The low point for Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Robert Dugger was when he sat in the visitor’s clubhouse at PNC Park earlier this season with Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson’s arm around him. Dugger was trying to figure out why he had been designated for assignment before he had pitched in a game.
The low point for Reiver Sanmartin came in Colorado on May 1. He had allowed six runs while recording just two outs. Sanmartin was pulled from the game and optioned to Triple-A, and afterward he admitted that he was lacking in confidence.
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Life as an unestablished pitcher is a tough gig. It can involve being DFAd due to the “numbers game” on the roster and getting optioned to Triple-A when you can’t figure out an adjustment or after you throw too many pitches. You have to be able to pitch in a lot of different roles.
So on Thursday night, when the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-1, in front of a crowd of 9,575 fans at Great American Ball Park, it was a memorable moment for two relievers who have had up-and-down seasons.
“That’s what it is all about,” Reds manager David Bell said. “It’s very difficult to get to this point in their career where they are Major League pitchers. It’s even more difficult to stay. I know that they both believe they are Major League pitchers and very good ones. Every opportunity they get to show that is great.”
Tyler Mahle was supposed to start for the Reds in the second game of their doubleheader on Thursday against the Pirates. But on Wednesday, Mahle went on the injured list with a right shoulder strain.
That left the Reds without a starting pitcher to face the Pirates on Thursday night.
Entering the game, the bullpen was the weakness of the Reds roster. After placing Luis Cessa on the injured list, the Reds had eight of their best relievers on the injured list. The Reds have been forced to use minor league call-ups in high-leverage roles, and the bullpen has cost the team several games recently.
On Thursday, the Reds needed all nine innings from relief pitchers who weren’t close to the top of the bullpen depth chart. They got it from four pitchers who have faced as much adversity in their careers as anyone on the Reds.
“It's a game of adversity,” said Dugger, who found out around midnight on Thursday morning that he was heading to MLB. “You're going to have changes throughout the whole game. You never know when your name is gonna be called. And that's why those guys are so good down there (in the bullpen). At the click of a button or a phone call, they've got to be ready to go.”
Jeff Hoffman opened the game for the Reds, he delivered 1 ⅔ scoreless innings against the Pirates. Ross Detwiler followed Hoffman and allowed the only run of the game in the inning he pitched.
Dugger entered the game in the fourth inning needing to cover the bulk of the game. He knew what his role was.
“My job today was to eat some innings and keep us in the ballgame,” Dugger said. “And I think I did a very good job with that.”
He pitched 3 ⅔ scoreless innings and got a long-awaited payoff to a difficult season.
On May 2, Dugger was designated for assignment by the Tampa Bay Rays. He was claimed by the Reds but kept in transaction limbo until the team needed him to pitch a doubleheader on May 6. Two days later, Dugger was designated for assignment.
For a week, Dugger stayed in a hotel room throwing weighted balls, trying to stay ready for his next opportunity. On May 12, the Reds needed bullpen depth again and called Dugger up. He drove up to Pittsburgh, eager to show what he could do in a longer opportunity.
The Reds designated him for assignment before he pitched in another game. Dugger spent the next two months in the minor leagues, but his patience was rewarded with a career-game on Thursday.
“(You have) to be a grinder, you know?” Dugger said. “This game is not easy. You have your struggles and you've just got to overcome those and learn from those and be better.
Sanmartin entered the game with one out in the seventh inning and pitched 2 ⅔ innings to close out the game.
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Sanmartin couldn’t figure it out as a starter for the Reds, so he became a reliever during his time in Triple-A. He improved his changeup, but the most important development was with his confidence. Sanmartin called a former coach, a few friends and a few former teammates.
Their message was consistent: You made it to the big leagues for a reason, and you can make it back.
“I also had to remind myself this is the same game I’ve played since I was little,” Sanmartin said via interpreter Jorge Merlos. “The only thing that changed was the level I’m at and the level these guys are playing at. I can just remember this is a game I’ve played for a long time as I can still do it.”
Sanmartin was called back up to the Reds’ roster on June 13 because the Reds needed bullpen depth. While pitching out of the bullpen this season, Sanmartin has a 1.02 ERA in 11 appearances.
“We needed coverage, and he did an unbelievable job,” Detwiler said. “When you look at the job Sanmartin has been doing lately, you can’t say enough about the kid. He has been throwing a lot of innings out there, and he threw the best that I’ve seen him tonight. The kid has got some heart, and he has good stuff. He’s putting it all together right now.”
Despite this one standout game, the Reds bullpen is still a weakness on the team. While Alexis Díaz could return from the injured list soon, they still will need to use inconsistent relief pitchers in high-leverage moments.
Thursday’s nine impressive innings against the Pirates doesn’t mean the Reds’ bullpen is fixed, but it was a moment for the relievers who led the Reds to a win to build off of.
“This game is a lot about confidence,” Detwiler said. “It’s one of those things where you’ve got to have it to perform. But you’ve got to perform to have it. You have to find a way to build it up. It could just be one thing clicks, and then you start building off of that.”
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