Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings April 14, 2017

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings April 14, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1910-Cincinnati native, William Howard Taft becomes the first president to throw out the first pitch at an opener, in Washington MLB.COM Price to exercise patience with Arroyo Right-hander allows five runs over six innings in defeat on Thursday By Mark Sheldon / 1:15 AM ET CINCINNATI -- Bronson Arroyo worked for two-and-a-half years to make his comeback. Reds manager Bryan Price is going to give the right-hander more than two rocky starts to figure things out. Arroyo was on the wrong end of a 5-1 Reds loss to the Brewers on Thursday. On the plus side, the 40-year-old provided six innings. But he also allowed all five earned runs on seven hits, including two home runs. A four-run Brewers third inning that included Ryan Braun's two-run homer off a changeup did him in. Full Game Coverage "I feel like I've got less room for error right now," said Arroyo, who did not walk a batter and struck out two. "My [velocity] is obviously not as good as it used to be. It's not easy pitching, period, in the big leagues. I don't feel like I quite have enough to finish guys right now, which is a little bit of the problem." In the fifth inning, Eric Thames added a two-out solo homer. "When I saw him in Spring Training, I had, I think, a seven-pitch at-bat," Thames said. "I think I saw every pitch he throws. You've got to get something up in the zone or it's going off the end of your bat. Tonight I lucked out and got something up in the zone." Through two starts, Arroyo has a 9.90 ERA and has allowed four homers. He lasted four innings, allowing six runs, in his 2017 debut in St. Louis on Saturday for a 10-4 loss. Price is giving Arroyo, a staple in the Reds' rotation from , the space to improve. Following a June 15, 2014, start for the D- backs, he was out of the big leagues because of elbow and shoulder surgeries. "With Bronson, the question is he's coming off two-and-a-half years of baseball inactivity for the most part, as far as competing," Price said. "I think that deserves the right for him to have some starts under his belt to really evaluate what he's got left after he's pitched for a while as opposed to assessing him like he's a rookie that might not be ready to be here." Arroyo is giving himself less room, perhaps, than Price. The Reds have Sal Romano at Triple-A Louisville with a 1.38 ERA, possibly to replace the injured Rookie Davis. On the disabled list, Davis could return as soon as April 22 from a bruised right forearm. "If I go out there, honestly, probably the next two times and still feel like things are not quite crisp and I'm giving up too many hardhit balls or giving up too many runs and not being able to shut down those big innings, that's the problem," Arroyo said. Arroyo's velocity averages Pitch type Tonight Last start Difference Curveball Slider Changeup Sinker Cutter Seamer Although he was never known for his velocity during his prime, Statcast showed Arroyo averaged 78.8 mph overall with his pitches in his season debut and topped at On Thursday, he saw slight velocity increases in his four-seam fastball, slider and curveball but decreases in his changeup, sinker and cutter.

2 "To be honest with you, it's completely uncharted territory," Arroyo said. "I could stay exactly like this for the rest of the year, or I could continue to get stronger. I felt a little bit stronger today than I did last time out. I'm just hoping it keeps progressing in that direction. I know Bryan's not discouraged just yet. But baseball is a game -- every sport at this level -- you're getting paid to produce, man. It's got to get a little bit better a little quicker." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Garrett a key piece for surprising Reds Cincinnati re-establishing winning mentality with strong pitching, dependable defense By Phil Rogers / April 13th, 2017 And a 27 percent three-point shooter shall lead them. Whatever it takes, the Reds are thrilled to be off to one of their best starts in years -- their best since 1990, actually, having won seven of their first nine before falling to the Brewers, 5-1, on Thursday night. That's a huge step forward for manager Bryan Price and his Reds, who lost 94 games last season and 98 in The difference between this team and those has largely been rookie left-hander Amir Garrett, who decided to focus on baseball after two years of basketball at Divison I St. John's University, and free-agent right-hander Scott Feldman, who will make his third start Friday night against Milwaukee. No one is expecting a lot from the Reds this season, but when you play baseball in Cincinnati, there's a high standard. It's been only four seasons since the franchise of Johnny Bench and Pete Rose was on a run that saw it go to the postseason three times in four years. It takes some imagination to see the Reds challenging the Cubs and Cardinals in the National League Central, but the pieces are somewhat quietly sliding into place. For one thing, Price's team has evolved into one of the best fielding units in the Major Leagues. Just ask the Brewers' Keon Broxton, who was called out on a review on a Javier Baez-quick type tag by Arismendy Alcantara while seemingly stealing second base in the top of the ninth on Thursday night. Or talk to hitters who have had singles or extra-base hits gobbled up by Billy Hamilton and left fielder Adam Duvall the past two seasons. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez, a converted shortstop, is a defensive asset, as is shortstop Zack Cozart and second baseman Jose Peraza. Cincinnati ranked 15th in defensive efficiency in 2015, as measured by Baseball Prospectus. That number moved to seventh in the Major Leagues with zero fanfare last season, and sat at fifth entering play on Thursday. Using his fielders, Garrett is giving the Reds the ace they haven't had since trading Johnny Cueto to the Royals at the Trade Deadline in Their starters were 12th in the NL with a 4.79 ERA last season, and the bullpen was even worse. Garrett has won both of his starts, one against the Cardinals and one against the Pirates, both on the road. He'll make his Great American Ball Park debut on Tuesday against the Orioles. They'll need to come get him, as Garrett has shown since arriving in Arizona for Spring Training that he's locked into a delivery that lets him throw strikes (only six walks in 21 1/3 innings in the Cactus League) and go after hitters with improved breaking pitches. Feldman lost to the Phillies on Opening Day, but he came back to throw six shutout innings to beat the Cardinals in his last start. The Reds hope he'll do for them what he did for the rebuilding Cubs in 2013, when he made 15 solid starts before being traded to the Orioles for Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop. OK, that's a lot to ask for. But Feldman has shown that when he's healthy he can be an effective depth option for a contending team, so Cincinnati will welcome what he gives the club as it continues to develop rotation prospects like Cody Reed, Robert Stephenson and Tyler Mahle. Reed and Stephenson have joined 2013 first-round pick Michael Lorenzen to give Price a group of strong arms in the bullpen that is anchored by Raisel Iglesias and newcomer Drew Storen. The left-handed Reed, who took his lumps during a 10-start baptism by fire last season, may slide into the rotation with Rookie Davis on the disabled list.

