By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Danny Graves is not fighting for a spot in the starting rotation.

But he feels like he has to show he deserves one.

"It definitely makes you feel more comfortable to have a spot," he said. "But I have to prove I can do this. Regardless of what we did at the end of last year, I have a lot more to prove. I have to show I can handle starting and the bullpen sessions in between and be effective."

It was a bullpen session - the workouts starters count on to keep themselves sharp - that helped Graves have a much better outing in his second appearance of the spring than the first.

Graves went three innings in the Reds' 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians here Monday. He allowed one run on seven hits. In his first outing, he allowed four runs on six hits in 21/3 innings in a 12-7 loss to Boston.

Graves struggled with his wind-up in that game. A session with pitching coach Don Gullett got him back in the grove.

"It was 10 times better than the other day - feel-wise," Graves said. "I had a bullpen session the other day. Gully told me: `Don't worry what it looks like. Go on rhythm and natural feel.' "

Graves trusted Gullett's advice.

"I didn't worry about where my balance point was or where my hands were. I went on feel," he said. "My wind-up was fine."

Gullett has made the transition from closer to starter easier for Graves because he knows Graves so well.

"He's amazing," Graves said. "Sometimes he has to do a lot to help. Sometimes it's just one thing. That's why he's good."

Graves still has work to do. Seven hits in three innings means you're flirting with disaster.

"I got a few balls up," he said. "My sinker was going more side to side than sinking. I gave up a lot of hits. But I'm used to pitching with guys on base. I came out giving up only one run. I'm happy about the outcome."

Gullett said the one run on seven hits showed Graves still has one trait that made him good as a closer:

He makes pitches when he has to.

Graves is even thinking like a starter.

"They got some hits, but I got out of it with one run," Graves said. "The idea of a quality starter is to keep the team in the game. That's my main objective."

When the Reds decided to move Graves from closer to the starting rotation late last year, they thought he could be very pitch-efficient because of his sinker, which induces groundball outs.

Graves, 29, proved theory correct by going 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in four starts.

That doesn't make him Greg Maddux or even Derek Lowe, the Boston starter-turned-closer who went 21-8 last year.

But the Reds were convinced enough of his potential as a starter to give him a three-year, $17.25 million contract.

"I have a lot to prove and a lot to learn, even though I'm penciled in (the rotation)," Graves said. "It's not like when I was the closer when I just got my work in."

Graves ended up throwing 52 pitches Tuesday against Cleveland. He wanted to go out for the fourth inning.

"But they wouldn't let me," he said.

Spoken like a starter.

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com