No decision
Williamson goes 4 vs. Angels; scheduled to face Twins next
Brandon Williamson didn’t stay in the game long enough to get the decision, but the Cincinnati Reds did have the lead when he left Saturday’s game vs. the Los Angeles Angels at Great American Ball Park.
The Martin County West graduate had pitched four innings when he was replaced. The Reds led 5-3 when he left after holding a 5-0 lead after two innings.
Williamson had issues with his command on Saturday, walking a career-high six batters in those four innings, but he was able to hold the Angels to just three runs.
Of his 93 pitches, 49 were strikes.
“The entire game, I was trying to find something consistent,” Williamson told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie’s Chalkboard. “I just couldn’t. When it came time where you really need to execute a pitch, I didn’t try to do too much. However, many balls I had thrown, you just throw one pitch and try to get this guy out.”
Cincinnati first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run double down the right field line in the first inning staked the Reds to a 4-0 lead.
“Yeah, that was a good one,” Lowe said. “Jumping out to a lead is great. I thought we got great at-bats in front of me, and thankfully, I got a pitch to handle. It was good to give Williamson some cushion and then get rolling there.”
Williamson’s record remains 1-1 and his earned run average is now 5.28. In 15.1 innings he has allowed nine runs, 12 hits, walked nine and struck out 10.
Los Angeles won the final game of the series 9-6 on Sunday.
Cincinnati is 9-7, a half-game behind Pittsburgh in the National League Central.
After an off day on Monday, the Reds host San Francisco for three games Tuesday-Thursday.
They open a three-game series vs. the Minnesota Twins at 7:10 p.m. Friday at Target Field in Minneapolis. Williamson is scheduled to start the series opener.