3 While Brewers veteran Jimmy Nelson shut down the Reds on Thursday night, they've been scoring runs. They've averaged 5.9 runs in their seven victories, including a three-game sweep in Pittsburgh and a stretch winning two of three in St. Louis. You know what you're going to get with Joey Votto. It's the top of the rotation, post-cueto, that has been a mystery. Let's see how Garrett holds up. He's a guy who his St. John's coach Steve Lavin (a huge baseball fan himself) praised as "the most tenacious competitor'' in his high school recruiting class. That fire carries over well to the mound. If Garrett can sustain his early success and Cincinnati continues to catch the ball as well as it has, the Reds will have a running start on getting back into the conversation sooner rather than later. Phil Rogers is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Arroyo struggles over 6 innings in loss to Crew By Mark Sheldon and Andy Call / MLB.com 2:23 AM ET CINCINNATI -- If the Brewers were going to put the brakes on the Reds' hot start on Thursday, there was an excellent chance familiar nemesis Ryan Braun would be involved. It was Braun's two-run home run that capped a four-run third inning, leading the Brewers to a 5-1 win. The now 7-3 Reds saw their winning streak halted at four games. Facing Reds starter Bronson Arroyo and trailing by a 1-0 score in the third, the Brewers used back-to-back singles and a Jimmy Nelson sacrifice bunt to set up their big frame. Jonathan Villar's groundout to first base plated the tying run, and Eric Thames then added a RBI single to put the Brewers ahead. Up next was Braun, who slugged a 1-0 pitch that carried to left field for a two-run homer. It was Braun's 36th career homer against the Reds and 21st at Great American Ball Park -- his most at any stadium besides Miller Park. Since his 2007 debut, Braun has the most homers vs. Cincinnati in the Majors. Thames' two-out solo homer in the fifth made it a four-run game. Arroyo was finished after six innings having allowed five earned runs, seven hits and no walks with two strikeouts. That was enough room to work with for Nelson, who gave the Brewers seven innings and allowed one earned run and five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. In the bottom of the first, Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton created the game's first run when he singled, stole second base, advanced to third base on a Jose Peraza fly out to right field and scored on Joey Votto's sacrifice fly. The Brewers entered the game coming off a two-game sweep of the Blue Jays where they also won via solid starting pitching, allowing just three runs in both games combined. "We have pitched outstanding three days in a row," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "[Nelson] was in control the whole time tonight." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Remember me? Braun extended the Brewers' lead to 4-1 in the third inning with his loud home run into the left-field seats on a 77- mph changeup from Arroyo. According to Statcast, the combination of exit velocity (96.4 mph) and launch angle (25 degrees) offers a 10-percent chance of being a home run. It was Braun's fifth career homer against Arroyo, his most against any pitcher. Billy ball: Not only did Hamilton create a run in the first inning, but he also played some nice defense in the early going. To end the top of the first, he ran a lengthy distance to catch a deep drive off Braun's bat to the wall in left-center field. For the second out in the second inning, Hamilton seemed to lose track of Domingo Santana's shot to right-center field, but he caught up to it and made a leaping catch as he banged into the fence to rob Santana of an extra-base hit. Arroyo showed Hamilton his appreciation from the mound. "If the ball's going to hang in the air that long, Billy's always got a chance to get it," Arroyo said. "It's amazing. There were probably four balls that went up there today that I thought, 'Man, that's probably going to drop there,' and Billy was like camped underneath it. It's nice to have a guy out there who's covering that much ground." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Braun has made 63 plate appearances against Arroyo. According to the Brewers, he has only faced Adam Wainwright (86) and Jaime Garcia (65) more often. With three scoreless innings on Thursday, the Reds' bullpen extended its scoreless streak to 20 1/3 innings and improved its Major League best ERA to Last season, Cincinnati's relievers led the Majors in runs allowed and set a single-season record with at least one run allowed in 23 straight games.

