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Cincinnati Reds

Press Clippings

August 25, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 2007-David Concepcion’s number 13 is retired by the Reds.

Five years later,

2012-Barry Larkin’s number 11 is retired by the Reds.

MLB.COM Reds pick up Adleman, but Rangers strike late

By T.R. Sullivan and Cody Pace / MLB.com | August 24th, 2016 + 58 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre's 2,900th Major League hit was a game-winner on a night Yu Darvish's first

career homer stole the show.

Beltre's two-out double in the eighth inning Wednesday drove home Ian Desmond with the go-ahead run, and the Rangers held on

for a 6-5 victory over the Reds at Great American Park.

"That was a great one to win," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "We needed a feel-good win going home. I'm not saying it was

the greatest played game, but an incredible effort by all our guys." The Rangers snapped a three-game losing streak and now have a

6 1/2-game lead in the American League West with 35 to play. Despite the loss, the Reds finished 6-4 on their 10-game homestand.

Desmond started the rally when he was hit by a pitch from right-handed reliever Blake Wood, and he stole second. Carlos Beltran

flied out to center, but Beltre snapped an 0-for-10 skid with a double to right-center.

Darvish hit his first Major League home run, but otherwise struggled in six innings. He allowed five runs and couldn't hold leads of

3-0 or 5-2. Darvish left with the game tied at 5 after six innings, having walked five batters.

Reds starter Tim Adleman didn't walk anybody, but gave up three home runs -- to Nomar Mazara, as well as Darvish and Desmond,

who went back-to-back in the fifth inning. Overall, Adleman gave up five runs (four earned) with five hits over five innings.

"It's a couple of runs I could have kept off the board," Adleman said. "If I do, we probably win the game 5-4 or 5-3. It's frustrating

to know that you put your team in a tough spot. If you just make a couple of more pitches, maybe the results are completely

different."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Darvish goes deep: The exit velocity of Darvish's first career homer was 107 mph, according to Statcast™, and the estimated

distance was 410 feet. It was the first home run by a Rangers pitcher since Bobby Witt against the Dodgers on June 30, 1997. That

was the first home run ever by an American League pitcher in Interleague Play. More >

Schebler's hustle: Down two in the sixth, Scott Schebler grounded a one-out pitch to Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor, who

was playing in shallow right field on the shift. Schebler ran hard out of the box and beat Odor's throw by a step. He would score on

a Ramon Cabrera ground-rule double, which was part of a two-run rally that tied the game.

Missed DP leads to HR: Mazara hit a three-run home run in the second inning after the Reds failed to turn a double play. With Odor

on first, Jonathan Lucroy hit a hard grounder that first baseman Joey Votto snagged on his knees going to his right. Votto tried to

throw to second, but this throw was well off the mark. That allowed Odor to slide in safely. Lucroy also reached safely as shortstop

Jose Peraza's return throw was late. Mazara followed with a home run, his 15th of the season, but just the second in August.

"It's a defensive mistake," Reds manager Bryan Price said of Votto's error. "It's not his first, it won't be his last. If he plays long

enough, everyone's going to have those moments where you make a mistake. And it happens and it happens frequently,

unfortunately, in this game."

"It was good to see Mazara's power show up tonight," Banister said. "This ballpark, you're going to give up some home runs."

Billy does it again: A day after running 123 feet to make a sensational grab on the warning track, Billy Hamilton ended the fourth

inning with a diving catch in right-center -- traveling 63.4 feet with a top speed of 19.2 mph, according to Statcast™. The following

inning, after pinch-hitter Tony Renda broke up Darvish's no-hitter, Hamilton hit a high chopper to shortstop Elvis Andrus that drew

a wide throw as Andrus tried to get Hamilton, advancing Renda to third and Hamilton to second. Renda came around to score the

next at-bat on a groundout by Peraza.

"The plays that are pretty extraordinary are starting to become routine with him," Adleman said of Hamilton. "So it's great to have

him out there."

QUOTABLE

"It's a big blow when you give up a two-out home run when you're a pitch away from getting out of it and giving your team a

chance right there. I followed it up with another bad pitch with two strikes, and it turned into another run. I'm definitely

disappointed." -- Adleman, on surrendering back-to-back homers to Darvish and Desmond

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: The Reds have an off-day on Thursday before beginning a three-game series against the D-backs on Friday. Brandon

Finnegan takes the mound for the 9:40 p.m. ET start, coming off a seven-inning shutout performance against the Dodgers in which

he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

No-hitter flirt Finnegan faces fellow young hurler in Arizona

By Cody Pace / MLB.com | 12:23 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS

Friday night's matchup between the Reds and D-backs at Chase Field will feature two of the game's most promising young pitchers,

with Brandon Finnegan and Braden Shipley taking the mound.

Finnegan (8-9, 4.32 ERA), in his third year in the league despite being just 23 years old, has already begun to establish himself. He

tossed one of his better outings of the season his last time out, taking a no-hitter into the seventh against the Dodgers. He finished

with seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball, striking out eight.

The problem for Finnegan this season has been efficiency -- Saturday was his third start of the season of seven or more innings out

of 25 appearances, and he's averaging almost 17 pitches per inning, ranking 18th most among qualifying starters this season.

