Thompson Adopts New Approach: Not So Fast

John Thompson can throw a baseball harder than most pitchers in the major leagues.

And now that he’s stopped showcasing his arm so often, Thompson might actually have a shot at making the majors.

Last week Thompson explained his recent struggles simply: “Anyone can hit a fastball when they know it’s coming.”

So, relying less on his fastball, Thompson has not allowed a run in his last four outings, spanning 5 1/3 innings.

Thompson had allowed 17 earned runs in his previous 9 2/3 innings in raising his earned-run average to 7.04.

“I think a lot of the success is just being able to throw my breaking ball anywhere in the count,” he said. “I’ve also been throwing my two-seam fastball [which sinks] and getting some ground balls, instead of just trying to strike everyone out.”

A 23-year-old right-hander in his fifth pro season, Thompson still has a 6.31 ERA to go with six losses and four blown saves in 14 opportunities.

“It’s like I just woke up and said, ‘I want to finish good,’ ” Thompson said. “A [bad] four months is not going to go away with one good month, but at least it will give me some confidence into next year.”

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First baseman Shawn Buhner, who was activated Thursday, learned just before the JetHawks’ trip last week that his left foot was only bruised, not broken.

“I’m just glad to be back,” Buhner said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed [playing]. You hear people talk about the dog days of August, but it’s like spring training for me.”

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Reliever Chris Beck, who had been out because of tendinitis for almost two months, was activated Friday. Outfielder Doug Carroll was sent down to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to make room on the roster. The JetHawks now have 13 active pitchers.

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Tonight’s Game:

High Desert (Dan Reed, 3-4, 5.07) at JetHawks (Marino Santana, 7-13, 4.72), 7:15 p.m.