When Justin Kaye enters the game, it's time to...

Close the Deal

But you will find the same attitude and confidence that accompanies Hoffman when he takes the mound.

Although he may have lost a little bit of that closer's mentality during the final two months of last season, Lancaster's Justin Kaye has regained that competitive fire and confidence that makes him feel nearly invincible when he enters the game.

"When I go in there, it's my game," Kaye said. "I'm going to take control of it and do what I want to do."

That feeling is so strong that Kaye doesn't even think about who he'll be facing as he warms up in the Lancaster bullpen for a save opportunity. Whether he's facing the heart of the opposition's order or the bottom three hitters in the lineup, it doesn't matter.

"I really don't care, because I don't want to change my approach," Kaye said. "I want to throw my game. If I start thinking about their strengths and weaknesses, that can take me out of what I do best. I'm just going to play the game my way.

"If that means throwing a fastball down the heart of the plate and you hit it, that's OK, because I have eight teammates behind me on defense . . If you get a hit off me, it won't happen the next time."

Kaye, who was the Mariners' 19th-round selection in the 1995 June draft out of Bishop Gordon High School in Las Vegas, said he's always had that level of determination and self-confidence but fine-tuned it while watching major league pitchers like Hoffman and the Dodgers' Kevin Brown on television.

"I know Brown isn't a closer, but he has that same attitude," Kaye said. "You can tell he's not scared of anybody he faces out there. You can look at some pitchers and know they're scared to pitch. But those guys, you can see it in their eyes - they're not scared. They're confident. That's what you need."

Kaye had that same air of confidence around him during the first three months of the 1998 season while he was pitching with Class A Wisconsin of the Midwest League. The right-hander, who started 26 games for the Timber Rattlers in 1997, made 28 appearances - all in relief - last year, going 6-2 with nine saves and an impressive 1.71 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings of work.

Those numbers were good enough to earn Kaye a July 3 promotion to Lancaster. He made that jump before highly regarded starters Ryan Anderson, Gil Meche and Joel Pineiro.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself to prove to (the Mariners) that I deserved that promotion," Kaye said. "I wanted to prove to everyone that I belonged here and that they didn't make a mistake."

The amount of pressure he placed on himself showed.

Kaye's first appearance as a JetHawk was one he'd like to forget. He came into the ninth inning of a July 4 game at High Desert with Lancaster clinging to the lead late, but by the time all the dust had settled at Maverick Stadium, he was the losing pitcher in a 10-8 decision.

Kaye finished the season with a 1-2 mark and a 6.82 ERA in 30 1/3 innings worked with the JetHawks. He also failed to pick up a save in his 16 appearances.

"It was frustrating at times because I didn't pitch the way I knew I was capable of," Kaye said. "I wasn't throwing my game."

But with some offseason soul searching and an impressive 3-0, 3.97 ERA performance at Frederick of the Maryland Fall League, Kaye began to regain some of that closer's confidence he lost in the final two months of 1998.

An impressive spring, in which he was teamed with new JetHawks pitching coach Greg Harris, didn't hurt either.

"With all that energy and aggressiveness that he has, he was kind of herky-jerky with his long arms and legs," Harris said. "We kind of broke his motion down and tried to smooth things out. . . It's not as herky-jerky anymore. It's much more fluid. Now that he's getting a grasp of everything, it's making him much more relaxed out there."

Kaye also has gotten the grasp of a new pitch - the circle changeup, which was taught to him by former teammate Brian Sweeney. Sweeney, who was promoted to Class AA New Haven on Sunday, is a master of fooling hitters with the off-speed pitch.

"That has helped my confidence because now I have three pitches that I can use," Kaye said. "I've started using it more my last couple of times out."

The changeup is set up well by Kaye's fastball, which he usually throws in the 88-93 mph range, and a pitch Kaye calls a curveball, but Harris believes is more of a slider or a "slurve." The debate over the pitch revolves around how fast it moves and its break.

"It's a bit fast for a curveball, but I throw it like a curveball," Kaye said. "It breaks like a curveball. I just throw the crap out of it."

That shouldn't be a surprise. That's how Kaye does everything when he's on the mound.

"I love to be aggressive out there," Kaye said. "I'm not going to let you dictate to me, I'm going to dictate to you. I'm going to come right after you."

So far this season, Kaye certainly has gotten the better of Cal League hitters with that approach. In fact, he's been dominating.

In his seven appearances, the 22-year-old hasn't allowed a run - earned or unearned - in seven innings of work. In fact, only four hitters have reached base against him - three by hits and one via walk. In contrast, Kaye has struck out 12 of the 25 batters he's faced.

And almost all those numbers have come with the game on the line.

The JetHawks enter today's contest in San Jose with a 5-2 record in one-run games, and Kaye had a hand in all five of those victories. He nailed down a 1-0 win at Bakersfield on April 10, a 5-4 triumph April 15 at Visalia, and a 1-0 victory at High Desert on Thursday for his three saves so far this season.

Kaye (2-0) also was the winning pitcher in extra-inning victories over San Bernardino on April 15 and at High Desert on April 20.

"He's a guy that can go that extra inning for you when you need it like he did in those two games," Harris said. "You can throw him for two innings one day and one inning the next before giving him a day off. He gives you a lot of versatility like that.

"He's got the mentality of a closer. There are no finesse closers. They're all aggressive and come right after you. He fits that mold."

It's the role in which Kaye feels most comfortable.

"I love closing out games," Kaye said. "I like going in there with the game on the line. That's what gets me going. I know it's my game."