Reds' Castillo to face fellow rookie Newcomb of Braves (Aug 20, 2017)
ATLANTA -- Cincinnati Reds right-hander Luis Castillo came into the season with less of a prospect buildup than Atlanta Braves left-hander Sean Newcomb, his mound opponent on Sunday in the series finale.
It has been Castillo, though, who has fared a little better since both were called up from the minors in June.
Castillo, coming off six scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Chicago Cubs, is 2-5 with a 3.39 ERA in 11 starts.
Newcomb, a former first-round draft choice, is 1-7 with a 4.45 ERA in 12 outings and hasn't been able to maintain the promise of his first few starts.
"He's a young pitcher trying to learn on the job," Braves manager Brian Snitker said.
Castillo seems to already have a handle on things, twice turning in scoreless starts of at least six innings and allowing just one run over eight innings in another.
The 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic allowed just two singles before leaving for a pinch hitter at Chicago and needed only 80 pitches while striking out seven and walking two.
"I think the main thing is to believe 100 percent in your pitches," Castillo said through a translator. "That's what I'm doing right now, trying to believe that I have really good secondary stuff and a really good fastball. I focus 100 percent to throw the pitch I want to throw in any count. I really believe in my pitches right now."
Castillo, acquired from Miami over the winter in the Dan Straily trade, has allowed just 50 hits and struck out 66 over 66 1/3 innings while employing a four-pitch mix that includes the addition of a two-seamer last month.
"Of all the things he brings to the table as far as stuff goes, the thing that is the most important is the intangibles of makeup, the ability to compete and trust and have faith in his stuff," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's willing to throw it over. He's willing to challenge good hitters in the strike zone with good stuff."
Newcomb made the jump to the majors from Triple-A, rather than Double-A like Castillo, and posted a 1.48 ERA in his first four starts.
The 24-year-old has struggled with control issues and high pitch counts since, though.
After allowing just 18 hits and posting 21 strikeouts to eight walks over 24 1/3 innings in June, Newcomb had a 7.61 ERA in July and is at 4.32 for August.
Newcomb, the prospect centerpiece of the 2016 trade that sent Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels, has walked 29 over 40 1/3 innings in his past eight starts.
Newcomb showed better fastball command in his past two starts while ditching his slider, but he still had to pitch around four walks while allowing three solo homers at Colorado in a no-decision Tuesday.
Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, batting .314, could miss his second straight game after suffering a bruised left shin when hit by a pitch Friday.
"His shin didn't respond (to treatment) as well as we'd hoped," Price said.
X-rays weren't needed, but Cozart was still limping Saturday in the clubhouse as he wore a compression wrap on his leg.
The Reds (53-71) won 11-8 on Saturday after a 5-3 victory over the Braves (54-67) on Friday and go for their first series sweep on Sunday since taking four games from St. Louis on June 5-8.
