The Cincinnati Reds are moving forward with a closer by committee approach, and Saturday\u2019s 3-1 win over the Houston Astros was the first example of how it\u2019s going to look for the Reds until Emilio Pag\u00e1n (hamstring) returns. <\/p>\n
\u201cUnless it\u2019s Pag\u00e1n,\u201d Terry Francona said. \u201cI don\u2019t think you can just map a game out.\u201d<\/p>\n
One day after pitching 1 \u2154 innings of effective long relief in a game the Reds were trailing, Pierce Johnson became the first Reds pitcher to record a save since Pag\u00e1n\u2019s injury. The way that the game played out, including Chase Burns pitching six innings and not seven innings, dictated the plan in the final few innings. \u201cIf Burns goes back out for the seventh, maybe Ashcraft could have finished the game,\u201d Francona said. \u201cOnce we determined he wouldn\u2019t, the thought was to use Burke, go to Ashcraft and if he has a quick inning maybe send him out for two (innings). He didn\u2019t, so we went to Plan B.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since Burns pitched six innings \u2014 he allowed one run in another start that showed why he\u2019s one of the best young starters in the game, and why he may already be the Reds\u2019 best pitcher \u2014 the Reds had to cover three more innings to close out the game. <\/p>\n
The key to the whole plan was that Francona was targeting the top-third of the Astros\u2019 lineup for Ashcraft. Injuries have decimated the bottom-half of the Astros\u2019 lineup, but the top-half still looks imposing. The top two of Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez (a top-five hitter in baseball) is especially scary. <\/p>\n
When Burns\u2019 day was done, Astros No. 6 hitter Zach Cole was due up to start the seventh inning. Cole and No. 8 hitter Braden Shewmake are left-handed, so Francona went with Brock Burke for the seventh inning. <\/p>\n
\u201c(Burke) hasn\u2019t gotten enough credit for what he has done,\u201d Johnson said about the Reds\u2019 lefty. <\/p>\n
If you take out the game in Pittsburgh last Saturday (a mess for the entire team and a blowout loss), Burke has a 0.54 ERA on the season. <\/p>\n
Francona\u2019s comments about Ashcraft from Saturday \u2014 the fact that Ashcraft could have pitched the final two innings, and that he wanted Ashcraft facing Altuve and Alvarez \u2014 made it look like Ashcraft is at the top of the bullpen depth chart right now. <\/p>\n
On Saturday, Ashcraft retired the side in order, striking out Alvarez to end the inning.<\/p>\n
Francona\u2019s comments about Ashcraft from Saturday \u2014 the fact that Ashcraft could have pitched the final two innings, and that he wanted Ashcraft facing Altuve and Alvarez \u2014 made it look like Ashcraft is at the top of the bullpen depth chart right now. <\/p>\n
With Tony Santillan scuffling (nine runs allowed over his last five games) and with Pag\u00e1n out, Ashcraft is stepping up. While he blew a save last Wednesday (that was on a well-executed pitch out of the zone to PCA), Ashcraft has a 1.83 ERA this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis stuff is fantastic,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cIt\u2019s elite. He knows that. He has gotten into some huge situations this year and gotten some major outs for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
There aren\u2019t many pitchers like Ashcraft in the game right now. He has the hardest cutter in all of baseball. He also has the third-hardest slider in the game. <\/p>\n
Ashcraft has turned to recent history for some help, studying some of the best relief pitchers of the 21st century. <\/p>\n
\u201cI go back and watch them and see how they attack guys,\u201d Ashcraft said. \u201cThey go right after hitters, and that\u2019s the key part of it. <\/p>\n
Ashcraft watched a lot of Mariano Rivera, studying the game of the former Yankees\u2019 closer who retired in 2013. <\/p>\n
Ashcraft will sit in his hotel room on the road and watch Rivera\u2019s cutters. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou watch how he goes through and attack guys,\u201d Ashcraft said. \u201cAgainst lefties, he always stayed up at their hands. He got them to get soft contact. With the righties, being able to get away off the plate to get chase with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has also researched Kenley Jansen, who\u2019s currently with the Tigers and is wrapping up a Hall of Fame career. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou see a lot of guys like me get my ball to 16 or 18 (inches) of vert,\u201d Ashcraft said. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of vert on a cutter. Most guys are at typically at six-to-12 or 13 with negative horizontal (break). You watch Kenley do it, and he\u2019s throwing 22-inch vert ball with negative 4 horizontal (break). That\u2019s unhittable. That\u2019s a cut and ride that you don\u2019t see in the big leagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashcraft wanted to link up with Jansen when the Tigers were in town a few weeks ago, but he wasn\u2019t able to make it work. <\/p>\n
While he didn\u2019t get direct advice from the closer with 482 career saves, Ashcraft has been asking around relievers in the Reds\u2019 bullpen who have closing experience. <\/p>\n
\u201cPounding the zone, that\u2019s it,\u201d Ashcraft said. \u201cThrow strike one and let everything else happen. It all comes down to being in tune with yourself, knowing your mechanics and filling the zone up. If you\u2019re feeling good and you\u2019re mechanics are good, more likely than not you\u2019re going to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has a bad walk rate this year, and Ashcraft recognizes that\u2019s an area where he needs to be better. He says the key to command is the consistency of his mechanics, which he\u2019s working on. The Reds need him to take a step in this area. <\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it is having confidence in yourself and just being composed,\u201d Ashcraft said. \u201cI feel like I\u2019m getting there. I just want to fine tune my stuff and keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Ashcraft looks like a go-to guy in the Reds\u2019 bullpen right now, Saturday\u2019s game reinforced that the ninth inning is going to be a team effort in the near future with Pag\u00e1n expected to miss four-to-eight weeks. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll hold that position down until he gets back,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge loss losing him. Not just for what he brings to the field, but off the field too. He\u2019s an anchor in the bullpen. A lot of guys look up to him. It\u2019s a leadership role that\u2019s really, really hard to fill. We\u2019re going to miss him a lot. He\u2019s not going to be gone long. We\u2019ll get him back soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
Santillan should be back in that ninth inning mix when he\u2019s back in a groove. <\/p>\n
While Ashcraft has been very good this year, a new trend with him is that he has been much better vs. right-handed hitters than left-handed hitters in 2026. If the Reds are facing a bunch of lefties \u2014 as one example, maybe the top of a Pirates\u2019 lineup that starts with a left-handed Oneil Cruz and a left-handed Brandon Lowe with a left-handed Ryan O\u2019Hearn hitting fourth \u2014 then Burke could be a strong option for the ninth inning on a day like that.<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s command and prior closer experience makes him a candidate for saves based on how the innings leading up to the ninth go for the Reds\u2019 bullpen. <\/p>\n
Saturday was Johnson\u2019s turn, and he threw a perfect ninth inning.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a heck of an adrenaline rush, I\u2019ll tell you that,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThat was a big win for the team. We\u2019ve been going through it a bit on the last road trip. We needed one right there. I\u2019m glad I could come through and help us out.\u201d<\/p>\n
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