GOODYEAR, Arizona - After making his first start of the spring, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo said he left a few of his off-speed pitches over the plate, and he only threw his slider once since the pitch didn’t land in the strike zone on his first attempt.
He didn’t mention that his fastball was sitting at 96 mph, or that he pitched two no-hit innings on Friday against the Seattle Mariners. In his spring debut, he looked close to the pitcher who had a 2.20 ERA last September.
“I wasn’t 100 percent comfortable because it was my first time out, but it’s the first start and I got a chance to pitch against the guys,” Castillo said through translator Jorge Merlos.