Shipley (2-3, 5.45 ERA) is a year older than Finnegan, but still trying to find his way. The D-backs' No. 1 prospect, Shipley was

called up in late July. After a rocky first start, he strung together three straight quality starts, going 19 innings with a 0.95 ERA. In

his last two outings, though, the rookie has allowed a combined 14 runs (13 earned) in 10 1/3 innings.

Things to know about this game

• Reds shortstop Zack Cozart is hopeful he can return to the lineup after missing the last seven games with knee and Achilles

injuries. Manager Bryan Price said that Friday might not be a realistic goal, but he wouldn't rule it out. Cozart hit on the field and

took grounders at shortstop for the first time since the injuries on Wednesday.

• Shipley's problems can be traced to the home run. In his three quality starts, he allowed one homer over his 19 innings. In his other

three starts, he allowed seven homers in 15 2/3 innings, with a 10.91 ERA.

• Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart should return to the lineup on Friday. Barnhart was out of the lineup Wednesday after delivering an

RBI double Tuesday night in a Reds win. Barnhart is hitting .296 in August, with nine homers and a .391 on-base percentage. He

has hit in 13 of 17 games after grounding out in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning Wednesday.

Pipeline preview: Honeywell working on scoreless streak

By William Boor / MLB.com | August 24th, 2016 + 0 COMMENTS

Here's a look at top prospects to watch Thursday in Minor League action:

2016 MLB.com Top Prospects: Brent Honeywell is a good athlete who repeats his quick and effortless delivery with ease

Duel of the Day: Robert Stephenson (Reds' No. 4) vs. Steven Brault (Pirates' No. 15), Louisville vs. Indianapolis (7:05 p.m. ET on

MiLB.TV)

Stephenson is likely anxious to get back on the mound and erase the lasting image of his last start. The No. 63 overall

prospect couldn't find the strike zone in his last outing, walking four and giving up six runs in two innings. Stephenson has

pitched at least six innings in eight of his past 10 starts and has a 4.66 ERA in 22 Triple-A appearances this year.

Like Stephenson, Brault got roughed up in his last start, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 4 1/3 innings. However, the left-hander

gave up just one run across seven frames in his prior start. The 24-year-old lefty appeared in two games with the Major League club

this season and has posted a 3.63 ERA in 69 1/3 innings across 15 games at the Triple-A level.

Thursday's Top 100 probables:

No. 45 Brent Honeywell (Rays' No. 2), Montgomery vs. Birmingham (Double-A)

No. 63 Robert Stephenson (Reds' No. 4), Louisville vs. Indianapolis (Triple-A)

More top prospect probables:

Joe Gunkel (Orioles' No. 26), Norfolk vs. Rochester (Triple-A)

Jordan Montgomery (Yankees' No. 20), Scranton/Wilkes-Barre vs. Syracuse (Triple-A)

Jaime Schultz (Rays' No. 11), Durham vs. Charlotte (Triple-A)

Steven Brault (Pirates' No. 15), Indianapolis vs. Louisville (Triple-A)

Jake Esch (Marlins' No. 10), New Orleans vs. Round Rock (Triple-A)

Joan Gregorio (Giants' No. 7), Sacramento vs. Fresno (Triple-A)

Sam Howard (Rockies' No. 21), Hartford vs. Harrisburg (Double-A)

Artie Lewicki (Tigers' No. 23), Erie vs. Altoona (Double-A)

Brandon Waddell (Pirates' No. 22), Altoona vs. Erie (Double-A)

Vincente Campos (D-backs' No. 4), Mobile vs. Pensacola (Double-A)

Sal Romano (Reds' No. 17), Pensacola vs. Mobile (Double-A)

Max Povse (Braves' No. 20), Mississippi vs. Biloxi (Double-A)

Jorge Lopez (Brewers' No. 14), Biloxi vs. Mississippi (Double-A)

Daniel Gossett (Athletics' No. 20), Midland vs. Corpus Christi (Double-A)

Paul Blackburn (Mariners' No. 17), Jackson vs. Tennessee (Double-A)

Stephen Tarpley (Pirates' No. 17), Bradenton vs. Jupiter (Class A Advanced)

Chris Flexen (Mets' No. 30), St. Lucie vs. Charlotte (Class A Advanced)

Corey Rays (Royals' No. 25), Wilmington vs. Lynchburg (Class A Advanced)

Elniery Garcia (Phillies' No. 20), Clearwater vs. Brevard County (Class A Advanced)

Jon Harris (Blue Jays' No. 6), Dunedin vs. Tampa (Class A Advanced)

Sandy Alcantara (Cardinals' No. 9), Palm Beach vs. Fort Myers (Class A Advanced)

Justin Donatella (D-backs' No. 28), Visalia vs. Modesto (Class A Advanced)

Alberto Tirado (Phillies' No. 29), Lakewood vs. Greensboro (Class A)

Jonathan Hernandez (Rangers' No. 23), Hickory vs. Asheville (Class A)

Touki Toussaint (Braves' No. 10), Rome vs. Kannapolis (Class A)

Angel Perdomo (Blue Jays' No. 15), Lansing vs. Dayton (Class A)

Brian Gonzalez (Orioles' No. 19), Delmarva vs. Hagerstown (Class A)

