When Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson spoke on the phone with Alex Wood on Friday night, one of the first things he mentioned was relief that they were finally on the same team.
Johnson, who was previously a pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers, saw firsthand how well Wood can pitch in the National League Championship Series last year. Pitching out of the bullpen, Wood allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings and struck out six.
Even during Wood’s college career at Georgia, Johnson had a front-row seat from Vanderbilt’s dugout.
“While we don’t have a relationship as of yet, I’ve spent a lot of time on the other side of the ball against this guy whether it was at Georgia or it was with the Dodgers,” Johnson said.