Redemption: Braxton Ashcraft Bounces Back to Deliver Best Start of Career
Fresh off the worst start of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Braxton Ashcraft bounced back and delivered his best.
Ashcraft was tagged for a career-high six runs and surrendered a pair of home runs — the first time he’s been taken deep twice in the same game — in 4.1 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. It was the third of what was five losses in a row for the Pirates.
But Ashcraft, like his team, showed resiliency and led the Pirates to a 1-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds to complete a three-game sweep at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon.
“Regardless of whether you have success or failure, you always put the last one behind you,” Ashcraft said following the win. “If I try and carry good outings or bad outings into the next outing, it’s not a sustainable way to go about your work. For me, it’s just focusing on the process in between and what I can do to give us a chance to win.”
There was no messing around for Ashcraft, who needed only 82 pitches to work through a career-high 7.2 innings. He held the Reds to four hits, walked two and struck out six. It was the first time in his professional career the right-hander worked into the eighth inning.
For his teammates, it came as no surprise to see much better results this time.
“You are going to have tough starts, tough stretches,” said battery mate Joey Bart. “You got to bounce back and see what you are made of. We knew he was going to pitch well.”
On a day where the Pirates really needed him to perform as he did, Ashcraft delivered.
The Pirates starter was locked in a pitchers’ duel with Reds right-hander Chase Burns, who went pitch for pitch with Ashcraft for the majority of his outing. Burns worked a career-high seven innings, blanked the Pirates on three hits, walked one and struck out seven.
Ashcraft, however, was only focused on his side of the mound battle.
“I try really hard not focus on that stuff,” he explained. “I try to focus on the things that I do and the things that I am doing well and come out of the things that I’m maybe not doing so well.”
The only time Ashcraft found himself in any trouble was in the top of the eighth inning. With one out, Reds catcher Jose Trevino doubled to left, giving the Reds runners on second and third with one out.
In stepped Matt McLain, who hit a tapper to third baseman Nick Gonzales. Spencer Steer, who advanced to third on Trevino’s double, broke for home on contact but was easily thrown out by Gonzales.
Manager Don Kelly then made his way up the dugout steps and walked to the mound to get the ball from his starter after a valiant effort.
“Honestly, extremely tough decision there in the eighth to have to go get him,” Kelly said after the game.
Kelly turned to left-hander Gregory Soto to face the left-handed hitting TJ Friedl, who had doubled earlier in the game off Ashcraft. After working a full count, Friedl went down swinging to keep the scoreless tie intact.
Ashcraft, though understanding of the decision, obviously wanted to keep going. But any disappointment he did have quickly turned to support.
“Super happy for [Soto] as I was a little bit frustrated coming out of it,” Ashcraft explained. “I completely understood the situation. I had my moment of frustration on my own and went back out to pick him up and watch him do his job.”
After his latest start, Ashcraft is now 1-2 with a 3.07 ERA and ranks sixth in the National League with 41.2 innings, eighth with 45 strikeouts and 10th in FIP at 3.00.
“I think everybody around here and across the league thinks really highly of this guy,” Bart said. “I think he’s a real, real threat to the league and he’s showing everybody that.”
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Ashcraft made me a fan. I had given up on him as a prospect. We’ll also see him for five more seasons.
IDK if I’ve ever seen someone so determined to get back out to the mound every inning. He was standing at the top of the dugout whenever the Bucs had 2 outs ready to run back out to the mound.
Real cerebral type, too, it seems. Love his attitude. Reminds me a bit of Nate Eovaldi. I hope he has better health from this point on.