Zink is knuckling down now

PAWTUCKET, R.I. - The theory, including from Charlie Zink himself, is that no major league team would consider having two knuckleball pitchers in the same rotation.

"I've heard that a number of times," said Red Sox director of player development Mike Hazen. "I don't think that comes into our thought process. Charlie has pitched as well as anybody has pitched in Triple A this year. That's what he needs to do to get to the big leagues. It's not going to be a function of what the rotation looks like."

On that count, Zink has been a revelation this season, with a 13-3 record and 2.76 ERA for Pawtucket. Opponents have batted only .222 against him.

"I think there's two things in play that we've seen this year that have really helped," Hazen said. "I think the maturity factor, the learning the knuckleball, the consistency of his knuckleball, I think the commitment to his knuckleball. [Tim Wakefield] doesn't throw 2-and-0 fastballs. You have to be able to throw a 2-and-0 knuckleball, or else you're going to get hammered. And Charlie has, finally, I think, found the conviction to throw that knuckleball four-fifths of the time."

Add in a changeup and improved fastball command, and the results have been impressive. Even though he hasn't been as dominant lately, especially when having to be pulled from a start July 19 after giving up five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings, Zink, who turns 29 Aug. 26, has been able to go deep into games and give his team the opportunity to win. Exactly what the Red Sox look for from Wakefield.

It was in that July 19 start that Zink, for the first time this season, got predictable with his secondary pitches, not showing the same faith in his knuckler. Or, as he says, he got mad and started throwing his batting practice fastball.

Since then, Zink has gone back to the knuckleball. In fact, he threw 100 percent knucklers in his last start Tuesday - 95 of 95 - going seven innings and earning the win.

"That's got to take a lot of guts," Hazen said of throwing a knuckleball in a 3-and-1 count. "He doesn't probably know exactly where it's going. I think that takes a lot of guts to do that. I think that's the maturity side that we're seeing."

In other seasons, after having one bad outing, Zink would put in yet another call to his agent to see if there might be interest in him as a "regular" pitcher. There never was. So he had to recommit to being a knuckleballer, something he seems to finally be comfortable with - helped, of course, by how well he has done this season.

"It just gradually kept getting better and better," Zink said. "Now it's finally to the point where I'm not ever worried about throwing a ball. Full counts, I'll throw a knuckleball still. I don't worry about walking people anymore.

"A lot of it is me just having to believe in it. I always wanted to go back to throwing hard. Now I know I can't do that anymore, so I have to be able to figure it out to throw consistent knuckleballs up there that will move and hopefully not get hit hard."

On the up and up

After allowing just three earned runs in 42 innings with short-season Lowell, Brock Huntzinger was promoted to Single A Greenville Wednesday. The 20-year-old had a 5-0 record and 0.64 ERA with just seven walks, and an opponents' batting average of .168. Huntzinger is consistently around 89 miles per hour with his fastball, but can get it up around 91 when he needs to.

"If he stays healthy, he'll be in the big leagues within, I think, two, three years, whether it's in the bullpen or the back end of a rotation," said Lowell manager Gary DiSarcina. "He knows how to pitch. With Brock, everything's easy. He's one of those kids that throws an easy-looking fastball that jumps on you. His command, he'll throw a fastball where he wants to throw it, in whatever quadrant of the plate he's going."

Son also rises

Chris Johnson, son of Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson, was promoted this week to Triple A in the Houston organization. Chris, a third baseman, hit .324 with 12 home runs and 24 doubles in Double A. Ron Johnson was bursting with pride earlier this week, telling the news to reporters and Sox Latin American operations coordinator Eddie Romero, whose father, Ed Romero, happens to be the Astros' third base coach . . . Since being promoted to Greenville, skipping Lowell, 17-year-old third baseman Michael Almanzar hasn't quite had the same impact he did when he began his professional career. Almanzar, who batted .348 for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, is batting .171 (6 for 35) with Greenville.

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com.