Saturday, June 08, 2002
Sully getting back to old self
Setup man's last three outings indicate elbow has recovered well
By John Fay, jfay@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Scott Sullivan quietly has started being Scott Sullivan again. That's a big thing for the Reds.
“Gigantic,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “He's the glue that holds the whole thing together. When we don't have him, I'm looking around for somebody to be Sully. The job almost has a name.”
Sullivan, the Reds' top setup man for Danny Graves, had not allowed a run in his last three appearances going into Friday night. Those three appearances followed a week in which Sullivan didn't pitch at all.
The break was a forced one. Sullivan tried and failed to pitch through the pain after taking a Richie Sexson comebacker off his right (pitching) elbow May 13.
“I was so hard-headed, so stubborn, that I wanted to pitch through it,” Sullivan said. “Then when I gave up two runs in my first game back, it made me even more determined. Then I gave up five runs. I said, "OK, time out. I better take some time off.' ”
The seven earned runs Sullivan gave up in those two games are one more than he has given up in his other 28 appearances.
After getting roughed up, Sullivan was given a cortisone injection to ease the swelling around the elbow.
“Where I got hit was where all the ligaments and tendons come together,” Sullivan said.
The injury affected Sullivan's ability to grip the ball.
“I couldn't get any extension,” he said. “I didn't have any control. I was getting behind everyone 3-0, 3-1, then I'd have to lay one in there.”
Boone was expecting Sullivan to need some time to regain his form.
“But he's been sharp since the first time out,” Boone said.
DUNN DH: Adam Dunn was used as the designated hitter Friday night in the Reds' first interleague game of the season.
“I did it some last year in Double-A,” he said. “DH-ing is weird. If you strike out the first time up, you've got a lot of time to think about it. It's like pinching hitting four times. I really don't know how to go about it.”
The other choice for DH was Ken Griffey Jr., but Boone was going to do that only if Griffey needed to rest his knee.
Griffey started in center, with Juan Encarnacion in right and Austin Kearns in left.
“That's my best defensive outfield,” Boone said.
That's no shot at Dunn.
“I'm pretty comfortable with Adam in left now,” Boone said. “He's gotten better and better.”
KEARNS EIGHTH: Kearns batted in the eight spot for the first time in his baseball life.
“I won't do anything different,” said Kearns, who hit fourth Thursday. “I'll just to try to get a hit.”
Said Boone: “It's quite an exercise getting them all in there. You put the first four names down and then try to figure it out. I almost had Aaron (Boone) ninth.”
The lineup was Barry Larkin, Sean Casey, Griffey, Dunn, Encarnacion, Boone, Todd Walker, Kearns and Corky Miller.
IN-CARNACION: Encarnacion has been displeased each of the two times he has been out of the lineup, including Thursday.
“Good,” Bob Boone said. “That's what you want. You want guys who want to play every day.”
FARM REPORT: Left-hander Ty Howington made his first start Thursday since April 21. Howington, the No. 1 pick in 1999, went two innings and gave up one earned run on two hits in Double-A Chattanooga's 4-0 loss to Birmingham. He has been rehabilitating after shoulder tendinitis.
“The big thing is how he feels (Friday),” said player development director Tim Naehring. “All the medical people said their was were no red flags.”
SIGNEES: The Reds agreed to terms with seven more draft picks: No. 9 O.J. King, No. 10 Frankie Keller, No. 11 Michael Bassett, No. 12 Donald Gemmell, No. 14 Joe Carran, No. 31 Mayque Quintero and No. 36 Matt Krimmell.
“We're doing pretty well,” scouting director Kasey McKeon said.
UP NEXT: The Reds play the Angels in the second game of the three-game series today at 4:10 p.m. (Fox Sports Net). Right-hander Elmer Dessens (4-3, 2.51) faces right-hander Ramon Ortiz (6-5, 3.40).
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Sully getting back to old self
