SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Derek Lowe learned to throw a sinking fastball when he was in Class AA with Seattle in the mid-1990s. Where would he be without it?

"Without the sinker, I'd be working at McDonald's, supersizing your Value Meal," Lowe said.

Lowe's sinker was on display Wednesday against San Francisco at Scottsdale Stadium. He pitched four crisp innings, as the Indians played to a 2-2 tie after 10.

Half of Lowe's 12 outs came on ground balls.

"I learned how to throw it in Double A," Lowe said. "I was at a crossroad. I had to come up with something to separate myself from the next guy. Our pitching coach, Jeff Andrews, really understood the sinker.

"My grip is about as basic as you can get. I throw extremely far across my body. I do a lot of things mechanically that you wouldn't teach. I think you either do it or you don't [throw a sinker] . . . I don't even know what makes it sink."

Lowe was the first Tribe pitcher to go four innings this spring, and he did it in fewer than 50 pitches.

Before the sinker, Lowe threw harder but not necessarily better.

"I threw in the low 90s, but so did a lot of guys," Lowe said. "It was as straight as a string. I tell people, 'If you can get it to move a skosh, try it.' Then you can throw it in a general area instead of throwing a four-seamer where you have to have really good control."

Lowe, 9-17 last year, issued a warning for the coming season.

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Pitcher Derek Lowe owes his longevity to his sinker: Cleveland Indians Insider