Craig Breslow, pitching for Boston against Oakland last July, studied biophysics and biochemistry while at Yale.

AP / CHARLES KRUPA

If Craig Breslow ever gains the same command of his pitches that he has of the English language, he’ll be a Hall-of-Famer.

I say this because, in more than 30 years of interviewing professional athletes, I’d never heard one use the word “elucidate” until Breslow did Wednesday afternoon at McCoy Stadium.

What made it even more impressive was that he slipped it seamlessly into a description of his studies in molecular biophysics at Yale.

And, if you think that’s a subject that comes up often in baseball clubhouses, well, let’s just say there’s a better chance of Julio Lugo hitting .400 this season than there is of a bunch of ballplayers sitting around talking about the study of the structures of living organisms and the mechanisms of life processes.

What generally passes for deep and serious conversation in the bullpen, which is Breslow’s lab while pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox, is elucidating the differences in how to grip a two-seam fastball, as compared to a four-seamer.

“Growing up, I’d always had an interest in science,” said Breslow, who attended Trumbull (Conn.) High before matriculating (how’s that for an Ivy League word?) at Yale. “I felt strongly about going to medical school.”

A teammate of Breslow’s with the Bulldogs, John Steitz, is the son of two professors at Yale. Breslow credits them with fostering his interest in biophysics and his other major — biochemistry.

As if playing college baseball while majoring in molecular biophysics wasn’t challenging enough.

“In molecular biophysics,” he said, “you deal with methods of elucidating structures of proteins through such means as x-ray crystallography and spectroscopy. In biochemistry, I studied organic processes on a molecular level — things like DNA replication and genetics.”

Um, OK, Craig.

What say we talk about what pitches you throw.

“I have a ‘slurvy’-type slider I throw to lefties,” he said, “and a cut fastball I throw to righties. I have a big overhand curve I use to try to steal strikes. My best pitch is my changeup.”

So far this season, Breslow’s array of pitches has been almost as baffling to batters as molecular biophysics.

Going into last night’s game, the 26-year-old lefty had an earned-run average of 1.59 in 25 relief appearances covering 39 2/3 innings. He had given up just 30 hits while striking out 48 and walking only 9. He had a record of 1-1, with one save, and hitters were batting a mere .208 against him.

Breslow has been even better at McCoy, which isn’t exactly a “pitcher’s park” — allowing just two earned runs in 22 innings for an ERA of 0.82.

Those impressive numbers have earned him a spot on the International League All-Star Team for the second year in a row.

He also was selected last season, when he was 7-1 for Pawtucket, with a 2.69 ERA in 39 relief appearances covering 67 innings. He gave up just 49 hits and displayed excellent control, striking out 77 while walking only 24.

It was his first year in the Red Sox organization after the Padres, who signed him when he graduated from Yale in 2002, failed to include him on their 40-man roster for 2006.

Breslow had pitched in 14 games for San Diego in 2005, with an ERA of 2.20 in 14 games out of the bullpen. He also was called up to Boston last season, appearing in 13 games and going 0-2, with an ERA of 3.75.

“I was surprised by the (Padres’) decision,” he said, adding that he signed with the Red Sox because they showed avid interest in him, and because he felt there were opportunities for a left-handed reliever in Boston.

Although he can fire his fastball in the “low 90s,” Breslow acknowledges that: “I’m not going to blow it by guys.” Instead, he said: “I trick them. With anything I can think of. I change speeds, and I’m willing to throw any pitch on any count.”

And throw them for strikes, as his whiffs-to-walks ratio clearly shows.

“Fortunately,” he said, “I’ve been pretty consistent in my ability to throw strikes.”

He also considers himself fortunate to have attended Yale — and now to be playing professional baseball.

“For four years,” he said, “I studied with some of the most brilliant minds in the world. Now, I’m having fun playing baseball. When I get here (to the ballpark), I’m all baseball. If I keep pitching well, I’ll have a job in baseball.”

And if he doesn’t, he can put that Yale degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry to good use.

jdonald@projo.com