On June 15, when Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo threw seven shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, he said he could tell that he was “back.”
After the first two months of the season, Castillo had a 7.22 ERA. In his first three starts of June, culminating with that start against the Brewers, Castillo found a rhythm with his changeup and said he was back to his All-Star level of 2019.
Five weeks later, Castillo isn’t just back. He’s in the middle of his best statistical 10-game stretch in his MLB career. On Saturday night at Great American Ball Park, Castillo didn’t allow an earned run over seven innings and led the Reds to a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
"I’ve been battling a lot, and everything that I’ve been working on has been working now in the past two months," Castillo said via interpreter Jorge Merlos. "I’m just going to keep battling out there as much as I can. Like I’ve said before, and I’ll keep saying, it’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish."
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Over the last month, there isn’t a pitcher in MLB with at least 30 innings and an ERA lower than Castillo’s. Recently, he has pitched six shutout innings against the Brewers with eight strikeouts, pitched seven innings against the Kansas City Royals and pitched seven shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves.
For the first time in his five-year career, Castillo has an ERA of 1.56 or lower over 10 consecutive starts in a single season. Castillo was at that level against the Cardinals on Saturday in front of a crowd of 33,489.
"I feel like we only have to get him one (run)," Reds left fielder Jesse Winker said. "Every time he takes the mound, we feel like we’re going to win."
He finished the win over the Cardinals with nine strikeouts, which was his second-most of the season. In the fourth inning, he stranded two runners on base on an inning ending strikeout with a changeup that dove outside the strike zone. In the sixth inning, he struck out the last two batters and skipped off the mound.
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Reds manager David Bell has said Castillo gets better later in the game after a few of his starts this season, including Saturday's. Again in his start against the Cardinals, Castillo improved in the later innings just like he has improved later in the season.
"To get that deep into the game with that type of stuff, it’s really special," Bell said. "What we’re seeing, and have seen, from Luis for the most part for a while now has been really special."
As well as Castillo pitched, he needed one of the Reds best defensive plays of July to finish his start without allowing an earned run. On a line drive to the warning track by Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader with two outs in the seventh inning, Shogo Akiyama made a leaping catch as he crashed into the wall to prevent an extra-base hit.
Castillo pointed to the sky, and the players in the Reds dugout ran to the top of the steps.
"Probably the best catch of the year," Winker said.
"With the playing time I have right now, I just can’t make any mistakes at all," Akiyama said via interpreter Luke Shinoda. "I think I’m taking each play a little more preciously."
Winker and Joey Votto led the way for the offense. Winker hit a go-ahead RBI double in the second, and Votto gave the Reds a 3-1 lead in the fifth on a high home run to left field.
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Winker, who had three hits with an exit velocity over 104 mph on Saturday, added to the lead with a two-run home run in the seventh. He hit his 20th homer of the season and his first since June 29 on a 380-foot line drive over the right field fence to give the Reds a 5-1 lead.
The Reds bullpen allowed two runs but held on as Cincinnati won its sixth game in its last six matchups against the Cardinals.
"We have a long way to go in the season," Bell said. "I think we know going into every game, no matter who we’re playing – including the teams in our division and absolutely the Cardinals – it takes our best."
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