All breakups are tough. Sky Sox pitcher Matt Wilhite knows the feeling.

Thursday night, he knew the feeling of revenge.

Wilhite signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim farm system as a 21-year-old out of Western Kentucky University. He spent the first seven years of his professional career with the Angels, his last four with their AAA affiliate the Salt Lake Bees.

But on May 4, he was released without warning.

"I was really upset about it," he said. "You always try to go about things the right way and work hard to get the respect of your coaches and your teammates. That fact of it made me mad because I felt like I had done things the way they were supposed to be done."

Since joining the Sky Sox, he primarily has been used in the closer role and has yet to disappoint. Wilhite is 6-for-6 in save chances.

"I'm real comfortable with it," he said. "I think everybody in the bullpen would like to close at some point because you get a different adrenaline rush as a closer. I'm willing to go pitch any inning, but going in for the ninth (inning) is great."

Before Thursday night's game, Wilhite said he would cherish the chance to close out his former team.

"I'd love it," he said. "The adrenaline's there when you're playing against guys you've lived with for the past four years and guys you've come up with. It'd be nice to go out there and kick their butt."

He got his wish, working two perfect innings and striking out one to save a 4-2 victory. 

Before joining the Sky Sox, things were not going too well in Salt Lake. In six games with the Bees this season, Wilhite had an 8.44 earned run average in 10 2/3 innings. All of his appearances came in middle relief.

Wilhite said the Bees were moving up young pitchers, so that made the 27-year-old righty expandable.

But after sitting at home in Franklin, Ky., for a week and a half, he got a call from the Sky Sox on May 15.

Although he has moved into a new role, Colorado Springs pitching coach Chuck Kniffin has yet to see any change in Wilhite's demeanor and preparation.

"He's just a gamer," Kniffin said. "There's nothing new he's doing, he's just going through a good stretch right now. Matty's the type of guy who'll go out and throw the ninth or throw the first if we tell him to."