Dario Agrazal (Pirates' No. 27), West Virginia vs. Lexington (Class A)

Justin Steele (Cubs' No. 23), South Bend vs. West Michigan (Class A)

Jaime Barria (Angels' No. 7), Burlington vs. Kane County (Class A)

Juan Hillman (Indians' No. 12), Mahoning Valley vs. Brooklyn (Class A Short Season)

Sam Perez (Marlins' No. 21), Batavia vs. State College (Class A Short Season)

Josh Pennington (Red Sox No. 23), Lowell vs. Vermont (Class A Short Season)

JoJo Romero (Phillies' No. 25), Williamsport vs. West Virginia (Class A Short Season)

Reds to attend Tebow showcase

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 24th, 2016 + 3 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- When former NFL and college quarterback Tim Tebow attempts to show that he can play baseball next week, the

Reds will be one of several clubs watching.

Cincinnati will have a scout in Los Angeles on Tuesday when Tebow holds a workout showcase. A signing seems to be a longshot,

and the Reds' presence appears to be more of a due diligence-type effort similar to other clubs.

Tebow, 29, has not played baseball since his junior year of high school in 2005. He was an NFL quarterback for three seasons from

2010-12 with the Broncos and Jets.

Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani was a freshman at the University of Florida when Tebow led the school's football team to a BCS

National Championship in 2009. DeSclafani has never seen Tebow play baseball, but was pulling for him.

"I definitely think he has the mental toughness to play baseball," DeSclafani said. "I don't know if he's going to realize how much of

a grind the Minor Leagues are if he ever gets there. I think he would be one to endure the whole experience of a Minor League life. I

think if he does get into the Minor Leagues, he'll get to see what people go through and the long endurance of a season. Athletic

ability, it wouldn't be fair for me to judge. I think he might be able to hold his own. I don't know if he'll be successful. Hopefully he

will be successful."

Cozart takes 'first step' toward return from injury

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 24th, 2016 + 1 COMMENT

CINCINNATI -- Reds shortstop Zack Cozart made progress toward getting back in the lineup on Wednesday when he was able to

take ground balls on the field and batting practice. Cozart, who has not been in the lineup since Aug. 17, was bothered by a sore

right knee and left Achilles tendon inflammation.

The knee improved more quickly, but the Achilles needed extra time and treatment.

"This is just the first step towards getting him back in games," Reds manager Bryan Price said after watching Cozart work on the

field. "I don't think it will be a whole lot longer. In the same respect, we'll kind of continue to err on the side of caution to make sure

-- to the best of our ability -- to avoid setbacks."

The Achilles injury, which had Cozart in a walking boot for a few days, had prevented him from moving well to make plays. But

there were no issues holding him back on Wednesday.

"I felt really good," Cozart said. "It just feels good to be out there moving around and not being hindered. So far, so good. My main

concern is moving out on defense. I don't anticipate hitting being a big deal, since I felt so good out there defensively."

Cozart is batting .263 with a .755 OPS this season, a career-high tying 15 home runs and 46 RBIs. After he originally hoped to be

back on Tuesday, he is now eyeing Friday's road trip opener at Arizona for his return.

Price was not ready to sign off on that just yet, and noted it was probably unlikely. Jose Peraza has been filling in at shortstop in

Cozart's absence and performing well, creating less of a need to rush.

"I'm not writing him into the lineup for the first game in Arizona," Price said. "We've got to get through today, get through the off-

day [Thursday] and then see how he feels when we get to Phoenix."

Prospect Stephenson done for season

Class A Dayton catcher and 2015 first-round Draft pick Tyler Stephenson will have season-ending left wrist surgery on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Stephenson, who is ranked as the organization's No. 9 prospect by MLBPipeline.com, has battled through an

injured-filled 2016 season.

In 39 games for Dayton, Stephenson batted .216/.278/.324 with three home runs and 16 RBIs.

Worth noting

Reds Minor League right-handed pitchers Israel Cuevas, Felix Jimenez and Enyer Morales each received 72-game suspensions

without pay on Wednesday after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor

League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspensions of all three players are effective immediately. Cuevas and Morales are on the roster of the rookie-level Dominican

Summer League Reds. Jimenez is on the roster of the rookie-level DSL Reds2.

Hamilton dazzles with another diving snag

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 24th, 2016 + 2 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- What does Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton do for an encore after making one of the best catches of his career?

He goes back to work and takes away another hit with another tremendous defensive effort.

For the third out of the Rangers' fourth inning during the Reds' 6-5 loss, Mitch Moreland hit a fly ball off Tim Adleman to right-

center field. It had Hamilton take a wide turn to his left and race into position to once again leave his feet to make the diving catch.

Was it the showstopper type of play that Hamilton made on Tuesday vs. Texas during a 3-0 victory? No, but then again, that was a

tough act to follow.

"The plays that are pretty extraordinary are starting to become routine with him," Adleman said. "So it's great to have him out

there."

On that drive to deep left-center field by Carlos Beltran in the third inning, Hamilton ran it down and made a spectacular fully

extended diving catch on the warning track as he sailed headfirst toward the wall.

