For the second night in a row, the ninth inning doomed the Cincinnati Reds, and after it was over, the result of one game seemed trivial compared to what happened after the game.
The Reds lost on Friday, 6-2, allowing four runs in the ninth inning to the Baltimore Orioles.
Ten minutes after the game ended, it quickly became an afterthought when news broke that the Reds had traded right-hander Luis Castillo, the best pitcher available on the trade market, to the Seattle Mariners for four young prospects.
The Reds fell to 38-61 after Friday's loss. Another late-game collapse seemed inconsequential when this season's writing is largely on the wall, and with the way the season's gone, the most important part always felt like it was going to be at the trade deadline.
The reality of baseball often occurs outside the white lines. Friday night showcased that.
The focus shifted quickly to the future, but before it could, Castillo met with reporters and even though there was excitement about his journey and where baseball was taking him next, there was also sadness about leaving Cincinnati, his home for the last six seasons, the place that gave him his first chance in Major League Baseball.
'Better for the long haul': Reds trade Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners for four prospects
"It's been a beautiful experience," Castillo said through team interpreter, Jorge Merlos. "The personnel, the team, everyone that I've been able to make some type of connection with. To have my name in fans' mouths and have them cheering me on and say things about me, it's something that I'll treasure forever. I won't forget about that."
Castillo said he'll miss taking his little girls to the water park, interacting with fans at the supermarket and taking pictures.
"I've treasured every moment with my family out here, that's for sure," he said.
Reds manager David Bell, who met briefly with the media to discuss Friday's loss, then returned after the Castillo news broke, echoed the same sentiments Castillo did.
"I think in some ways we were ready for it," Bell said. "I don’t know if you can ever really be ready for it. We’re going to miss him. Everybody in the clubhouse and the organization, he has contributed so much. I hope he knows that. I tried to tell him.
".. Just by being exactly who he is, there’s no question he inspired me to be a better person. I think he inspired a lot of people around Cincinnati. Definitely in that room. He couldn’t have done anything more. He has to be proud of everything he did from the first day he became a Red to the last day. We move forward, he moves forward, there’s change and we have to adapt. That’s life."
Castillo accomplished something in Cincinnati that's hard to do. Even with his success, he remained humble, unchanged by the spotlight.
"It almost seemed like the better he got, the more he settled into that role of being an example," said Bell. "Again it’s just who he is. it’s a great way to go through life I’d imagine, being great at what you do and also happy, humble and a hard worker. Always did the right thing, supporting his teammates. It does seem the better he got the more he took on that role and responsibility. We all learned a lot from him."
The business of baseball is never far away.
On Saturday, the Reds will play another game. Castillo won't be in the clubouse or in the dugout. When his next scheduled start rolls around, Bell will write down a different name than the one he's used to.
"That’ll be a reality," Bell said. "I haven’t thought too much about it. I had a pretty good idea it’d be the case. We have five starters. We’ll just continue to adapt and work toward our ultimate goal."
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