Cincinnati ? Jose Rijo gets the sign, drops his head, twists his body and goes into the same deliberate motion that he used when he was the 1990 World Series MVP.

Once the ball leaves his right hand, the similarities end.

“He has the same windup and the same arm speed, but different velocity,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said.

That’s not surprising. Five operations since 1995 have carved a prominent 4-inch scar on the side of his right elbow and dramatically affected what he can do with a baseball.

Remarkably, it hasn’t changed what he can do with a hitter. Seven years after he was the Reds’ best pitcher, Rijo is starting again and getting them out.

He pitched six impressive innings in the rain Saturday, beating San Francisco 8-4 while getting one ovation after another from an enchanted crowd. He has made two starts in the last week and won both of them with a new repertoire and the same old flair.

“He topped out at 82 mph out there, but it was the same old Rijo,” former teammate Reggie Sanders said.

Rijo can no longer throw the hissing fastball or the hard-breaking slider that was one of the best in the game. A few weeks from his 37th birthday, Rijo has to rely on a decent forkball, a fastball that leaves the radar gun bored and a slider that has lost most of its snarl.

Using his wits, Rijo makes it work.

“He’s not as dominant as he was back then, but he sure can pitch,” shortstop Barry Larkin said. “It’s great to see. He’s a classic example of how you don’t have to throw 99 mph to get guys out. You just have to pitch.”

After a layoff so long that he got a Hall of Fame vote, Rijo has done something rare for a power pitcher. He has reinvented himself, getting by on guile and guts instead of a good fastball.

“I’m just throwing strikes right now,” Rijo said. “I’m not pitching too much only when I have to, only when I get in trouble.”

The 1.89 ERA underscores how seldom he’s been in trouble. In his latest win, Rijo threw only 72 pitches three-fourths of them for strikes in six innings.

Most of the pitches were clocked at between 77 mph and 82 mph. His fastball hit 88 mph once.

Rijo makes it work by throwing different pitches at different speeds, to the exact spot he wants. He had good control before the elbow went bad; that hasn’t changed.

“When you change speeds like that, it’s just like having eight pitches,” catcher Corky Miller said. “You see those guys that throw 81-83 mph and hit their spots. Those are the toughest guys to hit. A lot of time, hitting 91 mph is way easier than hitting 75 mph.”

How long can Rijo get away with it? Until hitters catch on, or the elbow gives out. There’s no indication that either is about to happen.

When he returned to the game as a reliever late last season, Rijo put up a 2.12 ERA that was the best in Cincinnati’s bullpen. Through four relief appearances and two starts this season, he has fooled ’em again.

“When you’ve got so many young players, that makes it easier for a veteran guy to outthink them,” Rijo said. “You go out there and throw strikes, then you let them chase them. Until they show you they’ve learned how to hit a pitch, you never do anything else.

“If it’s working for you, why change it?”

Rijo’s move into the rotation was supposed to be temporary. He’s doing so well that there’s no way manager Bob Boone can take him out right now.

“He just keeps amazing me,” Boone said. “He earned a spot in spring training based on what he did, and he keeps earning a spot based on what he’s doing.”

Rijo, who calls himself a “walking miracle,” doesn’t know how long the opportunity will last. Left-hander Lance Davis is nearly recovered from a sore shoulder, giving the Reds another option for the rotation.

“Whatever they want to do is fine,” Rijo said. “I’m up for whatever it takes for the team to win.”

If it were up to the fans, nothing would change. Rijo got a standing ovation Saturday as he headed for the mound to throw the first pitch, then another ovation after each remarkable inning.

“All the years without pitching, without being in the papers and television, and everybody shows up on a rainy day,” Rijo marveled. “I’m out to do something special for the fans. I don’t know what it is, but in my heart I know they deserve it.”

He’s already done it for them.