Ashcraft gave up three earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings in a 4-3 win over the Yankees on Tuesday. He did not factor into the decision.
Ashcraft had to battle against the tough Yankees lineup, but he did enough to keep his team and within striking distance for a comeback victory in the ninth. The rookie right-hander thew 106 pitches over five frames to tally his highest number of pitches thrown this season. Ashcraft has a power cutter which averages around 98 mph, but he has only struck out 32 batters in 54.2 innings this season. It is worth keeping an eye on the 24-year-old to see if his strikeout rate in the majors can improve to where it was in the minors. Ashcraft had a 9.2 K/9 over 72.1 innings in Double-A last season. Ashcraft is tentatively expected to start at St. Louis on Sunday in the Reds' final game before the All-Star break.