Watson’s Fan Appeal? Answer Is Elementary

Allen Watson’s numbers won’t scare anybody, and he probably won’t be mentioned among this year’s Cy Young candidates. But ever so quietly Watson is beginning to warm the hearts of the Angel fans and become one of Manager Terry Collins’ most dependable starters.

Wednesday was another prime example of Watson’s worth. He didn’t have any Brewers walking back to the bench shaking their heads, but he pitched a solid 6 2/3 innings and left with his team leading, 6-4. The Angel bullpen struggled, but preserved his career-high 10th victory against six losses.

“I don’t know what his record is, but a lot of games you look up in the seventh inning and we have the lead,” Collins said. “That means he’s doing his job.”

In Watson’s last 10 starts, he has pitched into the sixth inning every time. He has won five of those starts and lowered his earned run average from 5.86 June 14 to a season-low 4.54 Wednesday.

“This has been the best stretch in my career,” said Watson, 26, who never won more than eight games in his previous four big league seasons with St. Louis and San Francisco. “[Angel pitching coach Marcel Lachemann] said to stay consistent and keep us in the game. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

And that’s what he wasn’t doing early in the season.

Watson appeared on the police blotter before appearing in the win column. After two starts, his ERA was 13.50 and Angel fans were wondering who was this guy they acquired from San Francisco for first baseman J.T. Snow. On April 18, Watson was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges after slugging a casino patron in Liberty, Mo., on a Friday off before the Angels played in Kansas City. The case was settled out of court.

Watson won his first game with the Angels May 3. He went five more starts before picking up another victory and on May 19, he was 1-3 with a 7.04 ERA.

“I was down,” Watson said. “I put a lot of pressure myself. I wasn’t fulfilling my part. It was a lot of things, physical and mental. I wasn’t preparing myself as well as I could have.”

Watson said he prepared himself for Wednesday’s start by lounging by the pool.

“I knew it was going to be hot,” he said. “I’d been laying out by the pool and there was no breeze. I had to jump in the water every five minutes.”

There were no pools of water Wednesday, only pools of sweat and a mist-fan in the dugout to combat the 98-degree heat.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Watson said. “I’m used to the heat in St. Louis. There was actually a little breeze on the mound. You can’t think about the heat. It’s the same for the other pitcher.”

Watson gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out five and was done after 93 pitches.

“I was throwing as few pitches as I could, throwing a lot of first pitch strikes,” Watson said. “Only going six-plus innings, I put a lot of pressure on the bullpen. But they came through like they have all year.”

And suddenly the Snow-for-Watson trade isn’t looking so lopsided. Snow is hitting .307 with 18 homers and 69 runs batted in.

“He’s doing a good job over there,” Watson said. “That’s what you usually want from a trade. Both teams are happy.”