For comparison's sake, here is the data from Statcast™:

On the Moreland play, Hamilton had a first-step reaction of 0.07 seconds and reached a top speed of 19.2 mph while covering a

distance of 63.4 feet. His route efficiency was 88.7 percent. The exit velocity of the ball coming off the bat was 92.5 mph, with a

launch angle of 20.7 degrees that traveled 308 feet.

With that exit velocity and launch angle combination, similar plays have a .271 batting average and .335 slugging percentage.

"It was a great play," Moreland said. "He made so many this series, the one yesterday was unbelievable. He can really cover some

ground. We had bad aim. Everything we hit was near him."

For Tuesday's awe-inspiring play, Hamilton had a first-step reaction of minus 0.03 seconds -- meaning he was already moving just

before the ball was hit -- and reached a top speed of 22 mph. He covered 123 feet with a route efficiency of 97.2 percent.

The Beltran ball had an exit velocity of 98.8 mph and a launch angle of 25.3 degrees. Batted balls with that combination have a

combined .612 batting average and .950 slugging percentage.

Hamilton's defensive gems vs. Texas should help bolster his efforts to win his first National League Gold Glove Award. Among

center fielders, he leads the NL with an 11.6 ultimate zone rating and 13 defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs.com.

While the plays have disparate data, they do have two things in common. Reds pitchers on the mound appreciate the effort and the

fans at Great American Ball Park were treated to another Hamilton dazzler that shouldn't be taken for granted, even if it's become

more commonplace.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Rangers edge Reds, 6-5

Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 11:11 p.m. EDT August 24, 2016

In baseball, a cardinal sin for a pitcher is to give up a home run to his opposite number. Entering Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds

had done it four times, tied for most in the majors.

In a 6-5 loss to the Texas Rangers, they made it five. Reds right-hander Tim Adleman had two strikes on opposing starter Yu

Darvish before leaving a fastball over the plate that Darvish planted more than 400 feet away in center for his first career home run.

It was the first homer by an American League pitcher at Great American Ball Park since 2006, and just the fourth ever allowed to an

AL pitcher in Reds history.

“You don't know that much about American League pitchers and how they swing the bat and you certainly don't expect something

like that to happen, but he obviously showed that he's capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark and he did,” Reds manager

Bryan Price said.

Darvish’s homer wasn’t the final run scored by the Rangers in the game, but it was certainly the most notable. Adleman also gave

up a three-run shot to rookie outfielder Nomar Mazara in the second, and served up another two-strike home run to Ian Desmond

immediately after Darvish crossed home plate.

In total he was charged with five runs – four earned – over five innings. He struck out one and gave up five hits.

“It’s frustrating to know that you put your team in a tough spot,” Adleman said. “If you just make a couple of more pitches, maybe

the results are completely different.”

The 28-year-old certainly seemed a mismatch to take on Darvish entering the game. Adleman was a career minor-leaguer before this

season who needed a stint in independent ball to keep his career alive. He’d only received his first shot at the majors because the

Reds suffered more pitching injuries than they could fathom.

Darvish, on the other hand, finished second in the AL Cy Young voting in 2013 and carried a 2.75 ERA entering the game along

with one of the sport’s toughest arsenal of pitches. But they weren’t as mismatched as they seemed.

The Reds didn’t record a hit until the fifth inning, but managed to hang two runs on the right-hander before that anyway. After

Darvish hit Adam Duvall to start the second, the Rangers righty issued consecutive one-out walks to load the bases. A fielder’s

choice scored one run and a passed ball scored another.

“The only time he was really vulnerable was with runners on base when he was trying to be quicker,” Price said of Darvish. “When

he had his bigger leg kick, when he was more deliberate, I thought his pitch quality was better. When he was quicker to the plate, he

wasn’t nearly as sharp.”

The Reds collected their first hit in the fifth on a single by pinch-hitter Tony Renda, adding a run later in the inning on Jose Peraza’s

groundout. Two more scored to tie the game at 5-5 on a Ramon Cabrera ground-rule double and a Ivan De Jesus Jr. sacrifice fly.

The Reds finished with just four hits, all of them in those two innings. But they drew six walks and another free base when Duvall

was plunked.

The Rangers broke the tie in the eighth when Reds reliever Blake Wood hit Desmond and gave up a double to Adrian Beltre. The hit

was the 2,900th of Beltre’s career.

The loss ended Cincinnati’s home stand against three teams in playoff contention. The Reds went 6-4 in those games, and will now

face two teams with worse records in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels.

“Certainly it's a game you want to win,” Price said. “It wraps up a 6-4 home stand against some pretty good teams and I still think

we're playing pretty good baseball right now and want to take that to the West Coast.”

Notes: Blue Jays, Reds talked Joey Votto trade last summer

Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 7:59 p.m. EDT August 24, 2016

The Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays had brief discussions about a trade involving Reds first baseman Joey Votto before last

year’s deadline, according to multiple baseball sources. The discussions were first reported by the Toronto Star on Tuesday.

The discussions were instigated by the Blue Jays and did not reach a serious enough stage for the teams to begin negotiating

prospects or how much money the Reds would pay down on Votto’s lengthy and expensive contract, although one source said the

Reds understood that they’d need to eat some money and that the Blue Jays had the prospects necessary for a deal.

