The Cincinnati Reds may have picked up a small victory in their 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
Luis Castillo finally took a step forward – or in his estimation, three steps forward.
"I just had a lot of confidence in all four pitches," Castillo said, according to team interpreter Jorge Merlos. "You know, when you feel great with all four pitches, you can throw them at any count that you want, and you can attack any hitter however you want, too."
All the components that made Castillo the team's Opening Day starter were on display. His fastball touched 99 mph. His changeup looked as good as it has all year. His slider was near untouchable.
Former Reds starter Anthony DeSclafani outpitched Castillo in his return to Great American Ball Park, but Castillo finally looked closer to his usual self. Castillo struck out a season-high 11 batters in five innings, allowing three runs on six hits and two unintentional walks.
"We’ve seen (Castillo) pitch like that and shut people out," Reds manager David Bell said. "You give Giants credit for scoring a few runs off him because his stuff is as good as anyone and tonight he had it."
What kept Castillo from a win was the fourth inning. Brandon Crawford opened with a first-pitch single to left field. Mauricio Dubón followed with a first-pitch single to left-center. Then on Castillo’s fifth pitch of the inning, Alex Dickerson lined a changeup over the right-field fence for a three-run homer.
Just like that, the Giants had a 3-1 lead.
"Probably the one pitch all night, honestly, that wasn't executed," catcher Tucker Barnhart said. "But I'll live and die with his changeup any day of the week."
DeSclafani, who owns a 2.03 ERA in nine starts, didn't need much more help. He allowed one run and six hits over seven innings, striking out seven. His only blemish was a leadoff homer by Jesse Winker, the third leadoff homer by Winker this season.
It was apparent in the first inning that it would a different type of day for Castillo. He struck out the side in 16 pitches. He induced five swings and misses. Hitters seemed like they were blindfolded when trying to hit his changeup as it tailed away from bats.
By the third inning, Castillo already had a season-high eight strikeouts. He was overpowering Giants hitters: 14 whiffs, six foul balls and two balls in play. The 14 whiffs matched a season-high and he had only thrown 55 pitches.
"Watching him, you definitely got that feeling," Bell said. "Watching his body language, watching his reaction, seeing how he was in the dugout, you could tell that he felt that. He felt like something clicked.
"It wasn’t just going out in the first inning. Talking to the coaches, watching his work on the side, there were steps to get to this point that I don’t think any of us were surprised. I will say for Luis, until you go out and do it, I think we were relieved for him to finally feel that on the mound."
Castillo is the type of pitcher who thrives on swings and misses. This season, there have been too many pitches over the heart of the plate. He entered Tuesday with a 7.71 ERA. He had allowed at least four earned runs in more than half of his starts.
In the last couple of weeks, Castillo's teammates and coaches kept insisting he was close to returning to an elite level. They felt the signs were there even if the results were ugly. Castillo remained positive despite giving up an MLB-leading 32 earned runs.
"We have a lot of guys in this clubhouse that no matter the good, the bad, they are the same guy every single day," Barnhart said. "That’s one of the biggest compliments that I can give a guy that I play with. It’s something that I wish I can do better."
Castillo had 10 strikeouts through four innings, becoming the first Reds pitcher to accomplish that feat since Jim Maloney on May 21, 1963, in Milwaukee.
The Giants opened the fifth inning against Castillo with a single and a double. Two runners in scoring position and no outs.
Castillo’s response? He pitched out of it. He struck out Evan Longoria. He received some defensive help from Alex Blandino, who threw out a runner at home on a ground ball to save a run and caught a foul ball near the dugout railing.
"I think the work that I’ve done this week, whether it’s in the bullpen or working on other things while I’m out on the field, I felt like it really paid off," said Castillo, who pitched with a temporary Hawkeye tattoo on his forearm. "You could see with all of my repertoire that I was throwing out there. Everything just came together. When you see that come together, it’s a relief for you."
It was just a step forward in one start. The Reds need Castillo to pitch like an ace if they’re going to be a playoff team. But after weeks of struggling, the Reds were happy to see Castillo have some success.
"Even though we didn’t get the victory, I’d say we didn’t just take one step forward, we took three steps forward," Castillo said. "Really, it felt better, and the results were there."
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