4 UPON FURTHER REVIEW In the top of the ninth inning, Keon Broxton was called safe on a steal of second base. The Reds challenged the ruling on the field, and upon a replay review, the call was overturned for the first out. WHAT'S NEXT Brewers: The series continues Friday at 6:10 p.m. CT when left-hander Tommy Milone (0-0, 9-00), who allowed nine hits and four runs over four innings of an 11-6 loss Saturday to the Cubs, will start for Milwaukee. Reds: Following a three-hit night on Thursday, Zack Cozart will take his eight-game hitting streak into Friday's 7:10 p.m. ET game vs. the Brewers. Scott Feldman will make his third start and is coming off six-plus scoreless innings for an 8-0 win over the Cardinals on Sunday in his last outing. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. Reds consider trio for Sunday start vs. Crew Romano has impressed in two starts with Triple-A Louisville By Mark Sheldon / April 13th, 2017 CINCINNATI -- The Reds are still mulling over who might start for the injured Rookie Davis vs. the Brewers on Sunday, but manager Bryan Price could also shake up the rotation order of the starting five in the days that follow. Left-hander Cody Reed and right-hander Robert Stephenson are both starters who currently reside in the bullpen. There is also righthander Sal Romano, who is doing well with Triple-A Louisville. Price sounded like he was leaning toward the latter. "The problem with targeting Reed or Stephenson is we have to give them time off before the start and time off after that start," Price said on Thursday. "Based on the health of the bullpen, it would be a lot easier to look at that the closer we get to the game. We also know that we have three roster pitchers. Romano is scheduled to pitch that day, as well. We've got some options." Romano, 23, narrowly missed making the big league rotation after a strong Spring Training and has performed well in his first two starts for Louisville. The Reds' No. 9 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, has a 1.38 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, which includes his seven scoreless innings with four hits, no walks and five strikeouts vs. Toledo on Tuesday. Stephenson pitched two scoreless innings vs. the Pirates on Wednesday but struggled on Saturday vs. the Cardinals in his 2017 debut, allowing three earned runs and six walks over 1 2/3 innings. Reed threw three perfect innings vs. the Pirates on Monday after laboring through his first appearance last week against the Phillies with four walks over two scoreless innings. "What really made that situation [Wednesday] was our ability to have that second four-run inning and create enough space there where we could give Robert some wiggle room to just go out and do his thing." Price said. "He responded well and had much better fastball command and was able to get that split and curveball over. He threw two really nice sliders. This is kind of the vehicle I'd like to use to get guys like Reed and Stephenson back into starting opportunities to build their confidence in their stuff up through the way we use them out of the bullpen, at least initially." On Tuesday, Davis suffered a bruised right forearm when he was hit by a pitch and was put on the 10-day disabled list the following day. Price would also like to alter the rotation to separate Scott Feldman and Bronson Arroyo from starting on consecutive days so they can be wedged between the three young starters. "It's really the fact that you've got your two most senior pitchers who know how to manage a game going back-to-back," Price said. "The one thing that I kept an eye on coming out of Spring Training is the fact that we need guys that can manage games between the younger pitchers. Not because I lack optimism, but I'm also a realist. The veteran guy kind of knows how to survive some earlygame setbacks more so than a younger pitcher." Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

5 Reds righty Feldman looks to cool Braun's bat By Andy Call / Special to MLB.com April 13th, 2017 Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun's nearly 10-year run with the club has allowed him to accumulate some impressive statistics at Great American Ball Park, totals he hopes to add to during Friday night's 7:10 ET game against the Reds. The veteran outfielder added to his impressive numbers in Cincinnati with a two-run home run in the opener of the four-game series on Thursday night. Braun now has 21 career home runs at Great American Ball Park, the most for Braun of any park outside of Milwaukee. Only Lance Berkman (23) has hit more. Braun has 36 career homers against the Reds, most by any opposing player since Braun made his big league debut in May Right-hander Scott Feldman (1-1, 2.53 ERA) will be either Braun's next victim or one of a select few Cincinnati pitchers who have experienced success against him. The Reds' Opening Day starter worked six shutout innings on Sunday in an 8-0 victory at St. Louis. Braun is 2-for-7 with a double and a home run against Feldman. The Brewers will counter with left-hander Tommy Milone (0-0, 9-00), who allowed nine hits over four innings of an 11-6 loss Saturday to the Cubs. Things to know about this game In the Statcast Era ( ), 144 pitchers have allowed 500 balls in play. Feldman's average exit velocity allowed of 87.4 mph is among the best, ranking 15th on the list. The names above him include some impressive company, like overall leader Jake Arrieta (86.1 mph), and he's ahead of pitchers like Max Scherzer (87.5 mph). Thursday's series opener began a string of 26 games in 27 days for Milwaukee. Joey Votto has been nearly as hard on the Brewers as Braun has been on the Reds, coming into the series with 94 career RBIs against Milwaukee. Andy Call is a contributor to MLB.com based in Cincinnati. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Gennett excited to see former teammates After Reds claimed infielder from Brewers on March 28, clubs meet in Cincy By Mark Sheldon / April 13th, 2017 CINCINNATI -- It wasn't like it was a reunion of long-lost friends, since it was just March 28 when the Reds claimed infielder Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Brewers. As the two clubs prepared to face off for the first time this season on Thursday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Gennett was happy to see his former teammates and coaches. They, in turn, were pleased to see him. "I got a couple of calls from the guys when they came in. I FaceTimed a little bit with the guys," Gennett said. "I'd been there, obviously, since 2009, so I've got a lot of friends over there. Some of them are like family. I've been around them so long." With Jonathan Villar now a fixture at Gennett's natural position of second base, Milwaukee lacked room for the 26-year-old on the bench and exposed him to waivers. As a bench player for Cincinnati, Gennett has already helped the Reds to the tune of three home runs. "We got together three or four times in the offseason to work on him changing positions, then he was there every day in Spring Training for the first shift, at 7 a.m.," Brewers first-base coach Carlos Subero said. "He put in lots of work, and good quality work. You never know how a guy who has been an everyday player is going to adjust to that situation. But knowing Scooter, you knew he was going to embrace the situation and get the most out of it. "The one-and-a-half years I spent with him were great. He is a competitive kid, the kind of competitiveness that you can't teach. And he would say funny stuff out of the blue." Gennett didn't feel it mattered much to face his old team in game No. 10 of the regular season. "I'm excited just to see everybody. Hopefully we can beat them," Gennett said.

