Reitsma looks like starter

SARASOTA, Fla. — Scott Williamson had to feel pretty good about his chances of winning the job as the fifth starter in the Reds' rotation after his performance Sunday. Until he heard how his competition, Chris Reitsma, had done.

Williamson threw four shutout innings in the Reds' 3-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium Sunday. Reitsma topped that by throwing four perfect innings.

Afterward, Reds manager Bob Boone would not declare a victor in the race. But he gave a few hints and all pointed to Reitsma.

“I've been impressed with him all spring,” Boone said. “He gets easy outs. He has a great changeup, a (Mario) Soto changeup.”

Soto was the Reds' best pitcher in the early 1980s, partially because of his changeup. So that's high praise, and there was more.

“Every time (Reitsma's) been in a game,” Boone said,

“I'm pretty relaxed.”

While Williamson shut the Red Sox out, it wasn't relaxing for a manager to watch. He threw 71 pitches in his four innings. He had runners at first and third before he retired a batter. But he got out of it by picking off a runner and striking out two hitters.

Boone complimented Williamson on getting out of the jam, and that might have been the biggest clue of all.

“He's the best we have at getting out of it with a runner at third and less than two outs,” Boone said.

That's a great asset for a relief pitcher, and Boone sounded like the decision has already been made.

“We want to tell them first,” he said.

Reitsma is a 23-year-old right-hander acquired in last year's Dante Bichette deal with Boston. That gave him a bit of an edge Sunday.

“I was pretty fired up,” he said. “Whenever a team trades you, you want to show them they made a mistake.”

Reitsma wasn't a sure bet when the Red Sox let him go.

He was Boston's No.1 pick in the 1996 draft. But he has never pitched above Double A and he twice broke his pitching arm delivering a pitch.

But he's come back and put up good numbers. In five minor league seasons his ERA is 3.60. He was 7-2 with a 2.58 ERA last year at Trenton.

The broken arm led to him finding that Soto changeup.

“I developed it after I broke my arm the second time,” he said. “I used to throw real hard. I couldn't throw as hard anymore. I had to become more of a pitcher.”

Reitsma dropped his ERA to 3.76 Sunday. He's walked only four and struck out 16 in 14 1/3 innings.

He's impressed his teammates, and has been getting compared to Williamson.

“To me, he's like Willie in '99,” outfielder Dmitri Young said. “He's come out of nowhere and he's just dealing. He looks nasty from left field.”

Williamson was National League Rookie of the Year in '99 as a reliever. Given his propensity to throw so many pitches, that might be the best place for him. He had Sunday's game on a 4 1/2-hour pace, despite not allowing a run.

“That's a concern, absolutely,” Boone said.

Williamson said he would accept a move to the bullpen.

“You can't look at it as a demotion,” he said. “It's major league baseball. I'll set up, close, start ... whatever I've got to do.”

Williamson and Reitsma are buddies. Because they pitch on the same day they run together and throw together. Reitsma, like Williamson, would gladly go to the bullpen.

“This has been great for me,” Reitsma said. “Worst-case scenario, I get sent down and work to get back. I'm very confident in my ability.”

So are the Reds.

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