Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings August 26, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings August 26, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1939-The Reds participate in the first major league game to be televised. Playing the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, W2XBS, which later becomes WNBC-TV, broadcasts the game with Red Barber announcing for the 400 people or so who own a television in the New York area MLB.COM Reds ride Bob's arm, Scheb's bat past Bucs By Adam Berry and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com 1:11 AM ET + 46 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Entering the home stretch of the season, the Reds will continue to look for positive signs from their young starting pitchers. Robert Stephenson gave them something to think about Friday night, striking out a career-high 11 batters in 5 2/3 innings as the Reds beat the Pirates, 9-5, at Great American Ball Park. Stephenson began the night by striking out the first six batters he faced, a modern club record for Cincinnati. "That was pretty cool," he said. The 24-year-old right-hander, going by "Bob" for Players Weekend, gave up two runs on seven hits and four walks but kept the Bucs off balance with strikeout stuff. "That might have been as good of a slider as I've seen in a long time," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The slider played exceptionally well. Threw some good changeups, too. We hadn't seen that pitch from maybe anybody this year as far as the depth and tilt to the slider. It was an elite slider tonight." Stephenson, who is trying to emerge among a group of young Reds starting pitchers that has struggled in 2017, has started to show signs of turning the corner. Over his last three starts and one relief appearance, he has a 1.96 ERA. "I think a couple of mechanical tweaks in the bullpen and I've been a lot more consistent with my fastball," Stephenson said. "I feel like when I'm throwing more strikes with my fastball, it's a lot easier to get outs." He had plenty of run support on Friday, too. Scott Schebler ("Scheb") homered, drove in three runs and reached base four times. Adam Duvall also homered in the fifth inning off Pirates starter Ivan Nova, who allowed seven runs (five earned) in five innings and saw his second-half ERA climb to an even "Obviously I didn't do the job I was supposed to," Nova said. "The fastball was missing over the plate. I think the only thing that was working the way it was supposed to was the curveball. With one pitch, you cannot live. You have to have other pitches. They made me work really hard today." First baseman Josh Bell ("JB") was a bright spot for the Pirates, ripping a three-run homer to left-center field to pull Pittsburgh to within two runs in the seventh inning. Reds pinch-hitter Patrick Kivlehan responded with a two-run double, sending the Pirates to their 10th loss in 13 games. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED See Scott run: Schebler finished a double shy of the cycle and got the hardest part out of the way first. With Eugenio Suarez at second base, Schebler ripped a line drive into the right-field corner. John Jaso chased the ball as it bounced around the warning track, and Schebler wheeled around to third base. He rounded third, but coach Billy Hatcher held him up, short of the inside-thepark homer. Schebler then scored on Tucker Barnhart's sacrifice fly. Leave 'em loaded: Before Bell's seventh-inning homer, the Pirates threatened to rally in the sixth. The Bucs loaded the bases against Stephenson and sent up pinch-hitter Jose Osuna with two outs. The Reds summoned right-hander Tim Adleman from the bullpen, and Adleman defused the rally with six pitches. Osuna went down swinging at an 84.3-mph changeup to end the inning. QUOTABLE

2 "[Nova's] command, it's not where we've seen it in the past. We need to peel back a couple more layers, talk about a couple things that you can do. He was able to pitch more effectively his last time out, not so much this time out."-- Hurdle "[Stephenson] had a nice mix going. I think he was able to establish the fastball. They had to respect the usage and the velocity and that opened up a lot of things for the slider, curve and split. He really was able to go out there and make good pitches. He retired the first six via the strikeout against a good lineup. It's not easy to do. And he made a series of really good pitches and was able to take that into the sixth." -- Reds manager Bryan Price SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Joey Votto led off the bottom of the eighth by drawing a walk against reliever Johnny Barbato, extending his season-high on-base streak to 29 games. That is the longest active on-base streak in the Majors. WHAT'S NEXT Pirates: Right-hander Gerrit Cole ("Cole Train") will look for his first win against the Reds in 10 starts at 6:40 p.m. ET Saturday at Great American Ball Park. Cole is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA against Cincinnati, though he recorded a quality start in a 4-3 loss earlier this season. Reds: Luis Castillo will make his first career start vs. the Pirates when the series continues Saturday. Castillo has notched quality starts in six of his last nine outings but is winless in his last four starts. Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, read his blog and listen to his podcast. 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. Kivlehan honors injured friend with 'Believe' By Mark Sheldon / August 25th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- When Reds players were tasked to decide what nickname they wanted on their jerseys for Players Weekend -- which began Friday -- outfielder/infielder Patrick Kivlehan came up with something less nickname and more in the way of a tribute to a friend and former teammate. Kivlehan played college football for four seasons at Rutgers University and was teammates with Eric LeGrand, who was paralyzed while making a tackle in a 2010 game. LeGrand's well-known mantra since his injury has been "Believe," and that's the word that is above Kivlehan's No. 3 this weekend. "I talked to a couple of old roommates from college and they said, 'Why don't you throw 'Believe,' on there for Eric?' I thought that was a great idea," Kivlehan said. "I just wanted to make sure he was cool with it. He was cool with it. I told him I'd get him one." LeGrand suffered his spinal cord injury Oct. 16, 2010, against Army at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey while tackling a player after a kickoff. "We came in together," Kivlehan said. "We were in the same recruiting class and graduated at the same time. I was on the field with him when he got injured." Kivlehan was a safety, and also played on special teams. He did not play baseball until his senior year, but still won the Big East conference triple crown and player of the year honors in LeGrand's story became an inspiration for others with spinal cord injuries, as he has worked to gain more feeling in his body and efforts to try and walk again. Rutgers eventually started the Believe Foundation and LeGrand has written two books about his life with paralysis. In 2012, he received the Jimmy V. Award for Perseverance at ESPN's Espy Awards. "He's honestly become the face of paralysis and the guy who everyone looks at," Kivlehan said. "He's taken that on and run with it. He's done some great things and has inspired a lot of people. He's only going to do more." Kivlehan is cherishing the chance to wear "Believe" on his Reds jersey.

