By Hal McCoy
There was a point this season when the Cincinnati Reds bullpen more resembled a pigpen.
When closer Emilio Pagan, set-up men TeJay Antone, Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft all landed on the injured list, the bullpen was a mixed-up mess.
With the return of Pagan, Antone and Santillan since the All-Star break, the bullpen has normalizad and performed well in recent games.
But the pig reference still applies to the Reds and not in a disparaging way.
The operative word is piggyback.
It is what Reds manager Tito Francona and his staff plans to do with pitchers Chase Burns and Brandon Williamson.
Burns, 15-2, has pitched 145 1/3 innings this season. 41 inning more than he has pitched at any level for one season.
So the Reds have a grand plan.
Burns turn to pitch was Wednesday, but instead the Reds inserted Brandon Williamson for the start, his first start since late April when he was placed on the 60-day injured list with shoulder exhaustion.
He responded by holding the lethal San Diego Padres to three runs and seve hits over 5 1/3 innings and was the winning pitcher when the Reds won, 7-3.
Burns was moved back to Friday night when the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers come calling to Great American Ball Park.
His pitch-count will be limited and the bullpen will take over. Then for his next start and every start the rest of the season Burns and Williamson will piggyback.
That means Burns will start the game and pitch perhaps two or three innings, then Williamson will take over and go a long as he can.
The Reds have just begun the most difficult run to the finish for any MLB team. Until their last three games against the Toronto Blue Jays, every team on their schedule is a division-leader and/or a legitimate playoff contender.
So far, so good.
It began over last weekend in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs and the Reds took two of three.
It go better this week when they took two of three from the San Diego Padres. The series was tied at a game apiece when the Reds won the rubber game, 7-3.
Significance? The Reds had lost seven straight rubber games at home in Great American Ball Park when the series was tied, 1-1.
Here’s the assignment and the Reds have no choice, they have to accept it.
So with 22 games remaining, the Reds are 6 1/2 games behind Arizona, current holder of the third and last National League wild card spot.
Only 6 1/2 games? Yes, but five teams to climb over — Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Miami, San Diego and Arizona.
The odds are astronomical that all five would collapse enough to let the Reds slip in.
And for the real cock-eyed optimists who refuse to fling the toward, consider what’s ahead for the Redsw over their last 22 games.
It begins with the three-game series against Milwaukee. Then the Reds fly to Los Angeles for a three-game series in Dodger Stadium against the Dodgers, leaders of the National League West.
Then it’s off to Milwaukee for a three-game series against the Brewers, leaders of the National League Central.
Having just met the Dodgers is not enough. After the Milwaukee visit, the Reds return to Great American Ball Park for not three, for four games against the Dodgers.
After that 13-game punishment against the two best teams in the National League, it’s three at home against the Chicago Cubs and three on the road against the Atlanta Braves.
And then they finish —three games against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rogers Centre
The main reason to watch the Reds is Sal Stewart and his persistent pursuit of the Rookie of the Year award. Barring injury or complete collapse, Stewart and his 31 homers and 105 RBI should make him a cinch.
He would become Cincinnati’s first Rookie of the Year award winner since second baseman Jonathan India in 2021.
Before that it was pitcher Scott Williamson (1999), third baseman Chris Sabo (1988), pitcher Pat Zachry (1976), catcher Johnny Bency (1968) second baseman Tommy Helms (1966), Pete Rose (1963) and Frank Robinson (1956).
Stewart is constantly asked about becoming Rookie of the Year and he always say, “I don’t like that question,” but admits he’d like to win it while always deflecting his answer into wanting to win games.
“I never want something given to me,” he says. “When I signed, I told everyone I’m going to earn whatever I get.”
No rookie this year has done more to earn something than Stewart.
Throughout the season, Stewart has strongly emphasized his deep religious faith during post-game interviews.
But he topped it all on NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball telecast. After hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs, he peered into the camera and said, “Jesus is King.”
As for Stewart, right now he is King of Cincinnati.