Faltering Higuera Has Everyone Baffled

MILWAUKEE —  Ted Higuera, the ace of the Milwaukee Brewers’ pitching staff, is faltering and nobody seems to know why.

It’s troubling because Higuera was one of the most consistent performers for the Brewers in the first half of the season. But the second-year pitcher has been anything but consistent as of late.

In the last four starts, Higuera has one win, two losses and a no decision. The pitcher who has eight complete games has gone 2, 8, 4 and 3 innings in those four starts.

His earned run average has slipped to 2.76.

Last Wednesday, Higuera gave up four hits and four runs and walked an uncharacteristic five batters as the Brewers lost to the Angels, 6-1, and dropped to 40-42--the cellar of the American League East.

The pitcher that Manager George Bamberger once called his stopper is stopping himself.

“He was wild . . . I think his delivery was really lousy,” Bamberger said of last Wednesday’s performance. “Nobody has an answer.

“He says he feels fine. Of course, pitchers go in slumps just like hitters,” Bamberger added. “I’d really like to bring him back Sunday, but I can’t. (Juan) Nieves is pitching Sunday.”

Bamberger, a former pitching coach who believes good pitchers thrive on little rest, took solace in the recent record of another American League pitcher. “You know, (Boston’s Roger) Clemens just lost two in a row.”

The veteran Moore, one of Milwaukee’s three catchers, has come to be Higuera’s person catcher and spokesman. He says the 27-year-old Higuera, a veteran of the tough Mexican League, hasn’t been himself lately.

“Maybe he’ll come back and be the Teddy Higuera of old,” Moore said Wednesday.

Moore says that in three of the last four outings, Higuera’s breaking ball has been flat, his fastball off mark.

“He’s got seven days now” with the upcoming All-Star break, Moore said. “Maybe he needs a little rest.”

Moore says the 5-foot-10, 178-pound Higuera has had a lot of innings for a guy his size--more than 137 innings, which rates him among the AL leaders.

“Let him rest and get strong,” Moore said.

Higuera, meanwhile, has a 10-7 record. Few pitchers in the league have more wins.