Eddy Rodriguez has a lot more in common with Adam Loewen besides being pitchers recalled by the Orioles from Triple-A Ottawa Friday.
Both spent time with Baltimore this year and struggled with control and consistency before being sent down to the minors. Both then worked on those issues, put up great numbers and made the Orioles take notice.
The right-handed Rodriguez spent two weeks with the Orioles at the end of April and went 0-0 with a 5.40 ERA in five relief appearances. He then went 2-0 with nine saves and a 1.47 ERA in 33 appearances for Ottawa.
“The best place to be is here,” said Rodriguez, 24. “But, going down to the minors allowed me to work on getting ahead in the count. Most importantly, I had to work on getting my first pitch over for a strike.”
Rodriguez, who appeared in 29 games for Baltimore in 2004, accomplished that goal in Ottawa. There, the 6-foot-1, 215-pound reliever struck out 40 and walked 10 over 36.2 innings. Those numbers provided Baltimore with a viable replacement in the bullpen for Sendy Rleal, who the Orioles optioned to Ottawa along with pitcher Daniel Cabrera Friday.
“Eddy?s been a competitor his whole life,” Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo said. “When you?ve got young kids struggling a little bit, it?s tough to have them try to work things out at the major league level.”
Rodriguez said his demotion turned out to be a positive experience as he is a more confident pitcher now thanks to the success he had in Ottawa along with the Orioles taking notice of his improved production on the mound.
“When you work hard, you see everything starts to go great,” he said. “Now I?m comfortable I can throw my pitches where I want them to go.”
The Orioles? director of minor league operations David Stockstill said he expects more consistency from Rodriguez this time around.
“He had problems locating his pitches and whenever that happens, the hitter has the advantage,” Stockstill said. “[Rodriguez] is doing much better with that now.”
THE RODRIGUEZ FILE
Age: 24
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 215 pounds
Hometown: San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
How acquired: Signed as an undrafted free agent in 1999
Did you know? Rodriguez was 1-0 with 4.78 ERA in 43.1 innings with the Orioles in 2004 ? He spent all of last season with Ottawa wand was second on the Lynx staff with 50 appearances ? He was second on the Lynx this year with nine saves, behind closer Julio Manon?s 21 entering this week.