3 "It's something that sticks with the guys I played with at Rutgers, and kind of the whole Rutgers community," Kivlehan said. "It was too good of an opportunity to pass up to honor him and everything he's gone through and been through. I wanted to let him know I am thinking about him, and he's always with me." 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. 'Scheb' heating up at perfect time By Mark Sheldon / 12:43 AM ET + 3 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- The last couple of months have not been kind to Reds right fielder Scott Schebler (known as "Scheb" for Players Weekend). His offensive numbers suffered and later, it was learned a sore left shoulder was partially to blame. While Schebler was away, outfield prospect Jesse Winker received ample opportunity in his place. On Friday -- the same day Winker went on the disabled list with a left hip flexor strain -- Schebler erupted at the plate. While reaching base all four times in the Reds' 9-5 victory over the Pirates, he was a double shy of hitting for the cycle. In the second inning with Eugenio Suarez on second base, Schebler hit a drive to right field that pinballed along the wall as John Jaso struggled to keep up. Schebler appeared on his way to an inside-the-park homer before he was given a late stop sign by thirdbase coach Billy Hatcher. Schebler singled in the fourth inning and in the fifth, with Suarez on first base, Schebler tattooed Ivan Nova's first pitch for a tworun homer to center field, his 25th of the season. According to Statcast, it left the bat at 107 mph and traveled 419 feet. In the seventh with a chance to complete the cycle, Schebler was hit by a pitch. Overall, he's batting.236/.312/.496. "I don't know if he could hit the ball any better than he did to center, right-center with the home run," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Just really good, comfortable, compact under-control swings that put the barrel of the bat on the ball. Having a guy like that hitting seventh in your lineup speaks a lot about the depth we have going." Entering the night, Schebler was slashing.159/.224/.336 in 32 games since July 1. He was batting.077 from the start of the second half until he was placed on the disabled list with a shoulder strain Aug. 1. Following his Aug. 18 return, he was 5-for-24 and 1 for his last 13. But during the most recent stretch, he was hitting the ball to the opposite field with power and his outs were seemingly getting louder. "It felt like a matter of time before I would bust out. I felt like my swings were good and the sample size was small," Schebler said. For Reds fans that clamored for Winker, it was hard to remember that Schebler slugged 22 home runs and had an.856 OPS in the first half. When Schebler struggled and went on the DL, Reds manager Bryan Price determined it was time to see more of Winker, who had two previous callups with little playing time. Winker was batting.310 with four home runs in his last 21 games, including 15 starts, since he his recall from Triple-A Louisville. "It's human nature to kind of worry about it. Winker obviously came up and played great," Schebler said. "You can't do anything but be happy, especially for a guy like Wink. He's a good teammate and a good guy to have around. The jealously part, you have to take that out. But you think about it, for sure. I'm not going to lie to you. But I felt like once I got healthy and able to play the way that I can, I would get back to where I was early on. I was confident in myself as well. "Winker is not going anywhere. He's playing great. Who knows what's going to happen?" 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.