6 Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from Follow him on and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Garrett leads Reds to road sweep of Bucs By Adam Berry and Bob Cohn / MLB.com April 13th, 2017 PITTSBURGH -- With a large letter "A" carved into the dirt in front of him, Amir Garrett made his mark on the mound Wednesday night. The rookie left-hander, a former 22nd-round Draft pick making his second Major League start, led the Reds to a 9-2 win over the Pirates and a convincing series sweep at PNC Park. Garrett carried a shutout into the seventh inning, building off the six scoreless innings he threw in his Major League debut on Friday. Think it's safe to say the young lefty is exceeding expectations? "The numbers have. The competitiveness, no, because I've heard about that for the longest time, about what type of competitor Amir is," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "The ability to command his stuff, and the fact he's pitched two games so far now, both games on the road, St. Louis and Pittsburgh, division rivals, never been in the big leagues before, and pitching as well as he has, that's beyond my expectations for sure." The 24-year-old lefty held the Bucs to two runs on five hits while striking out five in 6 2/3 innings and has now registered a win in both of his starts. He was backed by plenty of support, as the Reds pounded out 15 hits, including five doubles. Garrett's streak of 12 scoreless innings to start his career was the longest by a Reds pitcher since Price and Garrett credited his changeup for his success against a Pirates lineup loaded with right-handed hitters. "There's deception and change of speed," Price said. "He's got a sinking fastball, the ability to throw that sweeping slider -- and then the changeup today was a death pitch, it really was." "Amir did a great job. He's got a big arm," Pirates third baseman David Freese said. "It plays harder than it says on the [radar] gun. He had a good one his first time out, and he did it again tonight." The Reds, at 7-2 off to their best nine-game start since they opened 9-0 in 1990, used two big innings to blow past the Pirates. Five of Pittsburgh starter Ivan Nova's six innings were clean, but Cincinnati quickly tagged him for four runs in the fifth. Eugenio Suarez led the way for the Reds with three hits and a bases-clearing double off reliever Antonio Bastardo in the seventh that put the game out of reach. The Reds outscored the Pirates, 22-5, in the three-game series. "They pitched extremely well. They played extremely well," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "They swung the bats extremely well." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Breaking through: Nova breezed through four innings, but he ran into trouble when the Reds jumped on him in the fifth. Cincinnati's first five hitters reached safely, and by the time Nova recorded an out, the Reds had built a four-run lead. Zack Cozart and Tucker Barnhart hit consecutive doubles, scoring one run, then Garrett reached safely on a misplayed ball by Freese at third base. Billy Hamilton slapped a ground-ball RBI single through the right side, and Jose Peraza punctuated the rally with a two-run double to left. "Didn't pitch the way I was supposed to," Nova said. "I was able to give my team six innings. After that, it didn't want to work. At least I gave six innings." Deep Freese: The Pirates went hitless all series -- 0-for with runners in scoring position, but Freese continued to be one of the few bright spots in Pittsburgh's lineup. With Andrew McCutchen on first base in the seventh inning, Freese crushed his second home run of the season to right field, breaking up Garrett's shutout bid. Freese's opposite-field blast came off his bat at mph, according to Statcast, and traveled a projected 388 feet into the right-field seats. In his first seven games, Freese is batting.350/.480/.650 with more walks (five) than strikeouts (three). "I think my timing's good. I'm focused. I feel like my approach is pretty good," Freese said. "Guys in scoring position, I'm not really getting it done yet there, but I've had some walks. I think my ABs are good." QUOTABLE "It's part of the game. It's early in the season. Stuff like that's going to happen. We're just trying to find a way [for the] offense to get going, pitching to do better and stuff like that. We've got to stay positive and keep fighting." --Nova, on the Pirates getting swept "There's a lot of good fruit to pick from the outing. He had one rough inning. When you're not scoring runs either, everything gets magnified." --Hurdle, on Nova

7 SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Reds picked up five wins on a six-game road trip for the first time since August-September 2012, when they won five of six in Arizona and Houston. This was the Reds' first sweep of the Pirates in Pittsburgh since Sept , WHAT'S NEXT Reds The Reds open a 10-game homestand against the Brewers on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET with Bronson Arroyo on the mound facing Jimmy Nelson at Great American Ball Park. Arroyo, 40, gave up six runs in four innings in his first start, a 10-4 loss to St. Louis. Pirates: The Bucs will begin a seven-day, seven-game, three-city road trip in Boston on Thursday, playing a makeup game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET. Coming off a shaky season debut in which he walked six batters, right-hander Chad Kuhl will start against Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, read his blog and listen to his podcast. Bob Cohn is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Billy Hamilton to be featured on MLB Network's 'Play Ball' Dave Clark, dclark@cincinnati.com 11:24 a.m. ET April 14, 2017 With Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton set to appear Saturday (10 a.m. Eastern) on MLB Network's "Play Ball," the network has been showing this promo featuring his fellow