Drew Rucinski couldn't control his split-finger fastball Tuesday, but the Arkansas Travelers right-hander was able to get outs even without the pitch that earned him his first stint in the major leagues.
In his first start since making his debut for the Los Angeles Angels last week, Rucinski retired the first nine batters he faced in the Travs' 6-2 victory over the Springfield Cardinals in the opening game of a doubleheader sweep at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. The Travs won the second game 3-0 to extend their winning streak to five games.
Rucinski struck out three, didn't walk anyone and held the Cardinals scoreless in six of his seven innings even though he threw few splitters because of ineffectiveness.
"It's a tricky pitch," Rucinski said. "Sometimes you have it, and sometimes you don't."
Rucinski, 25, has had it in most starts this year, which is why he completed last week the improbable ascent from pitching in an independent league to pitching in the major leagues in fewer than 12 months.
A year ago at this time Rucinski was pitching for the Rockford (Ill.) Aviators of the independent Frontier League. Teams at that level aren't affiliated with major-league teams, so a good season doesn't necessarily put players on track to the big leagues.
A player's best hope is that he catches the eye of a scout for a team that has a hole on a minor-league roster. Rucinski did that last August, when the Angels signed him and placed him at Class A Inland Empire. He pitched well enough there -- 2-2 with a 1.86 ERA in 5 starts -- to get an invitation to spring training and was placed on the Travs roster to start this season.
After watching him this spring, Arkansas pitching coach Pat Rice didn't necessarily see Rucinski's stock rising as quickly as it has.
"But I did expect him to be our best pitcher," Rice said.
That was largely because of Rucinski's splitter. The pitch, which looks like a fastball but breaks down as it approaches the plate, has been a nice complement to Rucinski's 92-94 mph fastball, a changeup and a slider.
Rice said when the splitter is working well, Rucinski is a completely different pitcher.
"Hitters are scared to death of it," Rice said. "If you face it and see that it's good, it's a panic. Now it makes all the rest of your pitches play better."
Rucinski's 2.37 ERA in 18 starts for the Travs this season is second-lowest in the Texas League and his 88 strikeouts rank third. He pitched the Texas League's only nine-inning shutout June 7, was named an All-Star later that month and his biggest moment came July 10 when the Angels placed him on their 40-man roster and he joined them for a series at Texas.
The two-day stint was a thrill even though he gave up four runs in one inning in his only appearance.
"I was so fortunate to get the opportunity and can't wait to do it again," he said.
Rucinski was undrafted out of Ohio State, signed by the Cleveland Indians and then cut before joining Rockford. When he received the call to the Angels, one of his first calls was to his coach at Rockford.
"To all those guys that I played with in [independent] ball, it's the dream," Rucinski said. "You never know. If you've got a uniform and you're out there, you've got a chance."
Rucinski remains on the Angels' 40-man roster, meaning they can recall him at any point. He said he tries not to think about his new place in the Angels' system, even if he's on the radar of executives who regularly tweak a roster while in a pennant race.
"Prepare like every day is your last," Rucinski said. "You've just got to go by where you're at and do what you can."
Sports on 07/16/2014