Cincinnati Reds’ Scott Feldman turns season around with a pair of great starts against the San Francisco Giants

With his season looking bad for the Cincinnati Reds, Scott Feldman turned it around with a pair of starts against the San Francisco Giants.

The Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day starter got off to a rough start this season, but has corrected it with a pair of starts against the San Francisco Giants.  With a 2-3 record Feldman has produced close to what the Reds expected overall, but how he has gotten there hasn’t gone as planned.  Through his first six starts as a Red, Feldman was 1-3 with an ERA of 4.83.

Six starts into the season, Feldman was averaging 5 1/3 innings per start as the pitcher who was supposed to be the workhorse.  During those starts, he only pitched 31 innings, but gave up 15 walks.  Those, in turn, raised his WHIP to an unsustainable 1.42.

His home run rate was also down during his first six starts.  This may speak to a lack of aggressiveness early in the season.  It would explain his higher walk rate and lower innings pitched total.

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Those are not the numbers of a workhorse starter.  While Feldman was struggling, rookie Amir Garrett was carrying the load.  Now, with Garrett training in Lousiville, Feldman must lead.

When the Reds initially signed Feldman, They thought that he would be the fourth starter behind Homer Bailey, Anthony DeSclafani, and Brandon Finnegan, reprising a role he filled for the Chicago Cubs when they were rebuilding.  Now all three of them are on the DL.

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With Amir Garrett in Louisville, Scott Feldman has had a pair of brilliant starts for the Cincinnati Reds.

With the Reds looking for a sweep against the Giants at GABP, Feldman took the mound against another temporary ace in former Red Johnny Cueto.  Cueto entered the game 4-1, but with a 4.86 ERA.  With the two struggling aces going head-to-head, it was anyone’s game.

Feldman dominated the game that night, throwing a complete game shutout.

He struck out five and only walked one en route to a 4-0 win and a three game sweep of the Giants.  Feldman only allowed 6 base runners all game and was able to get out of trouble, causing the Giants to leave 15 runners on base.

Then five days later, the aces found themselves mano a mano once again.  They dueled to a draw each allowing 2 runs before the Giants won in 17 innings off of a Buster Posey home run.  Feldman, though, had another exceptional outing, lowering his ERA to 3.59 by only allowing 1 walk and 7 hits over 7 strong innings.

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The Feldman of the last two starts is what the Reds had in mind when they named him a starter.  It is even a little bit better than his days in the American League.  More importantly, Feldman has lasted at least five innings in 6 of his last 7 starts.