Donnelly Seeks a Solution in the Short Run

After a lengthy meeting Saturday with Bud Black, in which reliever Brendan Donnelly and the Angels’ pitching coach discussed a variety of topics, ranging from pitch sequence to mechanics to health, the veteran right-hander put his struggles in easy-to-understand terms.

“The issue is I’ve been giving up runs in bunches,” Donnelly said. “ ... I need to stop doing that. To be honest with you, it’s getting embarrassing.”

Donnelly is mired in “the worst stretch I’ve ever experienced in the big leagues,” having given up 11 earned runs in four innings of his last five appearances, four of the runs coming in the seventh inning of the Angels’ 8-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Surprisingly, left-handed hitters have done most of the damage, batting .349 with three home runs and 13 walks against Donnelly, who held left-handers to a .206 average from 2003 to 2005. Right-handers are batting .217 against him this season.

After the Angels acquired left-hander J.C. Romero over the winter, Donnelly said he “concentrated on pitching to right-handers more than left-handers. That has resulted in some bad pitches to left-handers.”

Donnelly, who has a 5.20 earned-run average in 36 games, experienced pain and stiffness in the back of his neck in late June, but after several trips to a chiropractor, he said he is sound. The same cannot be said about his repertoire of pitches.

Donnelly has lost the feel of his split-fingered fastball, a devastating pitch in 2003, when he was 2-2 with a 1.58 ERA, and he has been unable to consistently locate his best pitch, the slider.

There hasn’t been enough variance in speed between his split-fingered fastball and his fastball or slider, he’s falling behind in too many counts, and some pitch patterns have been predictable.

“If they don’t swing at the first pitch, I fall behind, and everybody knows my best pitch is a slider,” Donnelly said. “I’ve had to give in to the hitter’s plan on a more regular basis. There have been a lot of baserunners, and if I hang a pitch, it’s a three-run homer....I’ve got to attack the strike zone earlier.”

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There was some speculation that Donnelly’s roster spot might be in jeopardy with the Angels needing to activate pitcher Kelvim Escobar on Saturday.

But Donnelly -- as well as struggling relievers Kevin Gregg and Romero -- was spared when the Angels optioned Chris Bootcheck, who was called up Friday afternoon, back to triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

“It’s always disappointing to go back, but if you make the most of your time here and you aren’t sent back because of performance, you can’t ask for anything more,” said Bootcheck, a 2000 first-round draft pick who has spent only 62 days on the active big league roster.

Bootcheck was recalled to fortify an overworked bullpen and figured this Angels stint would be short, but the right-hander hoped to earn a reprieve after retiring all five batters he faced, two by strikeout, Friday night.

“They’re making the moves they think are best for the team,” Bootcheck said. “I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing and hope I get back here.”