Vladimir Gutierrez back to feeling like himself with future role to be determined
Vladimir Gutierrez made two more starts after the Cincinnati Reds planned to move him to the bullpen, because of injuries to other starters, and maybe that was the key to fixing his struggles.
Gutierrez finally had a clean start in Saturday’s 3-2 win against the San Francisco Giants, completing five innings for the first time this season. He allowed one run on six hits and one walk, striking out four.
“I feel like this was my best start of the year so far,” Gutierrez said, according to team interpreter Jorge Merlos. “It’s the Vladdy Gutierrez that everyone knows and everyone should expect and it’s going to be moving forward.”
The Reds haven’t announced whether Gutierrez will return to the bullpen, but that’s the expectation after Graham Ashcraft was promoted to the big leagues. Left-hander Mike Minor is expected to return from the injured list to make his season debut Friday.
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Gutierrez, who went nearly two weeks without an appearance when he was initially shifted to the bullpen, had his velocity tick up by nearly 2 mph in Saturday’s start.
“Mostly did it with his fastball,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “He used his changeup a little bit – he had a good one – didn't throw it a lot. Got back into counts with his breaking ball. But really did it mostly with his fastball, 95, 96 mph, located it well. Really, really good.”
Gutierrez escaped a bases-loaded jam with one out in the second inning, inducing a flyout on a slider that was too shallow for a sacrifice fly, and then ended the inning with a strikeout through a slider in the dirt.
“I knew I had to tell myself, ‘all right, let’s go. You can do it Gutierrez. You can do it.’ I just couldn’t lose focus right there with anything that was going on in the game,” Gutierrez said. “I wasn’t going to let anything else from my previous starts affect what I was going to do today, so I just told myself, ‘let’s go Gutierrez, we got this.’”
Gutierrez, 26, has worked with pitching coach Derek Johnson on keeping his arm in sync with his delivery. It’s not an easy adjustment to make during the season, but hitters were batting .315 against his fastball last season.
He hadn’t had much success to show for it until Saturday.
“We’ve been working so hard this year to get some good results,” Gutierrez said. “Sure enough, everything we’ve done in the bullpen this past week locating pitches, using all my pitches that I know I have a lot of confidence in, they all came true. I was able to give 100% of my ability to help this team to a victory. I wasn’t thinking about the six losses I’ve had so far this year.”
Albert Almora helping Reds outfield
ALMORA PLAYING WELL: Reds outfielder Albert Almora Jr. earned his first opportunity in the big leagues this season when he was a substitute player for Nick Senzel on the COVID IL.
When Senzel returned last week, the Reds formally promoted Almora. In his last four games, entering Tuesday, he’s 7-for-16 with a double, a homer and seven RBI.
“He’s playing great,” Bell said. “He’s playing a solid left field. He brings a lot of energy, a lot of knowing what he’s doing on the field, and then he’s also swinging the bat well. From the very beginning of spring training, when I was around him, he was really feeling great about some changes he had made. It’s showing up now, which is exciting to see.”
Reds vs. Red Sox history
BOSTON HISTORY: The Reds have a 1-12 record against the Boston Red Sox since the start of interleague play, swept in four of their five series against them.
The last time the Reds beat Boston was June 13, 2008 at Great American Ball Park. Jay Bruce and Adam Dunn hit solo homers. Aaron Harang pitched seven innings to earn the win and Francisco Cordero earned the save.
The Reds haven’t won a game at Fenway Park since Game 7 of the 1975 World Series.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vladimir Gutierrez back to feeling like himself for Reds
