With the success of the “Where are they now?” series, every so often here at Cat Scratches, we’re going to (try to) post an update on a former Kentucky Wildcat in the professional ranks. Because there are so many former Cats playing in the pros, we’ve decided to pick one a week and offer a brief highlight of what they’re doing. The updates will generally coincide with each season’s sport. Today we will be talking about Scott Downs.The skinnyScott Downs, a left-handed starter for UK baseball from 1995-97, is a key cog in the bulllpen for the second-place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.UK backgroundDowns is a native of Louisville, Ky., where he attended Pleasure Ridge Park High School and earned Mr. Baseball honors as a senior. He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 12th round of the MLB Draft in 1994 but decided to attend UK rather than sign a professional contract. He was a starter from day one in Lexington and led the Wildcats in both ERA (3.30) and strikeouts (102) as a freshman in 1995. In 1996, UK featured its best team during Downs’ tenure. Downs helped lead the Wildcats to a 35-24 record and a berth in the SEC Tournament, where UK lost to eventual champion Alabama. Downs again led the team in strikeouts with 92. The Wildcats struggled in the 1997 season, but Downs was a consistent performer, leading the team with seven wins, 105.2 innings pitched, 99 strikeouts and seven complete games and winning SEC Pitcher of the Week honors twice.After a junior season during which he earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors and was nominated for the Golden Spikes Award, Downs was selected in the third round of the MLB draft (94th overall) by the Chicago Cubs. The southpaw finished his UK career with a record of 17-15, an ERA of 4.12 and 293 strikeouts (most in school history).Professional updateDowns spent his college career and most of his professional career as a starter and played parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs and Montreal Expos. In 2006 with the Toronto Blue Jays, his career shifted. He became a full-time reliever that year and allowed just one run in his final 14.1 innings over the final month and half of the year. Since then, he has become one of the best left-handed relievers in all of baseball. From 2007-10 with Toronto, he had an ERA of less than 3.10 each year, including 2007 when had an ERA of 2.17 in a league-leading 81 appearances.He parlayed that success into a three-year deal with the Angels worth approximately $15 million and has proved to be well worth the investment in his first season out west. In 41 appearances and 37.1 innings, he has a 5-2 record and an ERA of 1.45, eighth best among all major leaguers who have pitched at least 30 innings this season. He has allowed just six runs on 23 hits and eight walks all year and is particularly tough on lefties, holding them to just nine hits in 58 at-bats (.155 BA) and just one extra-base hit. Before allowing a solo home run on July 28, he had not allowed a single run since June 22, a streak that spanned 11.2 innings. The Angels will rely heavily on Downs and his signature sinker and curve ball in a hotly contested race in the American League West. Downs’ squad currently has a record of 63-52, just 1.5 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers.What they’re saying about DownsDowns leader of the (back) pack (Marcia Smith, Orange County Register)Downs among Angels’ bullpen highlights (Mike DiGiovanna, Los Angeles Times)Video