No trade came to fruition before the trade deadline, although the Reds passed Votto through waivers in August in case the Blue Jays

remained interested. By that time, Toronto had used much of its capital to acquire shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and starting pitcher

David Price in order to gear up for its postseason run.

Votto is a Toronto native and resides there in the offseason, although there would have been several hurdles to clear to make a trade

happen. First, the Reds had to be sure they wanted to move him. The first baseman was in the midst of a historic second half at that

point, and with eight guaranteed years left on his contract, he’d likely be an important piece when the team surfaced from its

rebuild.

But many in the game view Votto’s contract as an albatross. The Reds would have owed him $199 million after the 2015 season,

including a $7 million buyout for 2024. Deciding how much cash to send to Toronto for a player worth his current salary but likely

to decline by the end of his contract would have been a tricky task.

Even if the two teams had been able to come to an agreement on a trade, Votto has a full no-trade clause in his contract and could

have vetoed any deal. Votto has declined to discuss any hypothetical usage of that clause.

Eventually, the Reds decided it didn’t make sense and said they’d revisit the notion in the offseason. That winter, the Blue Jays

hired former Cleveland Indians executive Mark Shapiro over then-general manager Alex Anthopolous, who had been the aggressor

in the Votto talks. Anthopolous left the organization soon after.

Any resurrection of the discussions now seems unlikely. One Reds source said the Blue Jays are more conservative with payroll and

protective of their farm system under Shapiro, and doesn’t think Toronto would be willing to pay an enticing price to land the first

baseman.

The Reds also see Votto as important piece going forward – and hard to replace at the position anyway – and believe his contract

might not seem so onerous in the later years as player salaries continue to rise each winter.

Cozart takes grounders

Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, out much of the past week with an aching Achilles, took groundballs on the field for the first time

Wednesday and hopes to be back in the lineup Friday in Arizona. The Reds are off Thursday.

“It just feels good to be back out there, moving around and not being hindered,” Cozart said. “So far, so good. I said it earlier in the

week, my main concern is moving out on defense. I don’t anticipate hitting being a big deal since I felt so good out there

defensively.”

Manager Bryan Price wouldn’t commit to Cozart starting at short the first game against the Diamondbacks, however.

"I don’t think it’ll be a whole lot longer, but at the same time we’ll continue to err on the side of caution to make sure to the best of

our ability we can avoid setbacks,” Price said.

Minor leaguers suspended

Minor-league right-handers Israel Cuevas, Felix Jimenez and Enyer Morales all received 72-game suspensions for testing positive

for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol, Major League Baseball and the players' union released in a joint statement.

All three players were playing in the Dominican Summer League, although they were split between two different DSL teams.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Posted: 10:08 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016

Rangers get home run from pitcher Yu Darvish, defeat Reds

By Mark Schmetzer

Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI — The way pitchers hit against the Cincinnati Reds, they might want American League teams to just go ahead and

use their designated hitters when they play at Great American Ball Park.

It’s probably less threatening.

One day after Texas left-hander Derek Holland notched his first career hit, Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish clubbed his first career

home run, the first of back-to-back shots in the fifth inning and the third overall off Tim Adleman on their way to a 6-5 interleague

win Wednesday.

Veteran third baseman Adrian Beltre snapped a 5-5 tie with a two-out, run-scoring double up the right-center field gap in the eighth

inning off Blake Wood (5-2). The hit drove in Ian Desmond, who reached after being hit by a pitch with one out and stole second

base.

The loss left the Reds with a 6-4 record on their 10-game home stand and 8-2-2 in the 12 series they’ve played since the All-Star

break. They remain tied with the Seattle Mariners behind the Chicago Cubs for the second-best record in the majors since the All-

Star break.

Cincinnati slipped to 5-12 in interleague play with three games left against the Angels at Anaheim next week.

Darvish and three Texas relief pitchers combined to limit the Reds to four hits, three of them singles. Cincinnati batters were able to

coax five walks, and Adam Duvall was hit by a pitch. Three of those free passes ended up scoring.

“The only times he seemed to be vulnerable were when we had runners on base and he was trying to be quicker to the plate,” Reds

manager Bryan Price said. “I think it took discipline for our guys. How many hits did we have? Four? And we scored five runs. It

was apparent that he wasn’t as sharp tonight as statistics indicated he’d been earlier.”

Darvish and Desmond turned in the fourth set of back-to-back homers given up by Reds pitchers in a span of three days. The Los

Angeles Dodgers had three sets in Monday’s 18-9 shellacking. Darvish, whose shot to center field was a no-doubter, is the fifth

pitcher to homer against the Reds this season and the fourth at Great American Ball Park.

“It was just a really bad pitch – something he could handle,” Adleman said of Darvish’s home run. “Those were big blows – two-out

home runs when one pitch could’ve gotten me out of it. It’s definitely disappointing. There were some positives, but at the end of

the day, I gave up a couple of runs I probably should have kept off the board.”

“Any time a guy is at the plate with a bat, there’s a chance something can happen,” Price said. “He hit a fastball out over the plate

and he hit it well. It’s hard to know about American League pitchers, but he showed that he’s capable of hitting it out of the ballpark

Adleman, who threw five scoreless innings on Friday in his first start since May 19, needed 10 pitches to get through the first, but

he needed 20 to negotiate the second while giving up three hits, including left fielder Nomar Mazara’s 15th homer of the season, a

three-run shot into the right field seats.

