MINNEAPOLIS — When Kole Calhoun saw a slider on the first pitch from Sean Doolittle last week, he took it.
Then the Angels’ outfielder got another slider. He swung and missed. Same with the next one.
Was this the same Doolittle? This man has goggles and, suddenly, a decent slider; he’s not merely a bearded guy who throws all fastballs.
“To see it three times definitely surprised me,” Calhoun said. “I know he’s been working on it for a while. I’ve seen a few, I think, maybe last year or the year before. But it’s never been a pitch for him he’s gone to a lot.