PITTSBURGH — The night before his last start at home, Cincinnati Reds rookie Brandon Williamson didn’t feel well and wound up taking fluids through an IV.
The next day he pitched his best start of the year.
A new pregame routine?
“It might have to be now,” he joked.
By Sunday Williamson was making the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup look anemic and dehydrated during what might have been an even better start — albeit, one cut short by a quick hook in the sixth after he’d retired 17 of 21 batters faced on just 88 pitches.