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Cordero regains confidence and control
Nationals notebook
Date published: 6/10/2006
By TODD JACOBSON WASHINGTON--The message, as manager Frank Robinson spoke to a shaken Chad Cordero three weeks ago in the ninth inning of a win over the Chicago Cubs was simple. "He just asked me if I was the man for the job," Cordero recalled. Cordero has spent the last three weeks answering his manager. The once-untouchable closer slumped for the first six weeks of the season, but since that short conversation with Robinson--with two outs and the tying run on third base--he's been nearly perfect. He saved that game against the Cubs, and has reeled off 11 straight scoreless innings, saving nine of the Nationals' last 15 wins. "I think I kind of needed that," Cordero said. "I still thought that I was [the man] but my confidence was probably a little down a little bit compared to what it was last year. But right now it's right back to where it was last year." Cordero had come off one of the worst performances of his career days before Robinson's visit, a five-run meltdown Cordero referred to yesterday simply as the "debacle." Charged with preserving a two-run lead against the Atlanta Braves, Cordero gave up a solo homer to Brian McCann and a grand slam to Jeff Francoeur, leaving the mound dejected. His season, to that point, hadn't gone as planned. His spring training regimen was interrupted by a trip to the World Baseball Classic--where he pitched just 1 innings--and as Cordero rolled into May, the pinpoint control that helped him save a league-high 47 games last season still hadn't materialized. By his own admission, Cordero hadn't felt comfortable for much of the season. Before May 18, he had just three saves and a 4.58 ERA. The game against Atlanta was simply the tipping point. "It was the worst it could possibly get so after that, I just had to get better," Cordero said. "Luckily I have kind of hit a hot streak and everything so it feels great." Robinson, who has renewed his confidence in his closer over the last three weeks, said the difference for Cordero is control. His go-to fastball has hovered in the low 90s all season, but because of his spring training layoff, he had trouble hitting his spots. No more. His recent hot streak has helped him lower his ERA to 2.83 entering last night's game.
Date published: 6/10/2006
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