In early May, Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft had a meeting with pitching coach Derek Johnson where they discussed keeping his focus. Ashcraft admitted after a start this season that frustration led to a bad performance for him, and he’s working on becoming more consistent in his second year in MLB.
Following an outstanding April, Ashcraft hasn’t been as effective in May. On Tuesday, as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Reds, 8-5, in front of 13,159 fans at Great American Ball Park, Ashcraft allowed seven runs on 10 hits in five innings. In each of his last four starts, Ashcraft has allowed at least four runs.