Cincinnati outfielders - Adam Duvall and Scott Schebler - in advance of the program. After another struggle, Bronson Arroyo impatient for results Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 10:45 p.m. ET April 13, 2017 Updated 14 hours ago Bronson Arroyo is getting impatient with himself. He s already waited nearly three years to return to the major leagues, weathering two surgeries and the advancing march of time that previously seemed to affect every pitcher but him. He was so eager to get back, he signed a minor-league deal that s currently paying him the major-league minimum. In spring training, he battled through the flu. He took a ball off the face. He turned 40 years old. But two starts into his comeback attempt the last a six-inning, five-run outing in a 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday he doesn t feel good enough to be a major-league pitcher. Cincinnati Reds fall to Milwaukee Brewers as Bronson Arroyo struggles again He s not willing to put up with it much longer. The next two times out, if I don t see something a little bit crisper and able to keep us in the ballgame a little bit better, maybe you re at a dead end street, Arroyo said. I m not sure. Arroyo feels that way despite at least incremental improvement from his first start of the season. Last Saturday in St. Louis, the right-hander walked three and needed 75 pitches to get through four innings. He gave up six runs, much of them on a pair of homers. Thursday things were undeniably better, although still not good. He didn t walk a single batter, and threw just 80 pitches in six frames. He felt stronger, his fastball averaging 85 mph compared to 83 mph his first time out. But he again succumbed to a big inning, culminating in a three-run homer by Ryan Braun to cap a four-run third. Again that wasn t the only one he allowed, as Eric Thames floated one to right-center two innings later.

8 Arroyo has always given up homers, but he prides himself on limiting their impact. What concerns him is that when he really needed a strikeout Thursday, he couldn t find one. He finished with two, both to start an inning. I feel like they re having to put the ball in play all the time for me to get outs, Arroyo said. Strikeouts don t mean a whole lot, but when you want to get one, it d be nice if you can reach back and have pitches that are crisp enough to put some guys away. Right now, that s a bit of a problem. Get the latest Reds news. Download our app on both the Apple App Store and Google Play. Reds manager Bryan Price seemed willing to give his veteran righty more rope than Arroyo was affording himself. Arroyo has never been a flamethrower, but has survived with lower velocity before, Price said. If Price wouldn t judge a rookie off two starts, he won t judge Arroyo on his first pair of outings in years. Arroyo wasn t signed to be an ace, either. The Reds engineered a reunion so he could eat the innings that less predictable rookies might not be able to cover. Five runs in six innings may not look pretty, but it did save an already busy bullpen. It will slightly be a work in progress because he s trying to manage his way back at this level, Price said. I think he s going to settle in fine. Price agreed that Arroyo s secondary offerings need some fine-tuning. Arroyo can see no other way to accomplish that but to keep throwing, to continue putting his arm through motions that it may have trouble remembering. The only solution, if there is one, is time. That d be a wonderful luxury if Arroyo weren t so competitive. The other eight players in the lineup didn t suit up just to watch him suck. You re getting paid to produce, man, he said. It s got to get a little bit better a little quicker. Cincinnati Reds fall to Milwaukee Brewers as Bronson Arroyo struggles again Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 9:41 p.m. ET April 13, 2017 We ll have more in a bit on the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at Great American Ball Park. Until then, here are the main storylines. Box score:brewers 5, Reds 1 Bronson Arroyo was better, but only a little. After giving up six runs in four innings Saturday his first major-league start in nearly three years the 40-year-old Arroyo handled himself a little better in his home debut. A little. Unlike his first time out, Arroyo was able to eat some innings, getting through six frames on just 80 pitches. He didn t walk a batter after issuing three free passes on Saturday. But he was again undone by the long ball. Just like in his first start, most of the damage off Arroyo came on two home runs. Brewers slugger Ryan Braun crushed a three-run shot in the third to put a cap on a four-run inning. Two innings later, Eric Thames who has spent the last three years becoming a home run phenomenon in Korea hit a solo shot that just barely carried over the fence in right-center. In total, Arroyo was charged for seven hits and five runs. He struck out two, and has a 9.90 ERA in two starts. Billy Hamilton put on a show. The score might have been more lopsided if not for the efforts of Hamilton early. In the top of the first, he stole an extra-base hit from Braun with a catch at the bullpen fence to end the inning. In the bottom of the frame, the speedster provided the Reds their only lead by smacking a leadoff single, stealing second and then moving up and scoring on consecutive fly outs. He saved Arroyo twice more in the second. For the first out, Hamilton made a catch on the run in the left-center gap to steal a hit from Travis Shaw. Then he robbed Domingo Santana of an extra-base hit in right-center with a leaping catch at the wall, although it didn t appear as if the ball would have exited the field of play. The bullpen streak continued. Entering the game, the bullpen hadn t allowed an earned run since Arroyo s last start in St. Louis. After three scoreless innings against the Brewers, they ve gone 20 ⅓ innings without an earned run allowed.

