Richardson's poise after improbable start to career 'says a lot'

CINCINNATI -- It was as improbable as it was unimaginable how Reds prospect Lyon Richardson began his Major League pitching career.

Richardson's first two pitches in the big leagues were slugged for home runs during a four-run top of the first inning for the Nationals. Cincinnati spent the rest of Sunday afternoon trying to battle back, but it fell short for a 6-3 loss to Washington at Great American Ball Park.

“There’s nothing you can really tell yourself besides, 'Go to the third [pitch].' Just the next pitch, keep attacking," Richardson said.

Swept in the three-game series, the Reds tied a season high with six consecutive losses -- all coming since the Trade Deadline.

Just before the game began, Richardson's final warmup pitch sailed over catcher Tyler Stephenson to the backstop. No harm, no foul.

What came next was all harm, and all fair.

Richardson's first pitch: Lefty-hitting CJ Abrams pulled a 95.5 mph fastball to right field for a leadoff home run.

"Any time I'm leading off, I'm going to sit fastball," Abrams said. "That one, a little bit up, middle-up, put a good swing on it."

“I didn’t think I made that bad of a pitch," Richardson said. "I might have missed a little bit more [over the] middle than I wanted to. I think he was just ready for a heater and hit it. I don’t think I’d redo it.”

Richardson's second pitch: A 96.7 fastball to the right-handed Lane Thomas was lifted to center field and cleared the fence by a few feet. Just like that, the Reds trailed, 2-0.

According to STATS, Richardson is the only pitcher in the past 50 years to give up homers on the first two pitches of his Major League career.

Richardson did not think he was overly nervous about making his big league debut.

“There’s always nerves, but I do a pretty good job managing it," he said. "It wasn’t necessarily the nerves that got the pitches hit, it was me. I was all right.”

Following the back-to-back homers, Joey Meneses worked a full count to draw a walk before some bad luck set in for Richardson. Keibert Ruiz broke his bat on a changeup and knocked a 69.9 mph single into left field.

With one out, runners on the corners and the infield playing in, Jake Alu hit a chopper through the middle for a two-run single and a 4-0 Nationals lead.

"It’s hard how it started," Stephenson said. "[Richardson] is here for a reason. He has been throwing well in the Minor Leagues."

Richardson settled down and didn't give up another hit. He went three innings with four earned runs, four hits, three walks and two strikeouts while throwing 66 pitches (38 strikes).

"In the end, it's an unfortunate way to start the game and your Major League career, but he has a long one ahead of him," Reds manager David Bell said. "Just the way he was able to really keep pitching and hold it together and get through the three innings … really says a lot about Lyon."

Richardson, the Reds' No. 25-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, was summoned to replace the injured Ben Lively after just one start for Triple-A Louisville.

Having missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, the 23-year-old Richardson had a meteoric rise through the system this season.

It began in High-A Dayton for three starts, followed by 15 starts at Double-A Chattanooga and one more at Louisville. Over those 19 starts, Richardson posted a 1.86 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP with 81 strikeouts in 58 innings.

Richardson was on a progression plan of limited innings and pitch counts, but his stuff has been so impressive, the Reds felt like he was the guy to come up to make a big league start.

"He's been throwing strikes, for sure, up until today," Bell said. "This is, obviously, a different level and everything. The most important thing for Lyon is continuing to do what he's done. He's plenty good enough. There's no question about that. He knows that. Then we got to see the really good stuff after that. The sinker, really an outstanding changeup. But it starts with his fastball."

The Reds have lost six in a row twice before in 2023, and they responded each time with a five-game winning streak. They will need another rebound like that, as the Cubs pulled into a tie with them for second place in the National League Central and the third Wild Card spot after beating the Braves on Sunday. The Brewers lead both clubs in the division by 1 1/2 games.