4 Top prospect Mahle to make MLB debut Sunday By Mark Sheldon / 1:06 AM ET + 3 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- The most consistent starting pitcher in the Reds' organization this season is on his way to the big leagues for the first time. Right-hander Tyler Mahle was announced as Cincinnati's starter for Sunday's series finale vs. the Pirates. Mahle, the Reds' No. 4 prospect according to MLBPipeline and currently at Triple-A Louisville, will replace Homer Bailey after he was bumped back to start on Wednesday vs. the Mets. A roster move to add Mahle to the 25- and 40-man rosters is pending. "[Mahle] commands his fastball, he commands his stuff, he throws a lot of strikes and competes well," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's athletic. He has a good feel for pitching. He's really dominated at the Double-A level and more than held his own in Triple-A." Mahle, 22, was 7-3 with a 1.59 ERA in 14 starts for Double-A Pensacola, which included a perfect game on April 22. After his promotion to Louisville on June 22, he was 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts. In 144 1/3 innings at both levels, he has a 0.96 WHIP with 30 walks and 138 strikeouts. "He didn't skip a beat going from Double-A to Triple-A," Price said. "A lot of guys, when they make that advance, want to test the waters a little bit, but he went right after the hitters." Bailey came out of Tuesday's start vs. the Cubs following three scoreless innings as a precaution because of an irritation in the back of his right shoulder. His injury history -- three elbow surgeries since Aug has the club being extra deliberate. "He does not feel that he needs to be bumped back. It was my decision to do that," Price said. "With a day off [Monday] and the chance to push him back a little bit, I think it serves everybody well considering what's been happening the last few years. I just didn't want to take any chances even though he feels great." 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. 'La Piedra' focused on pitch-count management By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com August 25th, COMMENTS For his Players Weekend jersey, Reds rookie starting pitcher Luis Castillo will have the Spanish word "La Piedra" above No. 58 on his jersey. It means "the rock" in English and teammates say the right-hander is throwing really hard, or throwing rocks, to hitters. Castillo will be facing Gerrit Cole (aka "Cole Train") and the Pirates on Saturday. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle hasn't seen Castillo in person yet, but is aware of the reputation. "The fastball's real. The velocity's real," Hurdle said. "We've had some reports where it's been up to 100 [mph]. It's 96-98, firm. Four-seamer up with life. The two-seamer's got some arm-side tail; it'll sink a little bit. The changeup is more of a go-to pitch than a slider. He uses the slider more against right-handers. It's a three-pitch mix. It's 84-98, all of it packaged." Castillo, 24, is 2-6 with a 3.45 ERA but is coming off of a lackluster outing. He lasted four innings and 90 pitches vs. the Braves in Sunday's 8-1 loss while allowing two earned runs and four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Meanwhile, Cole is quite familiar with the Reds and his experiences haven't been very positive. He is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA in nine career starts against Cincinnati. However, he did well in his lone start vs. the Reds this season on May 1. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing three runs (two earned), one walk and seven strikeouts. Home runs have been an issue for Cole this season, as he's allowed 27 in his 26 starts. Three things to know about this game: Among the Reds who have given Cole the most trouble: Scooter Gennett (.400 average,.850 OPS), Billy Hamilton (.353,.921) and Eugenio Suarez (.429, 1.016). But he's held Joey Votto to a.235/.391/.235 slash line -- four hits and five walks with eight strikeouts in 23 plate appearances -- and Zack Cozart is 1-for-12 vs. Cole. Catcher Chad Wallach was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Friday when backup catcher Stuart Turner went on paternity leave. When Wallach appears in a game, he will be the 25th Reds player to make his big league debut in the last two seasons. That leads the Major Leagues.

5 Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is expected back in the lineup after a day off Friday. "Cutch" is batting.225 with a.586 OPS in 11 games since left knee discomfort forced him to exit an Aug. 11 game early in Toronto. He's hitting.200 with a.546 OPS over his last 14 games. 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. 'Big Sally' out to prove he belongs in rotation Romano throws second consecutive 7-inning gem Thursday vs. the Cubs By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com August 25th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- All season as Reds rookie starters and prospects have come and gone from the rotation, it seemed that only Luis Castillo was a legitimate success story. Would anyone else be able to step up and prove they belong in the big leagues? Sal Romano (aka "Big Sally" on his Players Weekend jersey) is progressing in an attempt to become one of those pitchers. For the second consecutive time on Thursday, Romano turned in a superb seven-inning start. It went for a no-decision, but the Reds emerged with a 4-2 win over the Cubs. "You have to be consistent. That's what they're looking for going into the offseason and coming into Spring Training ready to go," Romano said. "If I can do the best I can to stay consistent throughout the rest of the year, I think I'll have a pretty good shot at being in the rotation next year." Romano gave up two earned runs and six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. He gave up Ian Happ's solo home run in the second inning and a two-out RBI single by Javier Baez in the sixth. Of the 100 pitches Romano threw, 63 went for strikes. More importantly, the 23-year-old right-hander brought variety. While there were 60 four-seam fastballs