When Cincinnati Reds Manager David Bell walked to the mound with two outs in the seventh inning Thursday, he was confident about bringing in Alexis Díaz.
Graham Ashcraft's pitch count was near 100. He was pitching with a two-run lead, a runner on third base and Miami Marlins slugger Jesús Aguilar at the plate, a guy who homered off Ashcraft earlier in the game.
"He just came out and he’s like, 'What you got?" Ashcraft said. "I was like, I’ve got a punchout and some other words. He trusted me."
It was a big moment for the 24-year-old Ashcraft, a chance to reward his manager's trust, but the decision backfired.