Proof that a catchers most important job is handling the pitching staff.Quote:
Reds starter Luis Castillo, who is slated to pitch Saturday vs. the Twins (7:10 p.m. ET, MLB.TV) in the penultimate game of the regular season, is doing his best work down the stretch.
Castillo is 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA, nine walks and 33 strikeouts over his last four starts after he went 0-5 with a 4.10 ERA -- and the Reds went 1-6 -- in his first seven outings.
With Curt Casali behind the plate for Castillo in six of his 11 starts -- including the last four -- Castillo has a 1.33 ERA. It’s clear that they are working harmoniously.
“At the start, I was doing a couple of shakeoffs but now, these last couple of starts, I haven’t had to shake him off, and that’s amazing for me,” Castillo said via translator Jorge Merlos.
Castillo has lasted six innings or longer in each of his last four starts, including the first complete game of his career -- a 3-1 victory over the Cardinals on Sept. 11.
“He is really fun to catch. Me and him, we’re great friends obviously,” Casali said. “I feel like every time I’m up here, I’m talking about Luis, but I’m very happy to do that, because he’s an awesome person, he’s an awesome pitcher, and he’s an awesome teammate. I think we’re on a little bit of a roll right here.
“When he doesn’t have to think about what he’s throwing, he can just throw it. He can throw it to the best to his ability, and he’s liking going into games deeper.”
https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/luis-c...works-for-reds