9 Drew Storen pitched a scoreless seventh, getting help from catcher Tucker Barnhart, who nailed Orlando Arcia trying to steal second. Rookie Barrett Astin took over for the eighth and put his first two batters aboard with a hit batter and walk, but got out if it with help from a double play. Astin allowed a leadoff single to Keon Broxton in the ninth, but Barnhart nailed Broxton going for second for his second caught stealing of the game. Broxton was initially ruled safe, but the call was overturned on review. Eugenio Suarez rounding into form at 3B Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 8:41 p.m. ET April 13, 2017 Updated 16 hours ago It would be easy to cut together a depressing low-light reel of Eugenio Suarez in the field last season. After all, the first-time third baseman led the majors with 23 errors. That s 23 miscues to draw from, not to mention a host of other plays where the young Cincinnati Reds infielder seemed to lose focus. But Suarez has come a long way since those days of struggle. His performance Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates offers a great rejoinder to his 2016 track record all by itself. In the second, he backhanded a sharply hit ball down the line, reverse-pivoting to fire to second to start an inning-ending double play. An inning later, he charged a slow-roller toward short. He gloved it, made the transfer and fired a perfect throw to first to nab Josh Harrison. He got another soft grounder in the fourth, this one down the third-base line. Again, he scooped it, gripped it and threw to first in the space of a step. It was impressive, especially the slow-rollers, said infield coach Freddie Benavides. Both of them were off-balance, and he s got a great arm. He s been very accurate. The 25-year-old Suarez was never a butcher at third. He came up as a shortstop, and even won a minor-league Gold Glove award for his defensive work. With shortstop Zack Cozart healthy to start 2016, Suarez made the switch to the hot corner. He was just young and inexperienced, and it showed. At times he lost focus. He didn t anticipate what opposing hitters were likely to do, and Benavides would have to yell from the dugout for Suarez to get in the proper position. On top of that, he was mechanically sloppy. He rested on his heels before the pitch, and wouldn t use his legs when he threw. He d just stand up and fire. As a result, his throws weren t the most accurate. They had a little sink and fade to them, making things difficult for first baseman Joey Votto. Last year, I didn t know how to throw that angle, Suarez said. My throw would sink and go away. Robert Stephenson coming off encouraging outing Midway through last season, things started to click. Suarez and Benavides devised a pregame routine that they ve stuck with through spring training and into the 2017 season. First, he d take grounders on his knees, focusing on his glove work to either side. Then he d stand up and take grounders with a wide base. Then Benavides would hit him screamers at third to drill his reaction time. He wouldn t actually throw to a base until batting practice, when he would fine-tune his footwork. Teammates have noticed the progress. Cozart has been impressed Suarez s ability to make plays on dribblers without having to barehand the ball. Votto deals more with the throws. When the first baseman was asked if Suarez s throws are more on target, Votto responded with an emphatic Fact. There s a definite difference on his throws, Votto said. In general, defensively he s been steadily improving. His throws stand out. Benavides feels Suarez has all the physical tools to be one of the top defensive third basemen in the majors, although that s a steep peak to summit. The likes of Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado and Josh Donaldson are some of the best the game has produced in years, and they routinely make plays that seem to be impossible. One National League scout pumped the brakes on that hype, saying he felt Suarez s ceiling was just average. But he did acknowledge that Suarez looks a lot better than he did a year ago.

10 He has improved his footwork on the routine play and to his left, the scout said in a text message. He is more accurate. So yes. He is not as careless with the baseball. Suarez arguably wound up an average third baseman by the end of the 2016 season, so perhaps that assessment is more pessimistic than most. The young Venezuelan is not content to plateau there, and neither is Benavides. Even during his showcase game Wednesday, Benavides pulled Suarez aside on the bench. He wanted to stress that the work isn t over. Hey, we need to continue this, Benavides told his student. There s no rest. Robert Stephenson coming off encouraging outing Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 7:09 p.m. ET April 13, 2017 Updated 18 hours ago Robert Stephenson s first outing of 2017 did not go well. The Cincinnati Reds right-hander fought his mechanics last weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals, and walked six in just 1 ⅔ innings. It was ugly. The 24-year-old looked like a completely different pitcher Wednesday night against the Pirates. Pitching the final two innings of Cincinnati s 9-2 blowout win, Stephenson scattered two hits and a walk and struck out four of the nine batters he faced. For me personally, it was very encouraging, Reds manager Bryan Price said. The appearance offered perhaps the most tantalizing example of what the former top prospect can be if he reaches his potential. He lost the strike zone to one hitter, but threw strikes on 65 percent of his pitches. That allowed him to be particularly deadly with his split-fingered change-up. The split has long been Stephenson s most trustworthy pitch, but it is only as good as the fastball that sets it up. With Stephenson spotting his heater Wednesday, the split was used to devastating effect. He threw eight of them, and got swings on all but one. Hitters whiffed on six of them. I m able to be a little less fine with it, and be able to throw it in the dirt and get guys to chase it, Stephenson said. Rotation shuffle? After the Reds off day Tuesday Monday, Price said he ll consider shuffling the rotation order. Some of that will depend on the health of right-hander Rookie Davis, who is currently on the disabled list. Some will depend on how much Price feels he needs to spread some veterans among his youthful starters. Right now, 40-year-old Bronson Arroyo and 34-year-old Scott Feldman are pitching back-to-back. After them are three young pitchers in a row who share a combined 37 career starts in the majors. If each hits a road bump at the same time, the bullpen could get drained pretty quickly. We need guys that can manage games between the younger pitchers, Price said. Not because I lack optimism, but I m also a realist. The veteran guy kind of knows how to survive some early-game setbacks more so than a younger pitcher. Family reunion Reserve infielder Scooter Gennett has only been a Red for a couple weeks, having been claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers the last week in spring training. With the Brewers in town for a four-game series starting Thursday, Gennett didn t have to wait long to see familiar faces again. It s going to be fun, Gennett said. Some of those guys over there are like family to me. WCPO - Channel 9 Fay: Arroyo has the ability to grow, but he's using up his slack John Fay 11:17 PM, Apr 13, hours ago CINCINNATI -- Bronson Arroyo is realistic. After the Reds' Thursday night loss to to the Brewers, he didn't sound like he would give himself as many chances as his manager Bryan Price would.

