PITTSBURGH –– In the bottom of the second inning on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo saw the runner on first base taking a big lead and felt like he did the same pickoff move he has used his entire career.
With two outs and runners on first and third, Castillo stepped off the rubber and threw to first. In the eyes of the umpire, Castillo spun without stepping off, and Castillo was called for the balk that allowed the runner to score from third. One batter later, Castillo allowed an RBI single to Pirates right fielder Diego Castillo.
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The game was scoreless entering the inning, and the Reds were down by two runs after the balk. It was a turning point of the game as the Pirates beat the Reds, 3-1, in front of a crowd of 12,959 at PNC Park.
“It’s been my move my entire career,” Castillo said via interpreter Jorge Merlos. “It’s been my move towards first base when there are people on base. It just so happened that today it was called for a balk.”
After Castillo was called for the balk, Reds manager David Bell went to the home plate umpire to ask for an explanation for the call. Bell was told that, by rule, he wasn’t allowed to ask for an explanation about the play. He went back onto the field at the end of the inning and had a conversation with the umpire.
“I was told he spun and didn’t step toward first base,” Bell said. “I went back in between innings and was told it was because he didn’t step toward first. I just now saw the video. It’s too late. I had the direct conversation with the umpire and will leave it at that.”
Castillo pitched five innings and allowed three runs, including a solo home run to Pirates first baseman Daniel Vogelbach on a changeup that Castillo left over the middle of the plate.
Castillo had two strikeouts on Saturday, and he hardly got any swings and misses with his changeup. Castillo threw his changeup, his best pitch, more than his other three, but it didn’t keep batters off-balance in the same way that it usually does.
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“From my vantage point, the changeup was maybe not as good as we’ve seen it,” Bell said. “It looked like the velocity was there. I thought it was a good outing. Maybe not his best, but definitely a step in the right direction.”
Castillo said he felt fine about his start, but the Reds saw Pirates starter Zach Thompson pitch one of the best games of his career.
Thompson entered the game with a 7.08 ERA. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning on Saturday and pitched six scoreless innings.
Thompson had just three strikeouts, but the Reds’ only hardl contact against him that left the infield was a foul ball into the last row of the right field seats by Reds first baseman Colin Moran.
“(Thompson) makes pitches with good movement,” Bell said. “We had a tough time with him. We were able to get one hit off of him. You got to give him credit, it was an outstanding start.”
For most of the game, the Reds were missing catcher Tyler Stephenson, who has been their best hitter over the last two weeks. As the Reds started to right the ship over the last week and won six out of their last eight games entering Saturday night, Stephenson had a .414 batting average over that eight-game stretch with 11 RBI.
Then on Saturday, Stephenson took a foul ball off of his mask in the bottom of the third inning. When he left the game, the Reds offense had another obstacle to overcome. After the game, Bell said that Stephenson was examined for a concussion, and Bell said he received “really good news.”
Bell said the reports on Saturday night showed no concussion, but losing Stephenson was still a big blow in the game.
“It was a tough hit to the face,” Castillo said. “It’s unfortunate that he had to leave the game. Hopefully he’ll be better coming up in the next couple of days.”
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