Romano starting to make strides in stint in TripleA

Sal Romano recently bought a house in the Plantsville section of Southington, on the other side of town from where he grew up.

Sometimes during the offseason, when he’s driving home, he’ll take the long way home and drive by Memorial Field, the place where his baseball dreams blossomed, where he was an allstar pitcher throwing nohitters in the Southington North Little League. It’s a pleasant reminder of where he came from.

Of course, he can’t go back. Rather, Romano would like to get back to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.

That’s where the big righthander called home for most of the past two seasons in the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation. The results weren’t always great, but often solid: 58, 4.45 ERA in 16 starts as a rookie in 2017; 811, 5.31 ERA as both a starter and reliever last season.

But when the Reds headed north out of spring training this season, Romano wasn’t with them. He reported to TripleA Louisville, where he’s been all year so far.

“That’s definitely been disappointing for me,” Romano said earlier this week in the visitors’ clubhouse at McCoy Stadium, home of the Pawtucket Red Sox. “But, it’s all on me.”

Indeed, TripleA is littered with former bigleaguers trying to get back. Many of them sulk, but not the eternally positive Romano.

“Things are really good of late, the last month,” he said. “It’s been a pretty inconsistent year for me, doing something a little bit different than I’m used to, being out of the bullpen. Being in the big leagues for almost the last two years and having to come down here and trying to figure out myself again hasn’t been easy. A lot of struggles, a lot of good. The last month, monthandahalf, I’ve really turned things around and I really like where I’m at mechanically and mentally.”

Romano is 47 with a 4.70 ERA in 35 appearances with the Bats. But he’s really turned things around lately — no more so than on Thursday, in a matinee at McCoy.

Making just his third start of the season — and with numerous friends and family who made the 21⁄2hour ride from Southington in attendance — the 6foot5, 255pounder struck out 10 and allowed just one hit and one run over five innings to pick up the win.

Over his last five outings, Romano has allowed just four runs on 10 hits over 20 innings, striking out 24 and walking just three.

“I’m really, really close,” he said, prior to Thursday’s start, “to getting back to where I want to be.”

Where he wants to be, of course, is back in Cincinnati. Preferably as a starter, his role throughout his career at Southington High, then in all but one of his first 157 outings coming up through the Reds’ minorleague ranks after being selected in the 23rd round of the 2011 MLB draft, as well as his first 11⁄2 seasons in Cincy.

Then, last September, after some struggles, Romano was moved to the bullpen to give some other pitchers an opportunity. He worked hard over the offseason to return as a starter, but about midway through spring training was told the organization saw him as a bullpen guy.

“I just wanted to do whatever they felt could help them in the big leagues,” he noted. “Unfortunately, I haven’t been there yet this year.”

There were some earlyseason struggles in Louisville.

“It’s something different that I’ve never done before,” Romano noted. “You’ve really got to change mentally. You don’t have to pace yourself early when you’re relieving. You get to come in for one or two innings, blow it all out, give everything you’ve got. With runners on, you’ve got to make a pitch to get out of an inning. It’s a lot different. There’s a lot less room for error out of the bullpen. I think that was the biggest adjustment for me.”

Now, Sal Romano is starting to get his groove back.

“My heart is still in starting,” he admitted. “I’ve been able to start here a few times, it’s gone really well. But if the Reds see me in the bullpen right now, that’s what I’ve got to do, and I’ve got to make the adjustments to be successful at that. So, I’m gonna keep doing what I’ve been doing, and hopefully I can get called up soon.”

Some time this winter, while home in Southington, Romano will probably drive by Memorial Field again and think about where his baseball career began. Perhaps before then, he’ll get back to Great American Ballpark, where he hopes his career continues. david.borges @hearstmediact.com