Fausto Carmona version of 'Lost' takes a plot turn the Cleveland Indians like

Carmona's performance in spring training and the first two months of the season does not guarantee a sustained revival. But it does indicate he is moving closer to the pitcher of 2007 and further away from the pitcher of 2009.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIndians starter Fausto Carmona is 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in nine starts this season, an indication that maybe he's turned the corner since struggling in 2008 and 2009.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — To truly appreciate where Indians right-hander Fausto Carmona is professionally -- entering a start tonight against the New York Yankees in the Bronx -- it is necessary to remember where he was one year ago.

Lost.

On May 30, 2009, Carmona pitched poorly against the Yankees in Cleveland and lost. He gave up four earned runs on eight hits in four innings -- the ninth time in 11 starts he had given up at least four earned runs.

Five days later, it got even worse. Carmona gave up seven runs in two innings of a lopsided loss at Minnesota. He fell to 2-6 with a 7.42 ERA.

The next day, June 5, Carmona -- a 19-game winner in 2007 -- was demoted.

The Indians did not merely send him to Class AAA or Class AA or Class A. They banished him to the Arizona Rookie League for an overhaul of mechanics and pre-pitch routine, as well as to do plenty of soul-searching.

Carmona worked in various minor-league levels until resurfacing in Cleveland on July 31 for a start against Detroit.

He was 3-6 with a 5.29 ERA in 12 post-banishment starts to close the nightmarish season.

As the calendar flipped to 2010, Carmona's career was hanging in the balance at age 26.

Carmona's performance in spring training and the first two months of the season does not guarantee a sustained revival. But it does indicate he is moving closer to the pitcher of 2007 and further away from the pitcher of 2009 and, for that matter, 2008.

Carmona is 4-2 with a 3.45 ERA in nine starts this season. He has given up more than three earned runs just once.

"If Fausto continues doing what he's doing, he definitely will be back," said Mike Redmond, his personal catcher with the Tribe this season. "He's been able to take what he's learned and continue with his career. He's gaining more and more confidence each time out. He's got great stuff, he's a great kid and he works hard. I don't see why he can't get back to being among the best pitchers in the game."

The veteran Redmond played with the Twins last year. He was in the lineup June 4 of last year, going 0-for-4 while his teammates knocked around Carmona. Redmond could not believe what he was seeing, or what happened the next day.

"I wondered, 'How does a guy with that stuff end up going to the minor leagues?' " Redmond said. "Part of the answer, I guess, is that sometimes you get off-track. You get confused.

"When you start struggling, everybody's in your ear. Everybody's got their two cents about what you should be doing. I've seen it happen to other pitchers."

As part of the rebuild, Carmona moved to the left side of the rubber at the suggestion of winter-ball teammate and former All-Star Jose Lima. Lima died last week of a heart attack at 37; Carmona understandably was shaken by the news.

Carmona also has done a much better job with the tempo of his delivery. By not rushing to the plate, he cuts down the chances of flying open with the lead leg.

Flying open was a huge problem the past two years, especially when working from the stretch. The more open he got, the more command suffered. Plenty of hits and walks resulted.

Then the psyche came into play. Runners increasingly rattled Carmona. The longer a jam lasted, the more frustrated he became. His body language made him easy to read. The opposition knew when they had him.

View full sizeChuck Crow / PDCatcher Mike Redmond, left, is credited with helping Fausto Carmona with the mental game of pitching."From what I'd heard, he would have that one bad inning where things would go wrong and he'd just lose it," Redmond said. "At times this year I've seen him get frustrated, but he's been able to get it back and keep us in games."

Redmond credits Carmona's maturation. An American League scout said Redmond also deserves kudos.

"He knows how to rein in pitchers and make sure they stay under control in tight spots," the scout said.

Redmond said: "That's my job. In my mind, I've had certain things I wanted to do and accomplish with Fausto, and they're working. It's a process."

Better control, more pitches

One of the main objectives was for Carmona to decrease his walks. In 2008 and 2009, he combined to walk 140 in 246 major-league innings. He has walked 23 in 57 1/3 this year.

Where the repertoire is concerned, Redmond and pitching coach Tim Belcher have gotten Carmona to mix in more sliders and changeups lately. Those two pitches complement the money ball, a two-seam fastball with late action that more than a few right-handed hitters have said can be one of the nastiest pitches they face.

"Everything works off the two-seamer, of course," Redmond said. "But hitters can't sit on it. The change is getting better, and he's throwing sliders to lefties, which he really hasn't been able to do up until now."

Carmona rarely shakes off Redmond, who, along with Belcher, has emphasized the importance of keeping things simple.

"We've limited the amount of scouting information he sees," Redmond said. "Let me worry about who's hitting and what sequences to use. He's been able to go up and just concentrate on throwing his pitches."

As the success has returned, Carmona has remained his typical humble and quiet self. Still, teammates have noticed more smiles returning.

"He's getting back to the guy from 2007, the pitcher who was confident and having fun," third baseman Jhonny Peralta said.

Carmona and the Yankees have had their moments. In the division series in 2007, Carmona was sensational, ignoring bugs on his face and allowing three hits and one run in nine innings. The Indians won, 2-1, in 11 in part because Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain could not handle those very same bugs in the eighth.

In Carmona's other start against New York last year, April 18 in Yankee Stadium, he gave up four runs in six innings. But he cruised to victory thanks to the Tribe's 14-run second inning en route to a 22-4 demolition.

Sizemore update: Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, in an e-mail said the Indians are in the "end stages" of their investigative process to find out the best way to treat center fielder Grady Sizemore's left knee. Sizemore went on the disabled list May 19 with a bruised knee and spent this week visiting doctors in New York and Vail, Colo., to get opinions.

Plain Dealer reporter Paul Hoynes contributed to this story.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664