Luis Castillo gets back on track, Reds beat Padres 4-2 to win series

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

The last game that Luis Castillo started was positively awful. The Cincinnati Reds right-hander had entered that game against the St. Louis Cardinals having only allowed more than 4 ER in a start once all season, and then proceeded to get pounded for 8 ER in just 4.1 IP, serving up a trio of dingers in the process.

With that for some context, it was wonderful to see him bounce right back to his dominant self today, as that’s exactly what he was against the San Diego Padres.

Castillo threw an even 100 pitches in his 6 IP, surrendering just 5 H and a lone ER in the process. He walked none against 4 K, and hopefully showed that his previous start was nothing more than an aberration.

Honorable Mentions are due to: Jose Iglesias, who homered as part of a 2 hit day; Eugenio Suarez, who also had a 2 hit day with a ribbie; Raisel Iglesias, who slammed the door in the 9th for another save; Michael Lorenzen, who slammed a similar door in the 8th; and Freddy Galvis, who kept right on rolling with a single, double, walk, and a ribbie.

Key Plays

• San Diego actually put a run on the board first in this one, plating a run in the Top of the 3rd after Ty France singled and later scored on a 2-out double by Greg Garcia. Reds trailed, 1-0.
• The Reds got that run, and more, back in the Bottom of the 3rd off pitcher Eric Yardley. Nick Senzel opened by reaching on an error, ending up at 2B on the play. A sac-bunt by Iglesias and a single by Suarez that would’ve scored him anyway later, the game was tied. An Aristides Aquino walk and single from Phil Ervin then followed to load the bases, and the Reds picked up another pair of runs thanks to walks from Josh VanMeter and Fredward E. Galvis. Reds led, 3-1.
• Iglesias struck with his solo dinger in the Bottom of the 4th to give the Reds a 4-1 lead, though Francisco Mejia touched-up Lucas Sims for a solo dinger in the Top of the 7th to shave that back to 4-2. That, though, was all the scoring on the day, and the Reds walked away the winners of both game and series.

Tony Graphanino

Other Notes

• Jesse Winker did not play again today. That marks the 7th straight game he has not started.
• The Reds have an off-day tomorrow, and they’ll need it. Friday will mark the start of a 10 day road trip in which they’ll play 11 games.
• That game Friday will be in Pittsburgh, as the Reds will first travel to face the Pirates before trips to both Miami and St. Louis. Anthony DeSclafani is scheduled to start for the Reds in that road trip opener, though Clint Hurdle has not yet named which pitcher will throw to, at, and around Reds hitters. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM ET in that one.
• To tie a bow on these Other Notes, perhaps Winker finally will hit the DL retroactive a few days prior to that Pirates series and the Reds will call-up the currently rehabbing Derek Dietrich to take his roster spot. That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?
• Tunes.