Ashcraft earns 8th quality start after 4th-inning HR

CINCINNATI -- Before the season opened, Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo were the highly touted prospects opening the season in the Reds rotation while Graham Ashcraft began 2022 at Triple-A Louisville. Of the three rookies, Ashcraft has enjoyed the most consistent season and seems to be getting better.

Although he was the losing pitcher in Cincinnati's 7-2 defeat to the Cubs on Saturday at Great American Ball Park, Ashcraft still had a largely impressive night. With four runs (three earned) and six hits allowed, he worked his eighth quality start out of 15 this season and his third in the last four games.

"Definitely could’ve gone different for him tonight, but he should definitely feel good too with what he was able to do with his stuff," Reds manager David Bell said. "If he continues to do that, he’s going to win a lot of games.”

Overall, Ashcraft is 5-3 with a 3.96 ERA.

Ashcraft, who walked three and struck out four, used his sinker to great effect as he induced groundouts on six of nine sinkers hit in play -- including a pair of double plays. The velocity of the pitch topped at 101.2 mph and averaged 98.4 mph, 1.6 mph faster than his season average. Contact was often soft and there were a couple of bats broken.

"Pretty nasty guy," Cubs manager David Ross noted.

"I felt really comfortable with it and was able to get it up and in on guys, jam them and keep them thrown off," Ashcraft said of the sinker.

The one mistake that cost Ashcraft came in the fourth inning. After Seiya Suzuki reached on shortstop Jose Barrero's throwing error, Franmil Reyes was given a 2-1 slider that was supposed to be down and away but caught the plate.

Reyes lifted it to right field for a two-run homer that gave Chicago a 2-1 lead.

"Should have thrown it in," Ashcraft said. "Had no chance with the two-seams inside, he was rolling the ball over or swing-and-miss every time. He’s a big strong guy. I threw a pitch that was his bat speed. He got a hold of it."

Bell had reliever Ian Gibaut warming up in the fifth inning following Ian Happ's RBI single. But Ashcraft got Suzuki to ground to third base for a double play and Reyes to ground out to second base.

In the sixth, Ashcraft steamrolled through a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. The inning ended with Nelson Velazquez whiffing on a 99.5 mph sinker for strike three. Ashcraft flexed with excitement on his way off the mound.

"It really wasn’t anything different, just attacking them and I got a little extra juiced up there toward the end because I wanted to attack them and get them out," he said.

With one out in the seventh inning, Ashcraft walked Nick Madrigal on four pitches. Bell had already planned to lift him from the game if he put a runner on base.

"He had great stuff," Bell said. "Maybe the best sinker he’s had or right up there with some of the other starts. A ton of ground balls. He continues to do that, there’s just really great success ahead. Almost maybe too good of a sinker tonight. A lot of choppers. A lot of tough plays in the infield. For him, he just has to keep doing that."

Following his departure, Gibaut allowed a single and Happ's two-run homer to right field, which put the game away.

The Reds, who were 6-1-1 over a stretch of eight series, have now dropped back-to-back series to the Mets and Cubs while losing their last five games.