Reds' Sal Romano: Strikes out seven in 3.2 innings

Romano struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings in a relief role Sunday against the Brewers, drawing praise from pitching coach Mack Jenkins. "He was outstanding," Jenkins said. "Not just the pitch quality, but he's changing and learning so quickly here about not overthrowing. We saw a few today where he was up, and man, he went down right away. That was exceptional. That was the best outing we've had from anyone all spring.

With three spots available in the Reds' Opening Day rotation, don't count out Romano's chances of winning a spot. Twice now key personnel have been strong in their praise of Romano's work. Whether he does well once he gets there is another question, of course, but he's a legit component of this job battle.