He Started a Reliever but is Winning as a Starter

When Toronto Blue Jays Manager Cito Gaston moved pitcher David Wells from the bullpen to the starting rotation on May 24, he considered it a temporary measure to shake up his staff.

Gaston wanted to give struggling starter John Cerutti, who had lost five of his first six decisions, a chance to work through some problems in the bullpen.

Wells, a 27-year-old left-hander from Point Loma High School in San Diego, knew this. Several times throughout June, he told reporters that it was only a matter of time until he returned to the bullpen.

Now, he may never make it back.

Wells, making his 10th consecutive start of the season, shut out the Angels through eight innings Thursday night, allowing only five singles before giving way to ace reliever Tom Henke in the ninth.

Toronto’s 5-0 victory before 27,365 in Anaheim Stadium moved the Blue Jays into a first-place tie with Boston in the American League West.

Wells’ victory also came on the heels of his eight-inning, seven-hit shutout of the Seattle Mariners last Friday. He has a 7-2 record and 3.05 earned-run average and has pitched into the seventh inning in each of his last six starts.

“Right now, I don’t see any way he’s going to back to the bullpen,” Gaston said. “But I’m not surprised at how well he has done. He’s been a starter before.”

Wells, who relies on two basic pitches, a fastball and a curveball, but effectively changes speeds on his breaking pitch, simply mastered the Angels Thursday night. The Angels’ only scoring threat came in the sixth inning, when they loaded the bases with two out.

Donnie Hill had singled to open the inning and, after Dick Schofield’s fly out, Hill became the first Angel runner to reach second base when Brian Downing singled.

After Johnny Ray popped to second, Chili Davis’ grounder off the chest of third baseman Kelly Gruber was ruled a single, loading the bases.

Wells fell behind the count to Dave Winfield, 2-0, but then came back with two strikes, the first on Winfield’s hard-swinging, foul ball, to make it 2-2. Winfield then flied to left field to end the inning.

“With that type of guy up--Winfield has been around for a while--my job is to keep him on his front foot,” Wells said. “The last time I faced him in Toronto, he hit a home run off me. That’s how he makes his money. But thank God he fouled that 2-0 pitch off. When I got even on the count, I threw a curve and he popped it up.”

Wells said his bullpen background helped him during the tense sixth inning.

“It was a battle, and that’s what I’m used to,” he said. “That’s where I feel most comfortable. I’d rather come in with the game on the line than put the game on the line.”

Wells, who actually began his major league career as a starter, may not get that chance again. Wells started two games in his first year at Toronto (1987) but then made 126 relief appearances from 1987 to this season.

He was used primarily as a setup man, entering games during the late innings to pitch to left-handed batters until Henke could come on to close.

Now, he is one of the Blue Jays’ most effective starters.

“I always wished I would get a spot start somewhere down the road, and it came true,” Wells said. “It’s always possible that I’ll return to the bullpen, but I’ve adapted well to the starting rotation and I enjoy it.”