News
Expanded repertoire a boon for Correia
Padres right-hander enjoying renaissance in San Diego
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
06/25/09 4:42 PM ET
SEATTLE -- A more streamlined and calmer delivery has been cited by Kevin Correia for the turnaround in his season, though the trust in his curveball in recent weeks surely can't be dismissed.Correia, who gets a start on Saturday in Texas, is 3-2 with a 2.90 in five starts this month. He has credited a more efficient delivery for his uptick in productivity, as well as the frequent use of a pitch he had only tinkered with before this season.
"I'm throwing all four of my pitches pretty well right now ... but I think the curveball has helped me a lot because it takes some of the pressure off the changeup," Correia said. "I didn't throw a lot of curveballs before this season. Before, I didn't really have anything to slow hitters down."
Correia, who had spent his entire career with the San Francisco Giants before this season, had mostly relied on his fastball and slider. But he's using his changeup more now and the curveball, a pitch he's throwing more and more every start.
"I had never really thrown a curve," Correia said. "I have tinkered with it ... and it took a little time to get comfortable with it. But it's steadily gotten better every start. I wasn't as confident in it at first, but it's been pretty good and so has my changeup."
In his last start against the A's on Sunday, Correia got one of his seven strikeouts with a curveball, but mostly it was used as a setup pitch for his four-seam fastball or slider.
Correia, who hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his past four starts, went 0-2 with a 4.71 ERA in April and 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in May before making better use of the curveball. That was also the time he worked on a more streamlined delivery and an efficient approach that has allowed him to work deeper in games.
"I think there's a couple of things that have led to his recent success. I think the delivery, for one, is under control, he's not overthrowing and the use of the curveball and change, his secondary pitches has been good," Padres manager Bud Black said "He's not relying just on his fastball and slider."
Correia, who came to Spring Training on a Minor League contract, is enjoying his recent run of success, but he has been humbled enough to know that it can be fleeting.
"Everything is going good right now but I've played long enough to know there's a lot of games left, we're not even halfway through the season," Correia said. "It's not like I can cruise and ride the season out. I've got to keep getting better and continue to do well.
"I've still got some work to do. I want to keep pitching well. Hopefully we'll get Chris [Young] and Jake [Peavy] back and we'll have a pretty good rotation."
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
