CINCINNATI -- Dissatisfied with the rocky outings that have defined the beginning of his season, Andrew Abbott and pitching coach Derek Johnson felt it was time for the left-hander to return to the roots of past success.
On Thursday, Abbott delivered a quality start, got quality defense and was lifted by a pair of home runs to secure a 6-4 Cincinnati victory that gave the club two of three games in the series at Great American Ball Park. The Reds (20-11) also completed a 4-2 homestand and have won 11 of their last 15 games.
“Vindication. Hard work, keep going, ride the wave," Abbott said. "It wasn’t what I wanted it to be earlier, but I’m the only one who can change that. Just put your head down and keep working."
Over six innings, Abbott allowed two runs, five hits and two walks while notching five strikeouts for his first victory of 2026.
Abbott came in 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA. He hadn't worked six innings in his previous five starts since Opening Day while posting an 8.34 ERA. Meanwhile, his strikeouts-per-nine innings dropped from 8.06 last year to 6.23 in 2026. His walk rate has risen from 2.33 per nine innings in '25 to 3.89.
Here are five reasons Abbott put it together Thursday.
1. Mechanical changes
In the top of the first inning, Abbott walked Brenton Doyle with one out and then saw his 2-1 fastball to Tyler Freeman hit for a two-out, two-run home run for a 2-0 Colorado lead. The pitch was over the middle of the plate, an issue Abbott has been prone to.
Abbott, who worked on mechanical corrections between starts, retired 10 of his next 11 batters as he stayed away from the middle.
“I think it’s a big tip to [Johnson] and our biomechanics staff," Abbott said. "They did a deep dive on me and were figuring out that we’re standing a little more taller than we are [and I was] bent over last year. Arm angle is up, all those things. … I felt really good and really sound today.”
2. Trusting the sweeper
Abbott has acknowledged lacking trust in his sweeper since Spring Training. But he felt good using it Thursday and got his first strikeout of the day with it on Hunter Goodman in the first inning.
"That’s another thing [Johnson] was like, ‘We need to start spinning.’ I got here with my spin being really well and I think going back to the basics of what got me to the big leagues has been important for me," Abbott said. "It just simplifies the thought process for me."
3. Defensive help
Abbott benefitted from some sterling defense. Playing up the middle, shortstop Elly De La Cruz made a nice diving stop on TJ Rumfield's slow grounder to his left for the first out of the second inning.
4. Dug deep in the fifth
In the top of the fifth, Colorado loaded the bases with one out on three singles, including two infield hits. Abbott worked out of the jam with no runs.
“That’s when fatigue starts to set in, you start getting a little more tired," Abbott said. "Second, third time through the lineup, you really have to start executing with those hitters up there. Just rely on your stuff at the end of the day.”
5. Holding the line
As Abbott kept the Rockies off the scoreboard after the first inning, the Reds came back.
Leading off the bottom of the second inning, Nathaniel Lowe hit a 0-1 changeup from former Red Michael Lorenzen for his fifth homer in his last six games. In the fifth, TJ Friedl gave Cincinnati the lead by hitting an 0-1 fastball from Lorenzen for a two-run homer to right field.
Abbott returned for the sixth inning and got two quick groundouts to shortstop before Rumfield hit a single, but Abbott struck out Karros with a changeup to get out of it.
"It was an incredible start out of him," Friedl said. "To keep us in the game like that, to give us a chance to fight that? That’s all you can really ask for out of him in that position, and he did that for us today and allowed us to get back in the game.”
In the wake of another injury to a starter, with Brandon Williamson becoming the third Reds starter to go on the injured list this season, it's important for Abbott to be pitching like himself again.
“I can’t think of a day when it’s not," manager Terry Francona said. "There’s always a good time for him to look like Abbott.”