Reds pitching was much improved in the 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Luis Castillo gave up two runs in 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and two walks. He struck out four using his two-seam sinker that wasn't his best. Seven of the 17 outs were on fly balls, indicating the sinker wasn't getting low enough on hitters. The main thing was getting outs and outside of two RBI hits in the fourth, he did that.
"Castillo was good. He gave up a couple of hits that drove in a couple runs. He didn't have his great sinker but all in all he had a good mix of pitches," Bryan Price said.
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The Rockies took the lead in the fourth on a walk to Tom Murphy and a double by Noel Cuevas, scoring Murphy. Brendan Rodgers brought in Cuevas with a single.
"It was very good," Castillo said. "My command was really good today with every pitch, the slider, change up and two-seamer. I really believe in this pitch. When you believe in the pitch you can throw it any time, in any count. Most of them were hitting fly balls on my two seamer. A couple of fly balls came off my change up."
It is good that Castillo believes in the two-seamer which is designed to get ground ball outs at Great American Ball Park but the number of fly balls today indicate what Price saw. That Castillo has thrown the two-seamer better in the past.
The Reds tied the game with a run in the sixth.
Mesoraco was hit by a pitch from Ryan Castellani. Scooter Gennett forced Mesoraco at second. Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch and Brandon Dixon, who ended the game hitting ..348 scored Gennett. It was Dixon's second hit of the game.
Jared Hughes pitched a scoreless inning.
The better news was Robert Stephenson's three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out three. Stephenson was coming off two bad outings but was able to command his fastball better today.
"It was good to see," Price said. "He threw a lot more fastballs and he was more acute with the location of his fastball. He had a good slider and split but the fastball command was really a good thing to see."
The Rockies won the game in the bottom of the ninth against lefty Kyle Crockett.
Brendan Rodgers opened the ninth with a single. Yonathan Daza bunted Rodgers to second. Jordan Patterson grounded out, bringing Sam Hilliard to the plate. Hilliard batting left-handed, shot a low line drive past Alex Blandino at third. Blandino didn't have a chance to get in front of it and the Rockies took home the win.
Billy Hamilton was 0-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt. He is still hitless this spring.
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