CINCINNATI -- Finding a rhythm as a starting pitcher is all about settling into a routine, but the 24 hours prior to Nick Lodolo’s most recent start were anything but typical.

Lodolo woke up Saturday morning expecting to get the ball later that evening against the Rockies, but his pregame routine was halted due to a lengthy rain delay. Hours later, players began warming back up, but the rain picked up again, and the contest was postponed.

Sunday morning, Lodolo woke up and did it all over again. Pitching a day later than originally scheduled, the rookie left-hander turned in one of his best outings of the season, firing six shutout innings in Cincinnati’s 8-4 loss to Colorado in the opening game of the doubleheader at Great American Ball Park. The Reds followed Lodolo’s performance with a 10-0 victory to split the twin bill.

While he’s gained more of a reputation for his plus slider, Lodolo pounded the strike zone with his four-seam fastball early in the game. The pitch helped him match his career-high with nine strikeouts, while allowing just two hits and a walk.

“I had a good fastball at the top [of the zone] today,” Lodolo said. “That was probably the best my fastball has been, I think, since the beginning of the year.

“I consider myself an East-West pitcher. But you’ve got to get up sometimes to get guys off of [your slider] and show that you can go there. Like I said, I had it rolling today and so it played.”

Lodolo ended his night having thrown 101 pitches, 72 for strikes, and he lowered his season ERA to 3.95. The only trouble that he faced came in the sixth inning after allowing a walk and a base hit, but he promptly battled back to retire the following three in succession and escape the jam.

“Being able to shut it down there, [when] at the time, the score was 1-0 in the sixth, was big,” Lodolo said. “I knew especially once I got the strikeout and we had [two outs in the sixth] … [my outing] was definitely coming to an end. I knew to just let it all out.”

His effectiveness was never in question, but a pair of high-volume innings against Rockies hitters raised his pitch count early on. 

“Every time you go out there, you’re trying to throw a lot of strikes. It’s something that I feel I’ve done a lot of even in my Minor League career that I pride myself on. Every start, it’s just getting better and better in rhythm.”

His two hits allowed, a double off the left-field fence by Garrett Hampson fourth-inning and a single by Brian Serven in the sixth inning, were the only two blemishes on his night.

In line for his fifth victory of the season, the bullpen couldn't hold it together following once he departed. Joel Kuhnel allowed four straight baserunners with no outs in the seventh, and all three runners scored after Kuhnel was replaced.

“[Lodolo’s] just a competitor every time he goes out there,” said Reds outfielder TJ Friedl, who slugged two home runs in the loss. “He kept us in the game all day today. Tight game like that where there weren’t many hits on the board, he did everything he could to keep us in the game and keep us right there.”

It’s been an up and down season for Lodolo, but the southpaw has found a groove over the course of the last month. He’s gone at least six innings in three of his last four starts, recording at least eight strikeouts in two of those. With just over a month to play, Lodolo will look to carry this momentum into next season.

“I think the biggest thing is I want to finish strong going into next year,” he said. “Last year I was kind of limited, so it’d be good to get the innings up there and everything.”