After Difficult Week Off the Field, Pierce Johnson and Graham Ashcraft Deliver for Reds

The Cincinnati Reds finally ended their eight-game losing streak on Saturday when they took a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros behind a dominant pitching performance from Chase Burns and the Emilio Pagán-less bullpen.

With Pagán out, the Reds turned to Brock Burke, Graham Ashcraft, and Pierce Johnson to hold the game down. These three combined to throw the last three innings while allowing no hits, no walks, and no runs with three strikeouts.

Graham Ashcraft, Pierce Johnson Were Crucial to Halting Reds' Losing Streak

This game showcased how the Reds may deploy their bullpen without Pagán. The loss of Pagán is a big blow to the talent in the bullpen, but it's also crushing to lose the veteran closer as a leader.

"Yeah, I mean, that's my guy, right? He's my best friend. So we'll hold that position down until he gets back. But it's a huge loss losing him, not just for what he brings to the field, but off the field too," Johnson said. "I mean, he's just kind of an anchor in that bullpen, and a lot of guys look up to him. It's a leadership role that's really, really hard to fill. And we're going to miss him a lot, but he's not going to be gone long. We'll get him back soon."

Getting this win, backed by a bullpen that's struggled this month, is huge for the Reds.

"Yeah, honestly, that was a big one for the team. Been going through it a little bit on this last road trip. We needed one right there, so I'm glad I could come through and help us out a little bit," Johnson said.

But this win meant more to Johnson and Ashcraft than just another win in the win column.

Saturday's Win Meant A Lot to Pierce Johnson, Graham Ashcraft

Earlier this month, Ashcraft and Johnson both spent time on the bereavement list as they dealt with the losses of their grandfathers. Ashcraft hit the bereavement list first. Once he returned, Johnson landed on the bereavement list, too.

"It's tough. It's life, sadly. We talked quite a bit about it, he and I, the last couple days," Johnson said. "It's a really hard time when you lose family members that you're pretty close to. We've gotten through it and we're free to go."

With both pitchers back, the Reds leaned heavily on them to turn the losing streak around. A moment like this means more to these two pitchers than any of the other wins this season.

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