By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Chris Reitsma and Juan Castro, two guys the Reds sent to Louisville for the start of the season, made strong cases Wednesday that they should have been with the club since Opening Day.

Reitsma, in his first start since being recalled from Triple-A, threw eight shutout innings to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 before a crowd of 21,402 at Great American Ball Park. Reitsma also drove in two of the Reds' three runs.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Wednesday's game

"He was terrific," Reds manager Bob Boone said. "Maybe he wants to stay. Maybe I want him to stay."

Castro's solo home run accounted for the Reds' other run, and he made four big-time plays in the field to immensely help Reitsma's cause.

"That's as good as a guy can play," Boone said.

"Incredible. He was all over the place," Reitsma said of Castro. "It's great to have that behind you."

It was Reitsma's first win as a starter since he shut out Milwaukee 2-0 last July 15. Scott Williamson pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Boone said the decision not to let Reitsma go out for the ninth was a tough one.

"I went with my gut," Boone said. "I knew he'd leave with a good taste in his mouth. He wanted to go."

Did he fight it?

"A little bit," Boone said.

"Of course you want to finish," Reitsma said. "He said it was the pitch count. He's the manager. I pitch when he tells me."

Reitsma allowed eight hits, walked one and struck out two.

Reitsma, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 6-12 with a 3.67 ERA last year. He basically didn't make the club because Jimmy Anderson and Josias Manzanillo did.

Reitsma was bitterly disappointed when he was sent to the minors. He used that energy Wednesday.

"I tried to do exactly that," Reitsma said. "I just tried to focus on keeping the ball down and being aggressive."

Reitsma was called up when Anderson and Manzanillo were shipped out after three weeks of struggling mightily for the Reds.

Castro, although he played well in spring training, began the year at Louisville on a rehab assignment. He was called up when Barry Larkin went on the disabled list April 14.

After going nine straight games without a quality start, the Reds have two in a row. Paul Wilson allowed only two runs over 7 2/3 innings Tuesday.

The Reds (7-14) have won two of three for only the second time this season.

"I wanted to win a game for the Reds," Reitsma said. "We needed a win. This isn't about me."

Castro got the Reds on the board by leading off the third with his second home run in four games. Castro got all of it, driving it into the seats above the 379-foot mark in left-center.

Reitsma helped himself in the fourth.

Aaron Boone walked, then Adam Dunn and Jason LaRue singled to load the bases. After Castro popped out to second, Reitsma worked the count to 3-1, then punched one through the hole at second for a single. Boone and Dunn scored to make it 3-0.

"You've got to be able do that every once in awhile," Reitsma said.

He was cruising on the mound by then. He was throwing strikes, getting groundballs and benefiting from the better-known part of Castro's game.

The Reds ended the first, second and fifth with double plays. Each time, Castro made a superior play to help turn it. Castro also made a diving stop to take a base hit away from Adrian Beltre.

"Reitsma was the key," Castro said. "He pitched a great game. He got a big hit. He was throwing the ball right where he wanted. On those double plays, he made a perfect pitch."

All the groundball outs - 15 of his 24 - kept Reitsma's pitch count low. He threw only 104 pitches, 63 of which were strikes.

"I'm just thankful to be back," Reitsma said.

And the Reds are thankful to have him.