![]() “I went to him and thought maybe he was done,” Bell said. The Reds retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning and that’s when Bell needed to decide if Ashcraft would receive another inning. ![]() He was visibly frustrated walking off the mound when the Rangers erased a two-run deficit in the fifth inning, believing he was squeezed at times with some of the balls and strikes calls. He chucked the baseball into the crowd in excitement. The Rangers loaded the bases with no outs in the second inning, and Ashcraft pitched out of it, celebrating with a huge fist pump and a “Let’s go!” shout. He pointed to the sky and appeared to hold back tears after he pitched a clean first inning. It just felt like one of those days that somebody was looking out for us.”Ĭincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft dedicated his Wednesday performance against the Texas Rangers to his late grandmother.Īshcraft can be a fiery pitcher, but he wore all his emotions during Wednesday’s start. “Let it come as it may and see what we've got. “I told him before the game, 'let's go out and do a good job for her,’” Reds catcher Curt Casali said. He changed his walkout song in the first inning to “Watching You” by Rodney Atkins. It dawned on him immediately he was facing the Rangers. Ashcraft learned Monday morning his grandma wasn’t doing well and her passing “happened a little bit faster than what we were anticipating.” ![]() The 25-year-old Ashcraft and his grandma shared a close relationship. She didn’t miss any Reds games, keeping score even when her grandson wasn’t pitching. A Fort Worth, Texas, native, she was a big Texas Rangers fan until Ashcraft was drafted by the Reds in 2019. He felt it’s what his grandma would have wanted.Īshcraft’s grandmother, Theresa Ann Ashcraft, died Monday at 82 years old. Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft celebrates after getting out of a jam against the Texas Rangers.
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