Article: STARTING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN; Carlos Silva is making a seamless transition from reliever to starter, giving the Twins' rotation a timely boost as he continues learning on the job.(SPORTS)

Byline: La Velle E. Neal III; Staff Writer

Carlos Silva's sinking fastball generally dives downward, allowing it to miss the fat part of the bat and produce ground ball outs in bunches.

"I've always thrown that pitch," Silva said. "Even when I was 7. When I came [to the United States] every pitch just moved. My coach asked me how I gripped the ball. Then he taught me how to throw the four-seam [straighter] fastball."

The two-seamed (sinking) fastball was the Venezuelan-born Silva's most effective tool as he rose through Philadelphia's farm system. He eventually became a reliable reliever who earned a reputation for throwing strikes and not ...

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