The Reds cobbled together a “rally” of sorts in the bottom of the second, which started with Duvall being hit by a pitch. Scott

Schebler and Eugenio Suarez loaded the bases with back-to-back one-out walks, setting up Ramon Cabrera’s run-scoring fielder’s-

choice grounder and a run-scoring wild pitch.

They didn’t collect their first hit until Tony Renda’s single to left-center field while pinch-hitting for Adleman with one out in the

fifth inning. Renda went to third when Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus threw wildly on Billy Hamilton’s chopper – probably not the

wisest choice, considering who was running – and scored on a groundout.

Cincinnati tied the game in the sixth on Cabrera’s run-scoring ground-rule double and Ivan De Jesus Jr.’s sacrifice fly.

Adleman, who missed three months with a strained left oblique, allowed five hits and five runs, four earned, with one strikeout and

no walks.

Former Reds center fielder Drew Stubbs made a cameo appearance, playing the ninth inning in left field for the Rangers.

Consistency is Straily’s hallmark with Reds

SPORTS By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer

Posted: 11:48 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016

CINCINNATI — Besides wins, baseball managers prize few things more than consistency. For almost two months now, Dan

Straily has been the poster boy for that commodity.

Since getting roughed up by the Chicago Cubs for a career-high seven runs on June 27, the 27-year-old right-hander has been

rolling. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in each of his 10 starts in July and August, two or fewer in each of the last eight. He’s

lasted six innings in all but one of those, and he went one out into the sixth in that one. His earned-run average over that span is

2.43, and he’s gone 6-1 in that stretch to improve to 10-6 overall, matching his career high in wins.

“He’s been a difference-maker and a solidifier for us,” manager Bryan Price said Wednesday, the day after Straily threw six innings

to get the win in Cincinnati’s 3-0 victory over Texas.

“He always gives us five or six or seven quality innings,” catcher Tucker Barnhart said. “I think this is, what, eight straight starts

with two runs or less? That’s remarkable, especially for a guy we didn’t know we were going to have coming out of spring

training.”

The Reds claimed Straily off waivers on April 1 from San Diego, the team to which he’d been traded during spring training by

Houston.

Price, a former pitching coach, believes Straily’s deception is his best weapon.

“Hitters don’t see the ball out of his hand as well as they do with other pitchers,” Price said. “He used to be just a four-seam or two-

seam pitcher. Now he’s both. He’s opened up his arsenal to both left-handed and right-handed batters. I think hitters have difficulty

seeing his release point and recognizing the spin of the pitch.”

Daily watch: Shortstop Zack Cozart took ground balls before the game for the first time in a week. Price considered it a step toward

getting the veteran back in the lineup, but the manager wouldn’t commit to making that move on Friday, when the Reds open a

three-game seres in Arizona after a day off Thursday. Cozart hasn’t played since last Wednesday while dealing with soreness and

swelling in his left Achilles.

“He’ll be able to take on more of a workload,” Price said. “He took some groundballs and had no issues. We’ve got the off day

tomorrow, so we’ll pick it up in Arizona and see where he is. I don’t think it will be a whole lot longer, but we’re going to err on the

side of caution. I don’t think I’ll be writing his name in the lineup that first day in Arizona. We’ll wait and see how he feels.”

Reed returns: Left-hander Cody Reed on Tuesday made his first start for Triple-A Louisville since being optioned. Reed pitched six

innings for the Bats against Toledo, allowing 10 hits and three walks but only two runs. He didn’t strike out any of the Mud Hens.

Reed was optioned after going 0-7 with a 7.36 ERA in 10 starts for the Reds.

Next: Left-hander Brandon Finnegan (8-9) tries to reach .500 on the season as he makes his first career start at Arizona’s Chase

Field on Friday at 9:40 p.m. Finnegan allowed one hit in seven innings of a start against the Los Angeles Dodgers delayed by rain

on Saturday, but he got the decision in an 11-1 win.

Posted: 4:56 pm Wednesday, August 24th, 2016

Straily is ‘found money’ for the Reds

By Hal McCoy

CINCINNATI — It is like somebody walking into a casino and having the pit boss hand them 20 $500 chips and saying, “Here,

have fun on us.”

It is found money.

That is what the Cincinnati Reds should feel like when it comes to pitcher Dan Straily. They were handed free money when the San

Diego Padres put him on waivers three days before the start of this season and the Reds signed him.

The cost for Straily? The major league minimum of $512,100. In baseball, it is the equivalent of finding a pitcher in the bargain bin

at Goodwill.

SINCE THE ALL-STAR BREAK, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound right hander from Redsland, Calif., is 6-and-0 with a 1.90 earned run

average over eight starts and the Reds have won all eight. And he has given up two or fewer runs in all eight.

When he pitched six scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers Wednesday night for his 10th win, he matched his career best, 10

victories in his rookie year (2013) with Oakland. And the A’s didn’t think a whole lot of him when they drafted him. They picked

him on the 24th round, usually a round teams use just to fill out their minor league rosters.

