Angels glad they kept Bootcheck

It’s not one of baseball’s glamour jobs, which is why those who do it are often called “mop-up men.” Some prefer the less derogatory title “long reliever.”

Then there is Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher, who sees nothing janitorial about the man who holds that position in the Angels’ bullpen, Chris Bootcheck.

“You can call him ‘savior,’ really,” Butcher said. “He’s the guy who is asked to throw up zeros in a game where you’re down by a few runs early, but there’s still a chance to win.

“It can either go way, way bad, or you can throw up some zeros and give the team a chance to come back and pull one out. He’s been doing [the latter], and he’s throwing the ball extremely well.”

So well, in fact, that Bootcheck, who is 3-2 with a 4.36 earned-run average in 53 2/3 innings over 32 appearances, has been pitching in more prominent late-game situations of late.

Last Friday in Oakland, Bootcheck replaced starter Dustin Moseley with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth inning of a 3-3 game and retired Dan Johnson on a popup to shortstop and Kurt Suzuki on a fly ball to right.

The next day, Bootcheck replaced starter Kelvim Escobar to start the eighth inning in a 2-1 game and struck out the side -- Nick Swisher, Jack Cust and Mike Piazza.

“He’s been outstanding from day one, filling a couple of different roles,” setup man Scot Shields said. “He’s pitched long relief, the seventh inning of close games. . . . He’s working his way up the depth chart.”

Tuesday night against Boston, Bootcheck replaced starter Joe Saunders in the sixth inning with a runner on second, one out, and the Angels leading, 7-4. The right-hander, showing nice cut on a fastball that hit 94 mph, gave up one hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings of an eventual 10-4 win.

“That was the whole buzz in the clubhouse,” Butcher said. “When your own teammates are talking about you, you know you’re doing something right. He’s come full circle from being taken off the roster.”

When outfielder Juan Rivera broke his leg last winter and the Angels signed Shea Hillenbrand in December, Bootcheck, a first-round pick in 2000, was removed from the 40-man roster to clear room for Hillenbrand.

That exposed Bootcheck, who appeared in 12 games for the Angels in 2005 and 2006, to the waiver wire, but the 28-year-old, much to the Angels’ relief, went unclaimed.

Bootcheck, suppressing whatever bitterness he might have felt toward the team that essentially released him, went to spring training as a non-roster invitee, won the long-relief job and has remained with the Angels all season.

“I try not to look back on that,” Bootcheck said of the roster move. “When I made the team out of camp, that was water under the bridge for me. Rivera got hurt, they tried to improve the team, and they had to make a move. It happened to be me.”

The Angels lost Bobby Jenks and Derrick Turnbow, who went on to become closers, to similar winter moves. This time, Bootcheck wasn’t the one who got away.

“When Chris is out there doing well, his job is just as important as Frankie’s,” reliever Justin Speier said, referring to closer Francisco Rodriguez. “He can allow Shields and Frankie a day off, so they don’t have to pitch in situations they’re not needed. He’s done well in tight situations too. He’s really coming into his own.”

Bootcheck has one big league save, but one of his key roles is to save unnecessary wear and tear on Rodriguez, Shields and Speier, the team’s top relievers. He does it by eating up innings, often in lopsided games where the Angels are winning or losing by four runs or more.

Perfect example: On April 23, Bootcheck pitched the final three innings of a 9-5 loss to Detroit. The next day, Speier, Shields and Rodriguez, all fresh, pitched in a 9-8, 10-inning win over the Tigers.

“That was kind of a small victory for me, being able to save those guys’ arms,” Bootcheck said. “Down the stretch, some of the innings those guys don’t have to throw will make them fresher.”

Bootcheck looks fresher too. As a starter, his fastball topped out at about 90 mph, but he has been hitting 94 mph consistently in recent weeks.

“We juiced our gun,” Butcher joked.

What does Bootcheck think?

“I don’t know, man, maybe it’s confidence,” he said. “Regular work helps. Sometimes when you go a long time without throwing, you get back on the mound, and it’s like you’re starting all over again.”

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com