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05/11/2008 7:06 PM ET
Alaniz cultivates ability to change with times
Changeup and ability to throw first-pitch strikes working for Potomac righty
By Shane Figueroa / Special to MLB.com
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 Adrian Alaniz is 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA over his past five starts for the Nationals. (Joy R. Absalon/MLB.com)
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After a sluggish start, Adrian Alaniz knew he needed to make a change.
Or rather, he needed to make a changeup.
The 23-year-old right-hander implemented the pitch early in the season and took his fourth consecutive decision Sunday with the Potomac Nationals' 8-2 victory over the Kinston Indians at Grainger Stadium.
Alaniz scattered two hits and three walks, striking out six, over six scoreless frames. It was the fourth time in his last five starts that he didn't allow an earned run. Unsurprisingly, he's 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in that span.
"There's really no secret except that I've thrown a lot of strike ones," Alaniz said. "My fastball command has been good -- it's hitting corners -- and I haven't been afraid to throw a curveball or slider for strikes. I think mixing in the changeup has given opposing hitters too much to think about. I feel like I've kept the hitters guessing for the last month."
Alaniz, selected by the Nationals out of the University of Texas-Austin in the eighth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, allowed seven runs -- six earned -- in his first two starts over a combined eight innings. He'd been working on his changeup with Potomac pitching coach Randy Tomlin for weeks and decided it was ready to be blended into his arsenal.
Since then, he's peeled off four wins and struck out 30 in 29 innings. He's looked a lot like the pitcher who went 8-2 with a 2.39 ERA in 13 games -- eight starts -- with Rookie-level Vermont in 2007.
"Obviously, I think there's a connection with pitching well and throwing that pitch," Alaniz said. "But I also think my confidence came back after a tough start [to the season]. Sometimes all it takes is one good outing to bring it back. I was trying to do too much, I think, and trying to be too fine. Nibbling at the plate can wreck a pitcher. I pitched my way back into a comfort zone."
Alaniz was also comforted by his offense, who scored runs in each of the first five frames.
Michael Martinez's first-inning sacrifice fly gave Alaniz a lead before he stepped foot on the mound.
"That's a huge confidence boost," Alaniz said. "You never want to take that for granted either, so I immediately tried to get ahead with strike one."
After allowing singles to the first two Indians, he retired 10 in a row. He didn't allow a base hit the rest of the way and erased his fourth-inning walk with a double play.
As the lead grew with Edgardo Baez's two-run homer in the second and Marvin Lowrance's two-run dinger in the third, he started firing strike ones with offspeed pitches.
"[Catcher] Jhonatan Solano and I both noticed that they had begun swinging at the first-pitch fastballs I was throwing," Alaniz said. "They had got me for back-to-back hits earlier, so we decided to mix in some first-pitch curveballs to lefties and sliders to righties. We communicated well. I only shook off his signs once or twice, and that was only for location."
Baez went 3-for-4, adding an RBI single, and Frank Diaz collected three hits and scored once.
Jemel Spearman went 3-for-4, scored twice and stroked an RBI double in the fourth for the Nationals, who lead the Carolina League Northern Division with a 22-13 record.
"Solano and I just used the time to keep talking about pitches," Alaniz said. "You'll never hear me complain about too much run support. The bats were great."
Kinston starter Jeanmar Gomez (1-5) surrendered six runs -- five earned -- on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts in four innings.
Beau Mills delivered an RBI single in the eighth and Nicholas Weglarz tripled and scored on Niuman Romero's sacrifice fly in the ninth for the Indians (14-19). Shane Figueroa is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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