Abbott continues to amaze with 8-inning gem vs. Giants

CINCINNATI -- As Reds rookie left-hander Andrew Abbott was walking off the field Thursday afternoon following his seventh shutout inning vs. the Giants and 96 pitches, the home fans at Great American Ball Park sent him out with a loud, appreciative ovation.

Alas, Abbott wasn't quite done yet. He finished with eight scoreless innings and one hit allowed as the Reds cruised to a 5-1 victory over San Francisco. Back-to-back wins earned them a four-game series split.

“They come up to you and say, ‘Hey, you got one more in you?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m good to go.’ It’s hot out there and the bullpen has been pretty taxed," said Abbott, who walked two and struck out six. "I just wanted to use all of my bullets. I get only one start every five days so just go out there and lay it all out.”

In nine big league starts since his promotion from Triple-A Louisville on June 5, Abbott is 5-2 with a 2.10 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. Seven of his games have been quality starts.

What do all of Abbott's starts have in common, besides himself throwing four different pitches? Catcher Luke Maile has been behind the plate each time.

“I don’t mean this to say the right things, but he’s really good," said Maile, who notched three hits with a two-run home run in the third inning. "I think there’s a lot of people with any idea behind the plate that would have a lot of fun catching him. He’s responsible ultimately for where the ball goes. The majority of the time, he does a really good job of executing.”

Ironically, this battery didn't really work together in Spring Training.

“I didn’t even know his name," joked Maile.

“I was going to say I definitely don’t remember throwing to him," Abbott said.

The 24-year-old Abbott retired 11 of his first 13 batters with the lone hit coming in the fourth inning. With two outs, Luis Matos hit a double to the wall in left-center field. Running from first base, Wilmer Flores was thrown out by shortstop Elly De La Cruz at the plate with a perfect relay.

Just before the Matos hit, right fielder Jake Fraley made a diving catch to take a hit away from Patrick Bailey.

"When all of the pieces come together, that’s when it’s really fun to play," Abbott said. "Without those guys, I definitely wouldn’t have been out there as long as I was today. They just helped prolong my outing.”

Abbott finished by retiring his final 12 batters. Ironically, he told Maile he didn't have his best stuff. His curveball and changeup didn't have a good feel and he was spiking the pitches.

Talking with Maile and pitching coach Derek Johnson helped bring adjustments.

"I just have to go compete at the end of the day," Abbott said. "[I was] just focusing on direction and trying to go more towards home plate. So I stopped those wide misses on fastballs and other pitches and I feel like I made a pretty good adjustment enough to get in the zone and was able to get ahead later better than earlier."

Added Maile: “You can’t really put your finger on one thing. He’s got four pitches, all of which he can throw in the zone or expand with. Some days, one is better than the other and vice versa. He just kind of knows what that is.”

Reds starters may have the 28th-ranked ERA in MLB, but they have a 2.79 ERA and five quality starts in their last seven games.

Abbott, 24, has thrown 109 2/3 innings in 19 starts combined at Double-A, Triple-A and the big leagues this season, as he approaches his pro career high of 118 innings set last season. In 2021 -- at college and the Minors -- he threw 119 2/3 innings.

The Reds could have to manage Abbott's workload at some point down the stretch, but that wasn't a chief concern Thursday.

“It’s definitely on my mind. He was tired. It was a hot day. If that was zero concern, maybe you think about sending him back out for the ninth," manager David Bell said. “Especially the middle innings, the innings leading up to the eighth, he was getting some easier outs, some outs early in the count, and that helped with the decision.”

Abbott needed only 10 pitches for the eighth inning. Then he got another loud applause from fans. This time many were standing.