Castillo (0-1) allowed 10 runs (eight earned) on eight hits and two walks over 3.1 innings in a loss to the Cardinals on Thursday. He did not record a strikeout.
This was about as ugly as it gets for an ace-level pitcher. Castillo just did not have it on a cold Opening Day in Cincinnati, and the defense behind him let him down; Eugenio Suarez's return to shortstop did not go well, with a pair of errors in the first two innings helping dig the early hole. It was a painful reminder that Castillo faces an uphill battle with the defense behind him, and his velocity was down, which bears watching. He lines up to face the Pirates at home next week.