Emilio Pagán was credited with his second hold after throwing a hitless eighth inning against the Tigers on Sunday.
It was a surprise to see Pagán enter with a 6-4 lead in the eight; it’s just the third time this season that he’s come in before the ninth. He was up against the bottom of the Tigers’ lineup, too, so it wasn’t a case of using the best pitcher against the heart of the order. After Pagán exited, the Reds scored twice more in the ninth, taking away the save situation. Tony Santillan came on and struck out two of the four batters he faced in the ninth. Santillan has been very good, but Pagan, who last blew a save on May 6, hasn’t had any missteps in the closer’s role, and Terry Francona isn’t typically the type to mix and match. It seems like a situation to watch.