SAN FRANCISCO – After the Cincinnati Reds completed a winless homestand, as owners of the worst record in the National League, Graham Ashcraft offered a glimmer of hope for the future.
Ashcraft, a 24-year-old right-hander, put together arguably the best start of his young career and lifted the Reds to a 4-2 victory in their series opener against the San Francisco Giants on Friday. He permitted two runs across eight innings and struck out a career-high eight batters.
The dominant performance snapped the Reds’ seven-game losing streak. The Reds have a 24-46 record, the second-worst start through 70 games in franchise history.