MILWAUKEE – One week after the Cincinnati Reds traded Luis Castillo and three days after they traded Tyler Mahle, right-hander Robert Dugger was given the first opportunity to fill one of the vacant slots in the starting rotation.
Predictably, Dugger was not at the same level as Castillo or Mahle.
Dugger, making his third appearance with the Reds and his first start in the Majors since Sept. 9, 2019, surrendered a two-run homer to Rowdy Tellez in the first inning and a three-run homer to Tyrone Taylor in the second inning in a 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
The Reds have a 2-8 record against the Brewers this season, including a 0-4 record in Milwaukee.
As the Reds move forward without two foundational starters, it’ll mean more innings are available for inexperienced pitchers. The 27-year-old Dugger was designated for assignment four times this year, including three times by the Reds, but Friday was his first showcase to truly stick in the rotation.
More:Cincinnati Reds place Hunter Greene on 15-day IL with right shoulder strain
More:Kyle Farmer: Losing starting shortstop job and move to third base 'caught me off guard'
More:Former Reds All-Star Todd Frazier to make Little League World Series broadcasting debut
The problem for Dugger was he failed to work ahead in counts. He threw a first-pitch strike to eight of his 20 batters and just 39 of his 73 pitches were strikes. That’s extremely difficult for any pitcher to survive, especially one who didn’t throw a ball above 90 mph.
Dugger started in a 3-0 count to Tellez, the third batter he faced. His 3-1 pitch was clobbered to right field, a 432-foot blast that left Tellez’s bat at 113.5 mph in front of the crowd of 32,239.
In the second inning, Dugger paid the price for back-to-back sliders to Taylor, the No. 9 hitter in Milwaukee’s lineup. Taylor pulled the second slider into the left-field seats for his 12th homer of the season. Dugger yielded only two homers in his last 38 2/3 innings at Triple-A Louisville.
Dugger lasted four innings, giving up five runs on four hits and four walks. He could remain in the rotation, particularly after Hunter Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with a right shoulder strain.
That's three starters gone from the rotation within a week. Castillo, meanwhile, picked up a win in his Seattle Mariners debut by holding the New York Yankees to three runs in 6 2/3 innings, and Mahle was the first Twins pitcher to complete six innings in nearly two weeks.
It’s not just the pitching that took a hit at the trade deadline. The Reds, now without Brandon Drury, Tommy Pham and Tyler Naquin in their lineup, have combined for nine runs in their last five games.
The Reds loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning through two singles and a walk. After a mound visit, Brewers lefty Eric Lauer escaped a 27-pitch first inning without any damage on the scoreboard by striking out Aristides Aquino.
It took until the fifth inning before the Reds had another runner touch second base. The Reds produced three consecutive singles off Lauer, including an RBI single from Kyle Farmer into left field.
Source link
