The Cincinnati Reds have played must-win games for a couple of weeks now, but the reins are officially off in the bullpen.
Michael Lorenzen stepped up to make a spot start. Amir Garrett earned the first save of his career. Tejay Antone has pitched well in every situation. It’s that point in the season when the Reds must treat games like the playoffs with a shorter leash for starters and asking more of their top arms in the bullpen.
So far, they’ve delivered. The Reds’ bullpen owns a 2.61 ERA in their last 13 games, entering Wednesday, which ranks fifth in the Majors.