11 Price made it clear Arroyo is still in the rotation after a second bad outing -- this one a 5-1 loss that snapped the Reds' four-game winning streak. "I know that Bryan isn't discouraged just yet," Arroyo said. "Baseball is a game -- every sport at this level -- you're getting paid to produce. It's got to get a little bit better a little quicker." How quick? "If the next two times out, I don't see something a little bit crisper and be able to keep us in the ball game, then maybe you're at a dead-end street," Arroyo said. Again, Price is not ready to pull Arroyo based on two starts. "I think if it was anybody with two queasy starts -- whether a rookie or whoever else... you have to give them some room," Price said. "With Bronson, he's coming off 2 1/2 years of baseball inactivity as far as competing. I think that deserves the right for him to have starts under his belt to see what he's got left." Arroyo has given up two home runs and had a four-run inning in both his starts. That, he says, is a result of not having an out pitch, which is a result of his velocity being down. "When nobody's on base, you feel like you can go out there and do your thing," Arroyo said. "When you get two guys on and you only have one out and you have to punch a guy out to get out of the inning and you can't do it, then you've got some troubles on your hands." It's never been about velocity for Arroyo. He got by with location, varying arm angles and a five-pitch repertoire. In his best year his fastball averaged 89 mph. He went with a 3.79 ERA in 2013 when his heater averaged a not-sohot It was down to 85.4 the next year, and he still went 7-4 with a 4.08 ERA. But apparently you can only go so low. Arroyo averaged 83.1 on his fastball in his first start. The final compilations aren't in for Thursday's start, but the guess here is he didn't break 84. "I've got less room for error," he said. "My velo is not as good as it used to be. It's not easy in the big leagues any time. I feel like I don't have enough to finish guys. I can get into counts where I want to, setting them up. I can throw strikes and keep guys off the bases from walking and keep my pitch count down." Arroyo allowed the five runs on seven hits. The damage could have been considerably worse. Billy Hamilton made a two sensational catches, and Eugenio Suarez saved a run with a stab of a rocket. It's hard not to root for Arroyo. He's always been a Reds fan favorite. He helped end the long losing-season streak. His comeback story -- battling back from elbow and shoulder surgery at is a compelling one. Arroyo says he's not discouraged, just unsure of where goes from here. "It's only two times out," he said. "I haven't been on the mound in three years. To be honest with you, it's completely uncharted territory. I could stay like this the rest of the year or I could continue to get stronger. I felt a little better than last time. I'm hoping it keeps progressing in that direction." Arroyo has gone 10 innings and allowed 10 runs on 12 hits, four of which were home runs, in his two outings. Price doesn't think the problem is velocity but he also thinks Arroyo will increase his velo. "It's the crispness of his pitches," Price said. "The tightness on his breaking ball and his change-up have to continue to grow, not the velocity. He pitched in these brackets in That wasn't his best year. He pitched better with lesser stuff in Arizona before he got hurt. He was throwing 80, 82." "My anticipation is velocity will grow, along with crispness." Arroyo retired the first six batters Thursday. The luck ran out in the third. Manny Pina and Orlando Arcia went the opposite way with singles to right to start the inning. Pitcher Jimmy Nelson sacrificed them over. Jonathan Villar got in Pina with a groundout.

