Nolan Long has never felt better about his pitching in his minor league baseball career than this season.

In his fourth year as a professional, Long, a 6-foot-10, 255-pound right-hander, is crossing off goals on his checklist.

"I feel like this is the best year that I've ever thrown a baseball," Long said. "I'm throwing my breaking ball for strikes. I've struck out more guys per nine innings, walked less and I'm throwing harder.

"I'm staying within myself. ... I've improved as a player and as a pitcher. I feel like I'm pitching now instead of just throwing. From my perspective, I feel like a completely different pitcher, especially from last year and just light-years away from where I was two years ago."

The former Waterford High School two-sport standout is still trying to figure out the business side of the game.

Take what happened recently.

Long, 24, was pitching fairly well in his second stint this season with the Tulsa Drillers, a Class AA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In five relief appearances covering 6.1 innings, he allowed three runs and five hits while striking out eight and walking three.

Much to his surprise, Long was sent back down Class High-A Rancho Cucamonga in California on Monday. He never received an explanation for the move.

"I really didn't get an answer this time," Long said. "They just moved me down. I just got caught on the business end of things. That's how things go out here sometimes.

"I went up earlier (this season to Tulsa) and struggled a couple of times, and that's why my earned run average looks kind of crooked. But I was doing my job and then I just got the boot. What are you going to do?"

His overall Class AA earned run average this season stands at 6.35

In his first stint with Tulsa in May, Long was touched for runs in seven of his 10 appearances before returning to Rancho Cucamonga where he started this season. He pitched better his second stay there but apparently not good enough to stick around.

Long had to quickly push aside any disappointment once returning this week to Rancho Cucamonga. He pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief on Tuesday, earning the road win against the San Jose Giants.

His Class A statistics this season are impressive. In 18 appearances, he owns a stingy 1.06 earned run average. He's given up only 18 hits in 34 innings with 50 strikeouts and just 12 walks.

"I already showed that I deserved to be in AA," Long said. "When I've pitched in this league, I've been feeling really good and doing my job whenever they put me in — beginning of the game, end of the game, closing games. I haven't been walking guys and been striking out a bunch of guys.

"I'm upset that I got sent back. When I come back, it's still the same game, so you've just got to keep going. That's pretty much what you've got to do when you're playing minor league baseball because there's going to be a game tomorrow."

Long has received some valuable advice during his minor league journey.

A few weeks ago in Tulsa, veteran pitcher Justin De Fratus, who spent parts of five seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, pulled Long aside for a chat.

De Fratus had watched Long allow two runs in one inning against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. He asked Long to meet him the next day.

The conversation went like this, according to Long.

De Fratus asked Long how many good swings batters put on his pitches.

Long thought about his outing during which he gave up a couple of singles and a hard hit fly ball before responding maybe five good swings.

"He said, 'I saw zero good swings on your fastball and on your other pitches. It's just how you sequence them. I saw you throw great curveballs and great fastballs, but I was kicking myself because I saw the way you sequenced things. Guys are older now. When they hit, they've seen your pitches a thousand times. ... You're out there trying to trick guys rather than beat them.' "

Long heeded the sound advice.

The game began to slow down for Long. In his next appearance, he pitched a spotless 1.1 innings.

"I thought that was really awesome," Long said about De Fratus reaching out to him. "He's an older guy and he came out of his shell a little bit and pulled me aside and did that, which was really cool. We went over film. It really was eye-opening."

Going forward, Long will be trying to open some eyes in the Los Angeles organization.

Long will continue to work with Rancho Cucamonga pitching coach Connor McGuiness. They have a good relationship.

He's learned to cope with the ups and downs of a minor leaguer.

"You've got to find the beauty in everything," Long said. "If I look at it from a bigger picture, I'm in California and I'm playing baseball with some of my best friends. Obviously, for a career, I deserve to be in AA. It's just something that I have to deal with and keep throwing."

"... If I just keep improving, that's all I can do. I know they see it. It's just a matter of time."

g.keefe@theday.com