Nobody, though, is more appreciative of what Straily has done than manager Bryan Price, a guy who knows pitching like the Wright

Brothers knew aeronautics.

“It really was an unbelievable find for us,” said Price. “He has been a difference-maker and a solidifier to our rotation. He has been

our most consistent starter.”

SO WHAT MAKES STRAILY so effective and efficient when his fastball tops out at about 92 miles and hour and his slider makes

it way plateward at 82? Price says Straily has the deception of a Las Vegas magician.

“”I really believe it is deception and I really don’t think that hitters see him as well as they see other pitchers,” said Price. “His

velocity is not overwhelming — 88 to 82. But there are a lot of swings and misses on his fastball. A lot.

“The part that sticks out to me is that at one time he was either a four-seam pitcher and then he was a two-seam pitcher and now he

can utilize both,” Price added. “He has opened up his full arsenal to both left handed and right handed hitters. He is not going

fastball/change-up to lefties and fastball/slider to righties. He has opened up the whole bag of tricks to both lefties and righties.

“I don’t think hitters see any of those three pitches terribly well,” said Price. “My feeling is that it is difficult for hitters to see his

release point and it is difficult for them to recognize the spin of his pitches. And for a guy who throws 90, his slider comes in at 82

and there is a lot of speed differential. But you get a lot of guys swinging at the slider like it is a fastball. There just is not a lot of

recognition. And he has a change-up that has a bottoming, downward action which is also a good swing-and-a-miss pitch. All that is

something that is not taught.”

WHEN BILLY HAMILTON made the stupendous catch on Carlos Beltran Wednesday night, Statcast measured that he ran 123 feet

from right center to left center, reaching 22 miles an hour before he flattened out to make the catch while sliding belly-down on the

warning track.

The catch was all over ESPN and MLB-TV Wednesday night and all day Thursday, but Hamilton said he hadn’t seen it and said

with a smile, “I just catch ‘em, I don’t watch ‘em.”

Statcast also reported that on balls hit with a trajectory of lower than 30 degrees, Hamilton covered more ground than any center

fielder they had ever measured. He covered 10 more feet than the second best.

PRICE APPRECIATES HAMILTON’S daily catch, almost as much as the pitchers, but he appreciates more what Hamilton is

accomplishing offensively since the All-Star break.

“He has made his biggest strides offensively,” said Price. “He was hitting about .260 (actually, .256) at Triple-A when he got called

up (2013) and had to figure it out.

“This is a challenging level and this is his year after we got past that first four or six weeks and he started to figure some things out,

like putting the ball on the barrel more often, driving the ball through the infield and, to me, a much better strike zone command. It

has led to a higher on-base percentage and more opportunities to steal bases and score runs, which is what Billy is all about.”

Some of the players in the Reds clubhouse were aghast when they heard what Texas manager Jeff Bannister said about Hamilton’s

catch. “Oh, we’ve had some guys make catches like that,” he told writers.

Really?

ESPN.COM MLB Rumor Central: Could Joey Votto land in Toronto?

5:54 PM ET

Courtney Schellin

Is there a possibility that Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto could be headed home in the near future?

On Monday, Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, citing sources, reported that the Toronto Blue Jays and Reds had "serious

discussions" regarding Votto, a native of Toronto, at one point last season. ESPN's Buster Olneyprovided further context on

Wednesday:

"The conversations started in the summer of 2015 while the Reds were in the midst of trading Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, and

engaging other clubs in discussion about Jay Bruce. While nothing happened before the trade deadline of July 31, both teams

understood the talks could continue because Votto’s massive contract would ensure he’d pass through waivers. In August, the talks

continued, with the Reds willing to eat a chunk of the money owed to Votto. ... The talks were serious, as Richard wrote, with some

optimism that a trade would be completed -- but eventually, the discussions faded."

That said, Olney notes that there are "threads of past conversations in place" if the Reds and Jays decide to discuss Votto again,

which could be the case this offseason as Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are set to become free agents.

Votto has been swinging a hot bat in the second half, racking up 56 hits in 123 at-bats (.455), with 29 walks, 17 extra-base hits and

only 19 strikeouts. If a deal is to take place, the 32-year-old would have to approve of the deal considering his full no-trade clause.

On his current deal, Votto is owed $172 million over the next seven seasons, with a $20 million option for 2024 that includes a $7

million buyout.

MLB Rumor Central: Reds among teams attending Tim Tebow's showcase

9:39 PM ET

Alex Tekip

The Cincinnati Reds are planning on sending a scout to Tim Tebow's showcase in Los Angeles next Tuesday, reports MLB.com's

Mark Sheldon.

Sheldon writes that a signing "seems to be a longshot" and that the Reds' attendance at Tebow's workout appears to be a team doing

its due diligence.

Although the Reds aren't likely to pursue Tebow, they won't be alone in checking him out. More than 20 MLB teams are confirmed

to attend his workout, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Tebow hasn't played baseball competitively since 2005, during his junior year at Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. He

was an all-state player that season, hitting .494 to help his team reach the final four of Florida's state playoffs.

Sheldon writes that Reds pitcher Anthony DeScalafani was a freshman at the University of Florida when Tebow carried the Gators'

to a BCS National championship in 2009. DeScalafani hasn't seen Tebow play baseball, but told Sheldon he was rooting for him.

