51s’ Meloan adjusting to move from bullpen

Off the field, Jon Meloan is the same guy. On the pitcher's mound, the 51s right-hander has made a major change in his personality in just a few months.

Responding to a request from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Meloan switched jobs before this season. The 23-year-old has reversed roles, going from a stopper to a starter.

"It was something the Dodgers offered to me, and I said OK," he said. "It sounded good to me."

Meloan is making the transition a smooth one, and he provided more evidence of that Monday night while pitching six innings in Las Vegas' 4-1 victory over Nashville at Cashman Field.

The Sounds' Chris Narveson no-hit the 51s through five innings, but Angel Chavez singled to lead off the sixth, and Narveson was pulled after 5 2/3 innings.

Las Vegas' John-Ford Griffin hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh, and the 51s (20-18) added two runs in the eighth.

Meloan, who did not figure into the decision, allowed one run on five hits and four walks and struck out six. He is 2-3 with a 3.73 ERA after eight starts.

Las Vegas manager Lorenzo Bundy lifted Meloan after he made 101 pitches, 57 for strikes. It was Meloan's longest start since April 16, when he also went six innings.

"The thing with Jon is, as a reliever, what we noticed was a slight drop in velocity when we used him on back-to-back days," Bundy said. "By him starting, hopefully it allows him to get some of that arm strength back and to develop three pitches."

Meloan's fastball hits 90 mph, and he also uses a changeup, curve and cutter.

"You try to make 100 good pitches instead of 15 or 20. It's a different mind-set as a starter, but overall it's still pitching," Meloan said. "I've had some ups and downs so far, but I've liked it. I think it will make me more versatile in the long run."

Being in the starting rotation is not new to Meloan, who studied the role in college. He compiled a 24-4 record at Arizona from 2003-05, helping lead the Wildcats to the College World Series in 2004.

The Dodgers drafted the 6-foot-3-inch Meloan in the fifth round in 2005. He split last year between Double-A Jacksonville and Las Vegas, combining for a 7-2 record and 20 saves, while racking up 91 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings.

He was named the Double-A Reliever of the Year by MLB.com. But his biggest honor came Sept. 1, when he made his major league debut with the Dodgers and pitched two scoreless innings at San Diego.

"As a closer, there's only 30 of them in the big leagues," Meloan said. "As a starter, there's 150 of them, so opportunities are probably a little higher in a starting role."

• NOTES -- 51s outfielder Terry Tiffee, leading the Pacific Coast League with a .430 batting average, went 0-for-3 to end his hitting streak at 18 games. ... Bundy said Tiffee, who left the game in the seventh inning, has a bruised thumb and probably won't play today.