Luis Castillo he's 'getting better and better'

[Ron Madden]

With one out in the sixth inning, Castillo’s 10-pitch duel against Raimel Tapia concluded on a line-drive single up the middle. One pitch later, Castillo wriggled out of the inning with a double-play ball, nabbing a quality start in the Reds’ 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Friday night at Rogers Centre.

“That’s really what he does,” manager David Bell said of his ace, who logged six strong frames and yielded two runs on seven hits to go with no walks and five strikeouts in the Interleague series opener. “Any time he gets into trouble, he always has the ability, he has the stuff, he has the competitiveness to get out of any situation.

“It’s part of being a great pitcher. One of the best in baseball. He’s a pitch away, always, to get a big strikeout, get a big ground-ball out [or] double play. He’s a pleasure to watch pitch and to have out there.”

Perhaps the Reds take even more pleasure in that now, after Castillo began the season on the injured list with a right shoulder strain. The 29-year-old had no prior injury history, and he’d never missed a big league start.

Castillo’s impressive durability helped him earn a workhorse label. Since his debut in June 2017, no other Cincinnati pitcher has more starts (126), innings (723), wins (40) or strikeouts (782).

This year, Castillo (0-2, 4.60 ERA) only has three starts on his ledger. It’s probably too early for any sweeping declarations about how he’s fared, but the hard-throwing righty is building from one outing to the next -- tossing 4 2/3 innings, then five, and now six -- and picking up confidence along the way.

Bell noted that Friday’s version vs Toronto was “the best [Castillo’s] had since he’s been back,”

read full story here:
https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/luis-c...s-in-reds-loss

[Ron Madden]

Charlie Goldsmith
@CharlieG__

Luis Castillo had an efficient, effective night. Six innings, two earned runs allowed,

94 pitches and 67 strikes. He leaned on his changeup and also threw his slider more than usual.

[Jaysland Red]

Yes, it was really good to see his performance and it was a great match up with Ryu, another pitcher trying to work his way back. Castillo was not great defensively yesterday, though, but I guess having this Reds infield around him is enough give anyone the jitters.

[Falls City Beer]

He’s off to a much better start than last year. Very encouraging.

[Ron Madden]

In his first start at Fenway -- and the Reds’ first game at the park since 2014 -- Luis Castillo commanded the night.

The right-hander struck out every batter in Boston’s lineup en route to a new season high of 10 strikeouts, powering past his previous high of six. Castillo’s six scoreless innings set the Reds up for a 2-1 win over the Red Sox in the first of a two-game set. The victory was Cincinnati's first regular-season win at Fenway Park in club history (although they have only played there six times in the regular season) and its first win at the park since Game 7 of the World Series on Oct. 22, 1975.

Castillo threw 100 pitches (59 for strikes) and gave up just one hit to earn his second win of the season. He became the first Cincinnati starter to strike out 10 while allowing one or fewer hits since Sonny Gray did so on July 29, 2020, against the Cubs.

Castillo threw his changeup 30 times, generating 14 swings and eight whiffs. It marked the third most swings and whiffs he’s had on the pitch this season.

I mean the changeup was great today,” Castillo said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “Like I’ve said in previous interviews, you know, I’ve been trying to work on it as best as I can and as the season progresses it’ll get better, and sure enough, it did today.”

Calm, cool and collecting outs
After cruising through the first five innings, Castillo ran into his only trouble of the night in the sixth. Castillo threw eight straight balls, walking No. 9 hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. and Hernández back to back.

“Yeah, you know, the previous inning was a little bit longer than normal and I couldn’t find myself at the beginning on the mound,” Castillo said.

With just one run on the board to support Castillo, the right-hander remained calm and induced a Devers ground-ball double play before striking out Martinez with his slider to escape the inning unscathed.

“Eight straight balls and then to come back, get a double-play ball and almost make it look easy getting out of that,” Bell said. “He's one of the few pitchers in the league that can do that at that point in the game.

story here:
Molly Burkhardt,
https://www.mlb.com/reds/news/luis-c...n-over-red-sox

[KoryMac5]

Loved the story last night of him running over to see Pedro Martinez with a ball not to autograph but to see how he held his change up grip. That is awesome.

