam sinker. "He never doubted himself," says Indians general manager Mark Shapiro. "He just kept stressing that he will get it straightened out."

Still, Carmona only made the team this season because starting pitcher Cliff Lee went on the DL with a strained abdominal muscle. He lasted 4 1/3 innings in his first outing but bounced back to win two starts in April. After spending a week at Triple A Buffalo, Carmona was recalled six days later when righthander Jake Westbrook also strained an abdominal muscle. Carmona went on to win five times in May, and he and lefty C.C. Sabathia became the first pair of Indians pitchers to win 10 games before the All-Star break since Early Wynn and Bob Lemon did it in 1956.

Although he was 5--1 in July and has a 1.70 ERA in his last five starts, Carmona has remained largely unrecognized. "He's got good stuff. I'd been telling people that, and they were looking at me like I was crazy," Tigers center-fielder Curtis Granderson says. "I mentioned in my blog at mid-season that he should be in Cy Young consideration. Everybody was like, 'I agree with all your other picks. But this Fausto Carmona pick, you must be doing it as a favor.'"

After Carmona beat Minnesota ace Johan Santana in consecutive starts earlier this year, Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter said that he felt like he was "hungover" trying to hit Carmona's sinking fastball. He added that he was grateful to be going next to Milwaukee to face "normal pitchers."

Carmona, who has helped put the Indians in position to win their first division title in six years, knows his work is not done, though. Says Shapiro, "He's never satisfied being good. He wants to be great."

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