CINCINNATI -- Tucker Barnhart wasn't catching for Luis Castillo on Sunday vs. the Giants, instead playing first base for an injured Joey Votto. But even from his different-than-usual angle, Barnhart could tell there was a lot to like about Castillo's pitching performance during an 11-4 victory at Great American Ball Park.
"He looked fantastic," Barnhart said. "I looked up at one point, and I think he had 62 strikes and 19 balls, which I think without question is as good as he's been as far as that's concerned."
Over 6 2/3 innings, Castillo gave up three runs (one earned) and six hits without a walk while striking out nine. Although 7-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 25 starts overall, he is 2-2 with a 2.97 ERA over his last eight games.
"I think I'm like last year," said Castillo via translator Julio Morillo. "This year, I'm able to throw my pitches in any situation in the count. That's very good for me."
As a rookie last season, Castillo had a 3.12 ERA in 15 starts.
Castillo opened Sunday's game by pumping strikes. Through two innings, he threw one ball out of 23 pitches, and 35 of his first 39 pitches after three innings were strikes. The 25-year-old right-hander threw first-pitch strikes to 19 of his 27 batters faced.

"When you trust your pitches, when you can command your pitches, then you throw every pitch for a strike," Castillo said. "I think that was big for me today. I was able to command my pitches, and I was able to throw a strike with all of my pitches."
According to Statcast™, Castillo's four-seam fastball averaged 96.6 mph, while his two-seam fastball was 96.4 mph. The changeup, which he used 30 times and got nine swings-and-misses, averaged 87.2 mph. He also worked in 18 sliders that averaged 84.2 mph.
"To me on the side, it looked like he threw his slider pretty darn good today," Barnhart said. "That's the thing for me that's going to set him apart. It will push him to the next level. We all know as far as the ability is concerned that it's there. His ability to throw a slider for a strike, it keeps guys off of his changeup and makes his changeup even better."
A defensive mistake by Castillo in the second inning where his poor throw to second base cost him a double play and a misplayed fly ball by left fielder Dilson Herrera cost the Reds a run. But after Joe Panik's one-out single in the third inning, Castillo retired 14 batters in a row -- six of them with strikeouts.
It was the fourth time this season Castillo worked at least 6 2/3 innings and the third time he's notched at least nine strikeouts.
"I don't know who throws harder in the National League on the average," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's throwing 97 and had a great changeup. The slider had a remarkable ball-strike ratio going. He was throwing strikes, and that changeup has a lot of diving action on it. We had a hard time laying off it. He was on top of his game."