12 Eric Thames lined one into right to make it 2-1. Then Ryan Braun launched one to left and it was 4-1. It was Braun's fifth career homer off Arroyo. Arroyo pitched a scoreless fourth. But he gave up a two-out home run to Thames in the fifth, and it was 5-1. "Right now, they're having to put the ball in play all the time for me to get outs," Arroyo said. "Strikeouts don't mean a whole lot, but when you want to get one, it would be nice to reach back and have a pitch that feels crisp enough to put guys away. Right now, that's a bit of a problem." Fay: Strong start doesn't mean the Reds are set for the season, but it's a good sign John Fay 6:39 PM, Apr 13, :51 PM, Apr 13, 2017 CINCINNATI -- It's that age-old baseball question: Does good chemistry lead to winning or does winning lead to good chemistry? Are the Reds 7-2 because of good chemistry this year, or is the chemistry good because the Reds are 7-2? It's impossible to know for sure, but Reds manager Bryan Price will say he noticed a different attitude with his club this year. "I've had people that have come to games, people that have watched games on TV, who have said that," he said. "For us, we're trying to manage and coach the game. There's no doubt that winning breeds a more positive attitude, but it's been a good attitude ever since we got together in the spring out in Goodyear. "It's a good bunch. It's not a high-maintenance bunch. They've really focused on the great baseball. That's the focus, not worry about the peripheral stuff that's not really significant unless you make it significant. It lends to a much better environment. I think we have that low-profile, low-maintenance ball club." Of course, the Reds showed up at Goodyear right after the Brandon Phillips trade. I noticed a difference in his absence, which allowed some of the young personalities to emerge -- particularly that of Billy Hamilton. It also allows Price to set the lineup anyway he likes. Without upsetting a veteran. That wasn't the case at the start of last year when Phillips and Jay Bruce were still here. That is not to say the Reds are 7-2 because Phillips was traded, but it would not have been a low-maintenance group with him on the team and fighting for playing time with Jose Peraza. Logic says the 7-2 record is more a product of pitching -- a National League-best 2.45 ERA -- than anything that goes on in the clubhouse. Price spent a lot of Thursday's media session swinging at softball questions. That's the case when you return from a 5-1 road trip. "Most people who have been doing this for at least a little bit understand the cycles of the season," Price said. "I was listening the other day and they were talking the Cardinals, the Blue Jays or Texas -- three good teams -- have gotten off to slow starts. They're not bad teams because of the first seven to 10 games." The converse of that, of course, is the Reds aren't suddenly considered a good team based on nine games. "I don't think anyone is defining the team by nine games," he said. But it certainly beats being 2-7, especially with a young team -- the youngest in baseball on Opening Day. "Everyone is enjoying it," he said. "It's early in the season. The challenge will get bigger as things go on. It's nice to go 5-1 on a road trip against intra-division. It's a good start to the year, winning the first three series of the year. If we do that with a enough consistency, it'll end up being a great year. "It's a small sample size. It's fun. We'll continue to be challenged. We'll see how we handle those challenges. It's a good team."

13 That remains to be determined over the long haul. If it happens, we can continue the debate whether good chemistry led to the winning or the winning led to the good chemistry. Unprompted with Chris Riva & Kathrine Nero: Cincinnati Reds COO Phil Castellini Chris Riva, Kathrine Nero 4:00 PM, Apr 13, :32 PM, Apr 13, 2017 Phil Castellini is a member of the Cincinnati's first family of baseball. The son of Reds majority owner has found his own niche in leading the organization on the business side. Castellini reflects on his decision to leave the produce business and venture into baseball, the time his family was part of the ownership group of the rival St. Louis Cardinals and why he was on a mission to eliminate a certain Reds mascot. Castellini also reveals the next 'big thing' fans will be able to celebrate in the years to come. 5:00 - The time his family was part of the St. Louis Cardinals ownership group. 16:45 - How the lack of parity hurts small market teams. 20:04 - On the Reds Roster in :47 - The next 'big thing' for the Reds to celebrate. 30:23 - The one Mascot he wanted to eliminate. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Reds have a chance at a milestone not seen since 1898 Jay Morrison Staff Writer 10:10 a.m. Friday, April 14, 2017 A stat that caught everyone s eye while the Cincinnati Reds were in the midst of sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates was that the team has won its first three series of the season for the first time since the wire-to-wire World Championship in So that got us thinking. When was the last time they won four consecutive series? Turns out you don t have to go that much farther to find the answer, with the team accomplishing it in Follow Jay Morrison on Twitter The Reds swept a two-game set from Montreal, took two of three from San Diego at home, two of three at Atlanta and three of four at Houston en route to a 9-3 start under manager Pete Rose. But a lull in the middle of the season resulted in the team finishing and in second place in the National League West Division, six games behind San Francisco. After dropping the first of a four-game set against Milwaukee on Thursday night, the Reds will need to win the next three to match the 1987 team by claiming a fourth series in a row. If it happens, the quest becomes to find the last time they won five straight. Well, better pack a lunch. It s a long journey all the way back to That plucky bunch, which was managed by Buck Ewing, won two of three against the Cleveland Spiders, swept a two-game set from the Pirates, took two of three against the Cubs, then won a one-game series against the Spiders before hitting the road for the first time, where they took four of five in Pittsburgh. MORE: Amir Garrett bringing A game for Reds The Reds finished 92-60, but they were a distant third in the NL standings, 11.5 behind the champion Boston Beaneaters and 5.5 back of the runner-up Baltimore Orioles. Brewers slow Cincinnati Reds momentum David Jablonski Staff Writer 9:38 p.m Thursday, April 13, 2017 CINCINNATI Bronson Arroyo sounded Thursday as if he knows his time with the Cincinnati Reds is limited at least if he keeps performing as he has in his first two starts of 2017.