CLEVELAND – The best news for the Cincinnati Reds to come out of their first day in Cleveland this year – other than bench coach Mike Napoli remembering the Tito Speedo – was the latest sign that Andrew Abbott has regained his career form.
The 2024 All-Star didn’t pitch especially deep into his start against the Guardians in the Ohio Cup series opener, but he ran off another five scoreless innings before allowing a leadoff home run in the sixth on his 90th pitch and exiting.
By then, the Reds had the lead and added on just enough in the late innings for a struggling bullpen to survive in the Reds’ 7-6 victory Friday, May 15.
“I think we did one more good thing than we did not good,” said Reds manager Terry Francona, whose club took a 6-1 lead to the eighth.
Rhys Hoskins’ sixth-inning home run marked the first run given up this month by Abbott, whose 21 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings was a career-high, eclipsing the 17 2/3 he ran off to open his career in 2023.
“He’s been much more like Abbott,” Francona said. “It was a lot (of pitches) early, and I thought that kind of wore on him a little bit. But he made some pitches when he really had to. He competed like hell.”
The season turnaround for the left-hander, who was winless with a 6.59 ERA in his first six starts, has come when the Reds have arguably needed it most, as Brandon Williamson (shoulder) and Rhett Lowder (shoulder) joined a growing list of Cincinnati pitchers on the IL since April 30 – prompting the signing of Marlins castoff Chris Paddack (7.63 ERA) to start Saturday’s middle game of the Cleveland series.
Abbott issued three walks and otherwise had enough deep counts early to need 67 pitches to get through the first three innings, but needed just six in a 1-2-3 fourth and was at 84 pitches through five. He retired 7 of 8 until the home run and scattered four hits overall.
He and Chase Burns have amounted to saviors for the banged-up rotation as recently activated Nick Lodolo battles to gain footing and the team awaits Paddack’s Reds debut.
Burns pitched six scoreless innings in the win the day before Abbott’s effort.
The value of what Burns and Abbott are doing this month was underscored by another meltdown by the wayward bullpen, which issued four walks in the Guardian’s four-run eighth inning that cut the lead to 6-5.
When Brock Burke walked consecutive batters to force home the Guardians’ third and fourth runs of the game in that inning, the Reds’ bullpen that leads the National League in walks had pulled off the unthinkable this season.
Those were the 16th and 17th bases-loaded walks of the season by Reds relievers – matching the total for the entire season of the team that led the majors in that embarrassing category last year (Boston Red Sox). With 117 games still to play.
And Burke’s pitching wasn’t even the worst of the inning. Graham Ashcraft started the inning and threw 13 consecutive balls before throwing a strike.
“That was not how we drew it up,” Francona said.
The Reds bullpen had the majors’ best ERA (2.23) through April 28 – and the majors’ worst since.
That 7.16 mark since April 28 entering the game went up again, to 7.34. And the pen’s walk total jumped to 114 in the eighth inning alone, tying the Astros for most bullpen walks in the majors.
At least the Reds had Abbott. And the Speedo.
And they needed every run that lucky underwear could deliver, including three runs in the eighth and a big insurance run in the ninth.
“That was huge,” Francona, who wasn’t able to breathe easily until Matt McLain’s second exceptional defensive play of the game for the final, close out on a tough-hop grounder to his left.
“I’m glad we won. Because that would have been a sleepless night.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds get 5 scoreless from Andrew Abbott, hold on to beat Guardians
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
