Beimel’s turn for the better

DENVER —  It was a turning point, quite literally. Joe Beimel turned around his career by adding an inward turn to his delivery that increases the torque in his motion and makes it difficult for batters to pick up the ball.

“It allows my arm to catch up to my body,” Beimel said. “It adds to my deception and gives more sink to my sinker.”

Beimel experimented with the turn in 2005 at the suggestion of pitching coach Joe Coleman when he was mired in triple A for the second year in a row after three middling seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

He has been a different pitcher since, making it back to the big leagues with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and becoming a valued setup reliever with the Dodgers the last two seasons. He set down six batters in order in the seventh and eighth innings of an 8-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

“He has an unusual delivery,” Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said. “There’s almost a pause, and it’s very difficult for hitters to pick up the ball.”

The scouting report on Beimel until last season was to wait him out because he usually fell behind hitters. Now he throws frequent first-pitch strikes and uses his best pitch -- the sinker -- regardless of the count.

“I’m a lot more aggressive, pitching to contact instead of trying to strike guys out,” he said. “I’m trusting my sinker even in fastball counts. When I was in the minors, the pitching coach would make you throw a certain number of changeups and breaking balls. Now I’m sticking with my best pitch.”

*

Beimel, who turned 30 Thursday, said he hasn’t drunk alcohol since the night in New York in October when he cut his hand on a barroom glass and missed the playoffs.

“It feels good,” he said. “I always had trouble getting to sleep, but I’ve learned ways to do it. It’s nice to wake up at a reasonable time and feel good.”

*

Wilson Betemit is batting only .118, but at least he shows up.

A player the Dodgers traded to acquire Betemit from the Atlanta Braves last season is AWOL. Willy Aybar, who is on the disabled list because of a sprained right hand, had a three-day suspension extended indefinitely by the Braves for not coming to the ballpark.

Aybar’s agent, Luis Valdez, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the 24-year-old infielder was battling an alcohol problem and that he drove from Atlanta to Boston to be with his brother, Francis Aybar. Another of Willy’s brothers is Angels infielder Erick Aybar.

“It’s a situation where he doesn’t want anybody to help him,” Valdez said. “He’s embarrassed for himself, for his family.”

Valdez said Aybar was scheduled to meet with someone at the Major League Baseball Players Assn. on Thursday, but overslept.

“This is something that came out of the blue,” Valdez said. “He’s very shy, and it’s very hard to get to him. We’re trying to get him back into baseball.”

Aybar, who is from the Dominican Republic, signed with the Dodgers for $1.4 million in 2000. He was impressive in a late-season call-up in 2005 and batted .313 in 36 games for the Braves last season after the trade.

*

Reliever Rudy Seanez is hitting 94 mph even if he is hitting too many opposing bats. So the 38-year-old right-hander’s 6.43 earned-run average probably isn’t an indication that age has caught up with him.

“I see a bit of inconsistency,” Manager Grady Little said. “At too many inopportune times, the ball is hitting the meat of the bat.”

Seanez has pitched two innings in each of his last two appearances.

“He can go 30 pitches,” Little said. “His fastball and changeup have both been good. If he locates, he’s fine.”

*

Jason Schmidt, on the disabled list because of shoulder inflammation, will not participate in baseball activities until he sees a doctor in L.A.... Hong-Chi Kuo, on the disabled list since spring training because of shoulder soreness, is scheduled to pitch a simulated game today at Dodger Stadium.

steve.henson@latimes.com