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Dateline: Goodyear, Arizona
Rhett Lowder erased a dismal 2024 in his second Cactus League game.
The 23-year old number one pick by the Reds in the 2023 draft had shoulder and oblique problems last season.
Early in spring, Lowder is showing why the Reds spent the draft pick on him.
He followed his college teammate at Wake Forest on February 21 with two scoreless innings against the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed a run on two hits and a walk. In his first start against the Los Angeles Angels, he only threw seven pitches in the first inning. He walked Chris Taylor with two outs and quickly got out of the inning. His third inning took nine pitches. He fanned former teammate, Jeimer Candelario.
Lowder was so efficient in his 30-pitch outing that he went to the bullpen to throw 10 more pitches.
"Part of the game plan is to get the ball on the ground when I could to get out of there quick," Lowder said. "Each week I'm trying to get better it's been awhile since I've been in a regular routine."
"The future is very bright," Terry Francona said of Lowder. "He knows how to pitch, He pitched three innings 30 pitches with a really good breaking ball. He pitches like a veteran. He throws strikes, changes speeds. He follows the glove. It is kind of fun to watch."
The Reds scored a run off Brent Suter, who signed with the Angels after two seasons with the Reds.
Julian Aguiar, who like Lowder is coming back from injury allowed three runs in his first inning of work, giving up a double to Nolan Schaneul and home run to Logan O'Hoppe. Christian Moore singled went to second when Aguiar failed to pick him off on the third try. Oswald Peraza doubled to score Moore.
"Aggie left a breaking ball that maybe we'll pick it up on the way home," Francona said. "Other than that he was good."
Sam Moll pitched a scoreless inning. Jose Franco struck out five batters in two scoreless innings. Franco, 25, was 10-4 with a 3.11 ERA with Chattanooga and Louisville last season in 26 starts.
"Franco was fun to watch," Francona said. "
Yunior Marte allowed one run on two hits in his inning but Francona liked the way he held base runners.
"Marte hung an off speed pitch for a double. Other than that he was really good. He's quick to the plate. That kid was trying to run the whole time and he couldn't. I don't know if it's a split but it is a good off speed pitch," Francona said.
Rece Hinds tripled and walked in two plate appearances. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Garrett Hampson. Blake Dunn lined a home run over the left field fence against Shaun Anderson with two outs in the ninth.
The Reds fell a run short in a 4-3 decision.
Colorful Umpire Remembered.
Bruce Froemming, who umpired in the Major Leagues for 37 years, died at the age of 86 on Wednesday. He was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native.
Froemming was a little big around the waist and had a caustic wit.
On his trips to Cincinnati, he could be found at a now defunct bar called Blaser's next to Covington Catholic High School where he was known to sing karaoke.
With a thick Wisconsin accent he drew affectionate laughs from the patrons, bouncing up and down as he sang, Elvira by the Oak Ridge Boys as a musical tribute to a character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark on Los Angeles local television that showed creepy movies.
One evening at the show, a lady asked the umpire how the game went. Froemming's response was, "It was alright for awhile, then everybody got pissy."
Reds manager Terry Francona added an anecdote.
"I got along with Bruce really well," Francona said. "The funniest was Cleveland's video coordinator Mike Barnett. He would always wear these sansabelt's (slacks with a with a wide elastic band in the waist. I would always write Froemming on the inside of his baseball pants, he would get so pissed at me. Bruce was a little bigger. I got along well with Bruce. Those are the personalities that baseball used to have."
Froemming served as an MLB ump for 37 consecutive seasons, from 1971 to 2007. He called 5,163 games, including a record 11 no-hitters; worked five World Series (1976, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1995); and umpired a record 10 National League Championship
Froemming was the home-plate umpire for Nolan Ryan’s record fifth no-no in 1981 and at first base for Dennis Martinez’s perfect game in 1991. He was also behind the plate in 1972 when Milt Pappas retired the first 26 hitters before issuing a walk, with Froemming making a couple of calls that received scrutiny with Pappas’ potential perfect game turning into a no-hitter.
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