Fetters: Fat Pitches Part of the Past

Mike Fetters had struggled while tinkering with a new pitch, so the Dodger reliever made another change: He got back to basics.

A four-seam fastball did not produce good results for Fetters, who gave up nine hits--including two home runs--and seven earned runs in four innings spanning seven appearances.

After giving up a ninth-inning, game-winning homer to Richard Hidalgo in Friday’s 10-9 loss to the Houston Astros, Fetters resumed relying on his sharp sinker.

“I decided I was going to go with what’s kept me in this game--and that’s throwing sinkers,” Fetters said. “You might never see another four-seam fastball from me the rest of the year, because I was getting beat on my third-best pitch.

“Everyone knows if you’re going to get beat late in a game, you want to get beat with your best pitch. I was getting beat trying to invent something I haven’t used my whole career, I cost us a couple of games, and that had to change. I knew what I had to do.”

The move appears to have helped Fetters, who has worked two scoreless innings in his last two appearances on the trip.

He pitched 1 1/3 innings and got the win in Sunday’s 9-8, 10-inning victory over the Astros.

With out in the eighth inning Tuesday and the potential tying run at third, Fetters retired the two batters he faced to help preserve a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“I’ve been in this game for a long time and it’s not the first time I went through a stretch like that,” said Fetters, 2-1 with a 4.50 earned-run average.

“I was trying to come up with something else for a hitter to think about, but instead of giving them something to think about I was hurting myself. The bottom line is I have to do what I do best.”

Marquis Grissom has been better than the Dodgers could have hoped.

The veteran outfielder has helped the club overcome the loss of left fielder Gary Sheffield, batting .284 with 12 homers and 28 runs batted in entering Wednesday’s game against the Diamondbacks.

Sheffield might be activated from the disabled list Friday, creating an outfield logjam.

Manager Jim Tracy said he plans to put Grissom in the lineup often after Sheffield returns, but Tom Goodwin will also play and right fielder Shawn Green takes few days off.

“Don’t worry about me . . . I’m not going to make any waves,” Grissom said. “Yeah, I always want to be in there and I don’t consider myself a fourth outfielder, but I’m all about winning at this point of my career.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who are stepping up right now and you need contributions from everyone if you want to get one of those championships. I’m ready to play anywhere [in the outfield] and hit anywhere. I’m ready.”

Grissom is pleased that Sheffield is expected to return soon.

“Oh, yeah, we need to get him back and get going,” Grissom said of his longtime friend. “That’s just going to help us even more.”

Sheffield (torn finger ligaments) said his left index finger felt fine after he took batting practice for the second day in a row, Tracy said.

He will take batting practice again today if he is pain-free, and that should lead to the six-time all-star being activated Friday for a three-game interleague series against the Angels at Dodger Stadium. . . . Starter Andy Ashby (strained right elbow) is expected to have another bullpen session before the club determines when he should make a rehabilitation start.

TODAY

DODGERS’

DARREN DREIFORT

(3-3, 4.29 ERA)

vs.

DIAMONDBACKS’

NICK BIERBRODT

(0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Bank One Ballpark, 1:30 p.m.

TV--Channel 5

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330)

Update--Dreifort, who has limited opponents to a .230 batting average, is coming off consecutive strong starts. The right-hander is 3-4 with a 3.21 earned-run average in nine career appearances against the Diamondbacks. Bierbrodt, the Diamondbacks’ first pick in the 1996 amateur draft, is making his major league debut.