SAN FRANCISCO – After the Cincinnati Reds completed a winless homestand, 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.
"He was unbelievable tonight, man," Reds catcher Aramis Garcia said. "There were some cutters that he was throwing – literally, as I'm catching them, I'm like, 'oh my god.