[Benihana]

I’m sure I’m in the minority but I would like to see them lock him up with a 3 year extension.

Let him be the lone veteran anchor in a rotation with Greene, Lodolo, and whoever emerges from the Ashcraft/Abbott/Williamson/Phillips bunch.

Trade Mahle (and Gutierrez et al) for the best OF prospects you can get.

[Bourgeois Zee]

I’m sure I’m in the minority but I would like to see them lock him up with a 3 year extension.

I think that's a great move, but it'd cost more than the Reds would be willing to spend.

[CaiGuy]

I’m sure I’m in the minority but I would like to see them lock him up with a 3 year extension.

Let him be the lone veteran anchor in a rotation with Greene, Lodolo, and whoever emerges from the Ashcraft/Abbott/Williamson/Phillips bunch.

Trade Mahle (and Gutierrez et al) for the best OF prospects you can get.

If you would like to keep him would say that you are definitely in the majority, then. A 3-year extension would be a no-brainer IMO. The problem is that he could get a longer contract on the open market, so I am not sure why he would commit to that deal with the Reds.

Just an awesome start by him against some really good hitter.

[Ron Madden]

On perhaps the biggest baseball stage on which the Cincinnati Reds have played all season, Castillo was simply excellent.

Superlative. Electric, ‘and thrilling,’ as John Sadak opined on the broadcast. He tossed an even 100 pitches on the night against the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park, and only one of them was turned around for a hit - a single by Rafael Devers.

Tonight was Castillo’s night. He was simply excellent.

It’s impossible to ignore the fact that outings like this at least make the rest of the baseball world that much more aware of what he’s worth - and even if that’s to the detriment of Cincinnati’s chances of extending him ha ha ha - he’s upped his trade value with the way he’s come back from his early season shoulder troubles.

story here:
https://www.redreporter.com/2022/5/3...llo-joey-votto

[Mitri]

I would certainly do a 3-year and would even push it to 4 or 5. Castillo strikes me as a guy who would stick around and even give a bit of a hometown discount just based on comfort/familiarity. Who knows though.

Unfortunately, I just don't see the Reds extending him. I'd love it if they did.

[Strikes Out Looking]

Signing him to an extension (actually even having talks with him on an extension) would be a good public relations start for this ownership group. I also think it would also be a good baseball decision as well.

Sadly, they will likely trade him in the next month for a bag of balls.

[CySeymour]

I’m sure I’m in the minority but I would like to see them lock him up with a 3 year extension.

Let him be the lone veteran anchor in a rotation with Greene, Lodolo, and whoever emerges from the Ashcraft/Abbott/Williamson/Phillips bunch.

Trade Mahle (and Gutierrez et al) for the best OF prospects you can get.

I don't think that would be a bad move for the Reds, I just don't see anyway Castillo goes for it. He really has one shot at a big contract, and this would be that shot.

[Coopdaddy67]

I’m sure I’m in the minority but I would like to see them lock him up with a 3 year extension.

Let him be the lone veteran anchor in a rotation with Greene, Lodolo, and whoever emerges from the Ashcraft/Abbott/Williamson/Phillips bunch.

Trade Mahle (and Gutierrez et al) for the best OF prospects you can get.

Given the Reds' payroll history, I just can't see it happening.

Castillo is going to get a massive deal on the FA market and he surely knows it. Why would he settle for a 3-year extension when this might be his one shot to get a long-term deal?

He may want to go to an organization committed to winning too.

[Slyder]

I’m sure I’m in the minority but I would like to see them lock him up with a 3 year extension.

Let him be the lone veteran anchor in a rotation with Greene, Lodolo, and whoever emerges from the Ashcraft/Abbott/Williamson/Phillips bunch.

Trade Mahle (and Gutierrez et al) for the best OF prospects you can get.

After trading Gray... nobody is going to give the Reds a "hometown discount" just to be traded in the middle of it. I expect a lot of fluff pieces about Castillo trying to build up value in the media to get him traded at the deadline.