Even though the Cincinnati Reds didn’t improve in the bullpen or at shortstop during the offseason, even though three starters have missed significant time and even though the bullpen has the highest ERA in MLB, the Reds entered Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Braves having won 13 of their last 21 games.
Recently, the Reds' offense and starting rotation have stepped up to lead the Reds back into the playoff mix. In a 4-1 win over the Braves on Saturday, that happened again.
"We want all of our guys to get back healthy, they will," manager David Bell said. "But there is also something pretty special about being part of a team that steps up and kind of responds to that."
Before the game, the Reds placed reliever Tejay Antone on the 10-day injured list. Antone has a 1.60 ERA this season, and he likely would have closed Saturday’s game if he were healthy.
"He’s now going on the IL for the second time in a month, it’s nothing any more serious," Bell said. "But just because it’s the second time in a month and the All-Star break is coming up, that could factor in where you get four extra days there."
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Then in the fifth inning, left fielder Jesse Winker left the game with a right hip contusion. Winker got the Reds their first run of the game with a 435-foot homer, but he injured his hip on an attempted diving catch in the third.
After the game, an X-Ray showed Winker's injury wasn't serious.
"I'm fine," Winker said. "Just banged up my hip a little bit. It was tightening up on me, and just felt like the best idea was to come out and get some treatment on it as soon as I could."
In front of a season-high crowd of 34,671 on Saturday, the Reds beat the Braves basically without two of their best players in Antone and Winker.
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Starting pitcher Luis Castillo led the way. Over the first two months of the season, Castillo pitched five innings or fewer in 9 of his first 11 starts. Since then, Castillo has pitched more than five innings in each of his last four starts.
On Saturday, Castillo said he felt the most electric he has all season.
"I feel like I’ve gotten back to where I was beforehand," Castillo said, according to interpreter Jorge Merlos. "The results are showing up. I can definitely say that I’m electric right now."
Facing the Braves, Castillo tied his season-high with seven innings and didn’t allow a run. His fastball hit 99 mph, and he got six swings and misses with his change-up and six with his slider.
Castillo struck out fewer batters than he normally does, but he allowed only three runners to reach third base. Over his last six starts, Castillo has a 1.96 ERA.
"We feel very, very strong any time he touches the ball and goes out there," Winker said. "He’s an ace."
Winker gave the Reds an early lead, and the other Reds likely All-Star was responsible for two more. In the third, right fielder Nick Castellanos hit a 112 mph line drive double to center field, the Reds hardest hit of the game. Castellanos’ double scored second baseman Jonathan India, and Castellanos hustled later in the inning to add another run.
On a ground ball single by first baseman Joey Votto, Castellanos scored from second base and slid around the tag at home to give the Reds a 3-0 lead.
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Castellanos made another game-changing play in the sixth. On a double by Braves catcher William Contreras, Castellanos fielded the ball in right field, connected with India on a relay throw to catcher Tucker Barnhart and threw out the runner at the plate to prevent a run from scoring.
"Nick, just in the last couple of weeks, has spent extra time working specifically on that play," Bell said. "When that pays off and you get an opportunity to make two plays like that in the same inning, it says so much about who he is."
With the Reds missing their two best relievers in Antone and Lucas Sims, Brad Brach and Amir Garrett closed the game for the Reds. Brach allowed one runner to score, but he stranded two runners on base in the eighth with an inning-ending strikeout.
Garrett recorded his second save in the last five days, continuing his standout stretch of relief appearances over the last three weeks.
"It does say a lot and it could bring a team closer together," Bell said. "I think we’ve seen that for a lot of reasons, the team coming together and a team that’s just doing a great job of not giving up and keep going and continuing to believe in themselves.”
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