Astin puts up zeros for Blue Wahoos

Barrett Astin said he doesn't have a preference when it comes to starting or relieving. With a few more starts like the one he had on Saturday, however, his days in the bullpen could become a thing of the past.

The Reds prospect allowed two hits and two walks while striking out a season-high eight over six scoreless innings on Saturday before Double-A Pensacola lost at Montgomery, 4-3

After starting 25 times in 2015, the 24-year-old right-hander is 1-3 with a 3.19 ERA in seven starts for the Blue Wahoos this season. Astin, who has made 30 appearances for Pensacola, allowed one run on one hit while fanning three over five innings in his last start on July 24.

"I've gone back and forth my whole career," the University of Arkansas product said. "I started doing it in college and did it last year, too. It's really not as difficult as you'd think. You just get into a routine and fall back on that when you're switching between starting and relieving.

"I really don't have a preference. Whatever the Reds want me to do, that's what I'm going to go out there and do. I'll try and get outs and keep the team in the game."  

Astin limited the Biscuits to four baserunners over six frames. He allowed a single to Rays No. 2 prospect Willy Adames in the first before striking out the side. He fanned three more in the second before running into trouble in the third.

Jake DePew hit a leadoff single and moved to second on Braxton Lee's sacrifice bunt. Astin retired Cade Gotta on a lineout but loaded the bases by walking Kean Wong and Adames. But he struck out Rays No. 4 prospect Jake Bauers.

Astin retired his last 10 batters and threw 52 of 78 pitches for strikes.

"There was pretty good communication between me and catcher Chad Wallach tonight," the 2013 third-round pick said. "We were on the same page and it worked out well tonight. We didn't get the win, but we had good chemistry and were able to have some success.

"There wasn't one certain pitch that was working, necessarily. Chad and I went over the team and we're both familiar with the scouting reports, so we knew how we wanted to attack them. Just pitch to our strengths and it worked really well tonight." 

Having made just one start since June 27, Astin wasn't stretched out to go beyond the sixth.

"I'm not stretched out to go seven, eight or nine," he said. "I went five last week and was able to build up to six tonight. I'm not sure what the plan is moving forward, but that will give us more room to work with and gave us another option in the future." 

Pensacola scored three times in the seventh, highlighted by Reds No. 14 prospect Alex Blandino's two-run single.

Montgomery tied it in the bottom half on Lee's fielder's choice groundout and Gotta's two-run double. Rays No. 15 prospect Justin Williams scored the winning run in the ninth on reliever Abel De Los Santos' throwing error.

Rehabbing Rays right-hander Chase Whitley started for the Biscuits and walked one while striking out five over three hitless innings. Kyle Bird (1-1) allowed two hits and a walk with one strikeout in two shutout frames for the win.

De Los Santos (0-1) yielded an unearned run on one hit while striking out two over 1 1/3 innings.