"I definitely think he has the mental toughness to play baseball," DeSclafani said. "I don't know if he's going to realize how much of

a grind the minor leagues are if he ever gets there. I think he would be one to endure the whole experience of a minor league life."

ASSOCIATED PRESS Yu Darvish homers, Rangers beat Reds 6-5 for 2-game split

CINCINNATI -- One trip around the bases has Yu Darvish thinking more like a hitter.

Darvish connected for only the second homer by a Rangers pitcher, and Adrian Beltre hit a tiebreaking double in the eighth inning

Wednesday night for a 6-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and a split of their two-game interleague series.

Darvish's solo shot to center field was one of three homers by the Rangers, who wasted a three-run lead before rallying late. Beltre's

double off Blake Wood (5-2) snapped a 5-5 tie.

The right-hander's next start will be in an American League game with the DH preventing him from getting to try for an encore.

"Just take the DH off and let me hit," he said, through a translator.

Well, maybe not.

"If I get another at-bat, I might strike out," he said. "I want to keep that (home run) image in my mind."

Darvish's big moment came in the fifth when he ended his 0 for 12 career slump. He tipped the bill of his batting helmet as he

rounded third base and raised an index finger briefly as he headed for the plate. The only other Rangers pitcher to homer was Bobby

Witt in 1997 at Dodger Stadium, in only their third interleague game.

"The way he did it -- his whole at-bat looked good," Beltre said. "That wasn't a cheap home run. He hit it to straight center field."

Darvish looked good in batting practice before the game and assured manager Jeff Banister that he could hit.

"When he came back after hitting the home run, he reminded me that he'd told me he could hit," Banister said. "That's a big boy

home run to center field. That ball was struck well."

He's the fifth pitcher to homer against the Reds this season.

"It was just a really bad pitch, something he could handle," pitcher Tim Adleman said.

Nomar Mazara had a three-homer, and Ian Desmond followed Darvish's homer in the fifth with one off Adleman. The Reds have

given up 10 homers in the last three games, including four sets of back-to-back homers.

Darvish let a 5-2 lead slip away. He walked a season-high five batters and hit a batter in six innings. A passed ball and an error led

to two unearned runs.

Jake Diekman (4-2) went one inning and got the win. Sam Dyson pitched the ninth for his 28th save in 32 chances.

The win snapped Texas' three-game losing streak. The Rangers haven't lost more than four straight this season. They improved to

28-8 in one-run games, best in the majors.

Carlos Beltran was hitless in four at-bats, leaving him in an 0-for-24 slump that matches his career high from 2000.

Darvish helped the Reds score two runs in the second. He hit Adam Duvall and walked two to load the bases. Duvall scored when

Ramon Cabrera grounded into a forceout, and another run scored on Jonathan Lucroy's passed ball.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus' throwing error set up another unearned run in the fifth. Cabrera had an RBI double as the Reds tied it with

three runs in the sixth, aided by another walk.

INTERLEAGUE

The Rangers are 11-6 in interleague play, with their pitchers going 4 for 21 at the plate. The Reds are 5-12.

TOP TWO

The Rangers host the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, matching the top two teams in the AL. The last time they met so late in a

season with both teams leading their divisions was 1999, according to STATS. The Rangers have won five of their last seven games

with the Indians.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: SS Zack Cozart missed his seventh straight game with an inflamed left Achilles tendon. He worked out on the field before the

game. Manager Bryan Price said he could be back in the lineup this weekend.

UP NEXT

Reds: After a day off, they open a series in Arizona. LHP Brandon Finnegan (8-9) has 13 quality starts and has been the victim of

blown saves four times.

TRANSACTIONS 08/24/16

Texas Rangers traded SS Dylan Moore to Atlanta Braves for Other Considerations.

Atlanta Braves traded LF Jeff Francoeur and cash to Miami Marlins for C Matthew Foley.

Los Angeles Dodgers activated LHP Rich Hill from the 15-day disabled list.

New York Mets placed LHP Jonathon Niese on the 15-day disabled list. Left knee injury.

Milwaukee Brewers sent Ramon Flores outright to Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

Los Angeles Dodgers placed 3B Rob Segedin on the paternity list.

New York Yankees optioned Bryan Mitchell to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

St. Louis Cardinals sent RHP Lance Lynn on a rehab assignment to Springfield Cardinals.

Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Louis Coleman on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Los Angeles Dodgers signed free agent LHP Roy Merritt to a minor league contract.

Milwaukee Brewers sent 3B Will Middlebrooks on a rehab assignment to Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Houston Astros sent OF Preston Tucker on a rehab assignment to Corpus Christi Hooks.

Baltimore Orioles recalled Mike Wright from Norfolk Tides.

Baltimore Orioles placed RHP Chris Tillman on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 21, 2016. Right shoulder bursitis.

Kansas City Royals sent RHP Wade Davis on a rehab assignment to AZL Royals.

Oakland Athletics recalled J.B. Wendelken from Nashville Sounds.

Oakland Athletics placed SS Marcus Semien on the paternity list.

Atlanta Braves sent C A.J. Pierzynski on a rehab assignment to GCL Braves.

New York Mets recalled Erik Goeddel from Las Vegas 51s.