"I don't want to kill anybody," he said, "or do anything crazy."

So, that's something.

But Betancourt's mystifying struggles this season were very much a part of the death of the Indians' contention hopes.

Betancourt was counted on to be a stopper in the late innings -- initially in the setup role he so masterfully handled a year ago -- but also as a closer when Joe Borowski was injured in April.

The Betancourt-as-closer experiment was a short-lived and unsuccessful one, and the right-hander has never really recovered in a season gone awry. He is 2-4 with a 6.04 ERA in 44 2/3 innings over 45 appearances entering Wednesday's game with the Tigers. That ERA is the second-highest among American League relievers with at least 40 innings under their belt. Betancourt has also served up nine home runs, and opponents are batting .290 off him.

And if you think Betancourt's numbers look bad, you should see his sleeping patterns.

"I can count the times I've slept good the whole year on one hand," he said. "I really worry about this."

That he worries this much is not surprising. You'd be hard-pressed to find a player in the Indians' clubhouse who takes on more accountability and wears the successes and stumbles of the team more than Betancourt.

This year, he's had plenty to wear -- none of it good. No wonder manager Eric Wedge is hoping Betancourt can find some way to put the first four months behind him.

"He needs to disconnect from the numbers," Wedge said. "Sometimes it helps to say, 'All right, we're going to start over today and see where it goes.'"

Little has gone right for Betancourt because he has lost the fastball command that was a hallmark of his '07 season, in which he compiled a 1.47 ERA in a career-high 68 appearances and 79 1/3 innings and allowed just four home runs.

Interestingly, Wedge believes Betancourt's secondary stuff has actually improved this season.

"You look at the depth of his breaking ball and the arm action on his changeup, and it's better," Wedge said. "Where he struggles is in regard to how to use it."

Earlier this year, Wedge called Betancourt out for not establishing his fastball on the inside part of the plate. He has since backed off that complaint, because, it seems, no matter where Betancourt places his pitches, the opposition pounces on them. That was evident Tuesday night, when Betancourt ran a fastball down and in to the right-handed Brandon Inge, and Inge turned it into a two-run homer to left.

"I keep working hard every day," Betancourt said. "But sometimes things don't go the way you want. I haven't had fun this year."

This year is the first of a two-year contract extension the Indians signed Betancourt to in the winter. That contract included clauses that would have increased its value, had Betancourt become the club's closer. Obviously, this is not a deal that has worked out the way either side envisioned.

The Indians could consider shopping Betancourt before the '09 season begins, or they could stick with him and hope this season turns out to be a mere hiccup in what has otherwise been a decent tenure with the Tribe.

For now, with Betancourt showing no signs of fatigue or injury, all Wedge can do is keep running him out there -- albeit, in less-prominent situations than before -- and hope for the best.

"He may not get it this year," Wedge said. "But that doesn't mean we're not going to keep trying."