HAWKINS IN SAVE MODE

At 42, veteran plays big role

Thrust into a bullpen laden with young flame- throwers, LaTroy Hawkins did not expect to work as a closer again.

But on Wednesday afternoon, Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker told him to be ready for the ninth inning if a save opportunity arose. The Jays wanted to rest closer Roberto Osuna. The other likely candidate, Aaron Sanchez, was serving a suspension.

So the team’s old man at 42, pitching in his 21st big- league season, got the call. Hawkins soldiered his way through a rocky ninth to preserve a 9- 7 win over Minnesota and, in the process, became only the 13th pitcher to record a save against all 30 major- league teams.

Given the makeup of the Jays’ bullpen, he didn’t figure to complete the circle of saves against Minnesota, the team that drafted him in 1991. Another new Jay, Mark Lowe, told him this series offered him his last chance, since he plans to retire after the season and the Jays don’t play the Twins again this season.

“I had never thought about it until ( Tuesday),” he said. “Lowe said something to me about it, making a joke in the bullpen. I’m like, ‘ Really? Well, I probably won’t have a chance to get that.’ And then when ( Walker) told me I had a chance, that I was closing tonight, I’m like, ‘ Oh, OK, cool.’ And the game started to unfold, opportunity presented itself.”

Hawkins, who came to the Jays with Troy Tulowitzki in last week’s trade with the Rockies, has pitched for 11 teams and posted saves for eight of them. He didn’t record his first save until he was 27. He has been a closer of necessity at times, but more often has pitched in the earlier innings.

Last year he saved 23 games for Colorado. Since the trade, he has appeared in four games for the Jays, allowing no runs. His ERA this year is 3.20. His fastball still averages 93 miles per hour.

In the big trades for Tulowitzki and David Price, “Lowe and Hawkins kind of snuck in under the radar a little bit,” manager John Gibbons said.

“But there was a little bit of a plan behind that,” he added. “We wanted to beef up that bullpen a little bit. They’ve both had great years. Lowe’s been dominating all year. Hawk’s been Mr. Reliable for 20plus years now. That was big. That gives us a little more of a comfort zone when you get some veteran guys out there.”

Hawkins, who has 127 saves in his career, said he and Lowe are ready for anything. “I think it helps when you have a deep bullpen,” he said. “… It’s a manager’s dream when you’ve got a deep bullpen.”