Balk Haunts Luis Castillo As Freddy Krueger Peralta Terrifies Reds

It was gloomy and gruesome on a day where the sun shined liberally on the Great American Ball Park crowd who witnessed the Reds third straight one-run loss, 1-0.  It was the second time in four games the Reds were shutout.

Freddie Peralta wasn't wearing a mask but pitched to the Reds as if they were blind folded.

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The Reds got a single from Eugenio Suarez but not so much as a ground out in Peratlta's eight scoreless innings.  Suarez singled to begin the Reds' second inning.  Peralta retired the next 20 Reds' batters and 23 out of 24, amassing 11 strikeouts until Curt Casali singled to left, two outs into the eighth.  Puig swung through a 2-2 pitch to become the Reds' 11th strikeout victim.

"Wink hit a couple balls hard and Suarez.  I think you have to give Peralta credit.  He pitched a really good game," Bell said.  "I'm happy with Castillo.  He's had two good starts."

Luis Castillo was living a nightmare.  While he was on a treadmill, racking up outs, he was gaining no ground.   Castillo gave up a hit, four walks and hit a batter in seven innings but a little bitty balk let him down.

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With one out in the second inning, Castillo issued a four-pitch pass to Jesus Aguilar.  Turning to make a token pick off throw to first base, Castillo realized Joey Votto wasn't on the bag and held it.  Balking Bob Davidson wasn't needed to make the call.  Tony Randazzo and each of his crew members could do it individually and in unison.

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"He was taking a big lead.  I thought he was going to run," Castillo said through interpreter Julio Morillo.  "I saw that and tried to pick him off at first.  It was my fault.  I lost the game in that inning."

One out later, Manny Pina singled up the middle and the Brewers were on the scoreboard.
"After that happened, I told myself to keep pitching.  Try to get hitters out and that's what I did," Castillo said.

Amir Garrett gave up a double to Lorenzo Cain but retired the next three batters, one on strikes.  Jared Hughes kept the Brewers from scoring in the ninth.

"We are all very confident," Winker said.  "We've just been on the wrong side of hard hit balls.  We've hit them hard but right at some guys.  It is just baseball.  You try to hit the ball as hard as you can, hoping some of them will fall.  They will start falling for us."

Alex Wilson relieved Peralta to start the ninth.  Tucker Barnhart walked to start the ninth, the Reds' third base runner.  Michael Lorenzen was the pinch runner.  Jesse Winker struck out looking.  Votto popped to Travis Shaw at third base.  Matt Kemp took the count full before grounding a single through the shortstop hole, sending Lorenzen to third as the first base running to reach second and third base.  It was up to a battle between Suarez and Wilson, who did not make the Cleveland Indians roster this spring and signed by Milwaukee on March 24.  Suarez forced Kemp at second on the lone ground out of the game.

"Kemp had a good at bat.  He kept the game alive," Bell said.  "The results aren't there right now but guys continue to compete.  We remain confident that it is going to turn around."

"We've had 11 at bats. We have some 500 more to go.  I'm sure we'll drop in some hits," Kemp said.  "For sure we're going to score runs.  We'll get some things going.  With the offense and hitters that we have we're capable of doing it.  We've got to relax, have fun and keep doing what we've been doing."

The Reds were shutout at Great American Ball Park for the second time this season.  They were blanked just three times at home all of last year.  It was the 23rd 1-0 game in the history of the park which opened in 2003.