While Díaz wound up being traded to cap off a very disappointing end to his Reds’ career, while Rogers has mostly been used as an innings eater and while prospects like Luis Mey, Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell haven’t received a ton of opportunities, the Reds have found production in middle relief from some less expected places.
Emilio Pagán and Tony Santillan were always going to play pivotal roles in this bullpen. They’ve exceeded expectations, and Pagán has been a good closer while Santillan has been a very strong eighth inning reliever.
But quality bullpens need impact pieces to emerge.
To start with for this year’s Reds, Graham Ashcraft’s move from the rotation to the bullpen has been a big success.
“It’s become more manageable,” Ashcraft said. “You never know when you’re name is going to be called down there. You have to learn to harness it and not just let it all out every time.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The key for Ashcraft has been some tweaks to his routine between outings. He faced a setback with a groin injury that landed him on the injured list in June, but he returned in early July and has performed well.
“I’m trying to dial everything in,” Ashcraft said. “Understanding where my body is at and when I can use one day or whatnot. I feel like I’m there when it comes to my arm and knowing if I’m able to pitch or not. It’s also my lower body. This (injury) was kind of a good thing for me to go through. Nobody wants to go on the IL. But I didn’t realize how tired my lower half was. It ended up hurting me a little bit. It was a good thing to go through to know to make sure we’re taking care of everything.”
Scott Barlow, who signed a small deal with the Reds during the offseason and opened the year in a lower leverage role, has emerged as another dependable piece. While he’s not a flamethrower, he’s a quality strikeout pitcher. His durability has also been a big asset for the Reds.
From last year to this year, he has cut his ERA from 4.25 to 3.63.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“I made an adjustment with my slider,” Barlow said. “I feel like early on in the season, the slider wasn’t getting as much swing and miss. That small tweak helped a lot.”
Sam Moll has been another success story. He spent most of the first half of the season in Triple-A, but an adjustment has helped him get back on track.
“I was trying to raise the arm slot a little bit,” Moll said. “I’m getting more energy going through home plate instead of spinning off. For me, that’s always a problem. I’m a rotational pitcher. When it becomes too much of a rotational thing, it throws some things off. Once I’m staying through the pitches with a higher arm slot, it makes the shapes more consistent. I tried not to chase too many metrics, but it got the intended result.”
Behind Pagán and Santillan, Ashcraft, Barlow and Moll have helped the Reds close out several wins this season.
TODAY’S GAME
Who: Tampa Bay at Cincinnati
When: 6:40 p.m., Saturday, July 26
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM, 700-AM
About the Author