that averaged 94.9 mph according to Statcast, he worked in 29 sliders and 10 changeups. "The last two starts now, we've really, really tried to use his changeup a lot more," Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart ("Barney") said. "We stuck with it tonight. I think we were 0-for-8 in the first eight that he threw as far as throwing strikes. But we were throwing it two times in a row, every other pitch a couple times. We've got to use it, and it's a pitch that really keeps guys off-balance, even if it's not in the strike zone." Through the first three innings, Romano retired nine of 11 batters. He needed just nine pitches in the first inning and struck out the side in the fifth using 13 pitches. "It's a great sign. It's a great sign to pound the strike zone with confidence," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He got to the changeup, he got to the breaking ball, but he really made some good pitches with that hard sinker and put himself in a position to throw seven innings because his pitch count and his effectiveness allowed him to do so." During a 5-3 win over the Braves on Aug. 18, Romano gave up one earned run and five hits. It snapped a three-start losing streak and a four-game winless stretch. "I'm working really, really hard with the coaching staff in between my starts," Romano said. "It's not just learning something the day I pitch. It's something I'm learning every single day throughout my bullpens and I throw two a week. "My delivery feels really comfortable being able to repeat. Things feel pretty good right now but this game can be very humbling. I'll enjoy it tonight, but after that it's back to work." Romano is 3-5 in 10 big league starts with a 4.96 ERA. His last two outings marked the first times he had pitched beyond six innings. "It's an inning-to-inning thing, I think, even more than game-to-game. It's something that he sees himself have confidence, and it continues to kind of snowball in a good way," Barnhart said. "In Atlanta, he threw the crap out of the ball and tonight it just carried over. He's evolving as a pitcher, he's learning how to command his pitches better, which is the biggest thing for him." 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.

6 Winker goes on DL, Turner to paternity leave Outfielder Ervin, catcher Wallach up from Triple-A Louisville By Mark Sheldon / August 25th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- The Reds had hoped to give outfield prospect Jesse Winker an opportunity to get at-bats to keep proving he belongs in the Major Leagues, but a road block came on Friday. Winker was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hip flexor. Outfielder Phillip Ervin was recalled from Triple-A Louisville. Ervin was sent down on Wednesday, but the 10-day rule of waiting in the Minors after a demotion was waived because of Winker's injury. This is Ervin's fourth big league stint this season. "With a four-man bench, there's just no way to sit on our hands and wait 96-plus hours to find out if there's going to be a window where he'll be ready to play," Reds manager Bryan Price said, of the decision on Winker. "I do think he's going to be limited in any baseball activity for the first several days of this DL. Then we'll see how he responds to treatment." Winker was first injured, he said, during last weekend's series at Atlanta. He didn't think it was a big deal and spent extra time having his hip stretched out to play. He exited Thursday's 4-2 win over the Cubs in the eighth inning in a double switch, but was removed specifically for the injury. "It was one of those things I was trying to kind of push through," Winker said. "Yesterday, it just got to the point in that last at-bat running down the line, I felt some pain and decided I should probably come out." In Winker's last 21 games, including 15 starts, he was batting.310 with four home runs. In 30 games overall, the 24-year-old is slashing.297/.402/.500 with 10 RBIs. "He's a nice-looking player, and it's always fun to put his name in the lineup when I can," Price said. "He always finds a way to get on base and do something positive for us. Hopefully, it's just a 10-day setback and by the time we get to September, he's back and capable of playing with some regularity." Wallach gets called up In another transaction, backup catcher Stuart Turner was placed on a three-day paternity leave. Catcher Chad Wallach's contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville. Wallach is the son of former Major Leaguer and current Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach. This is Wallach's first big league callup. "The timing was perfect. It couldn't have worked out any better," Wallach said. "It's an honor to be up here and I'm excited to learn some stuff." Wallach's fiancée took a redeye flight from California to be at Friday's game, and his mother, two brothers and best friend will arrive Saturday. In 64 games for Louisville, Wallach hit.226 with nine homers and 18 RBIs. He could be needed again as primary catcher Tucker Barnhart and his wife, Sierra, are also expecting their first child at any time. "For those of us who have worked with Chad in Spring Training the last few years, he's just a very mature kid," Price said. "I think our player development felt he was the most prepared to do this. There are so many guys on this team that he's already caught in Triple- or in Double-A. That familiarity certainly helped his cause to get an opportunity." 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.

7 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Stephenson takes a step forward in win over Pirates C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 12:30 a.m. ET Aug. 26, 2017 Robert Stephenson s third pitch of his warmups for Friday night s game against the Pirates was a split-fingered fastball that barely made it to the dirt in front of home plate. That s when Tucker Barnhart knew. I thought, 'oh boy, it's going to be a long night, Barnhart said afterward. It was a long night for the Pirates hitters against Stephenson, who went on to strike out the first six batters he faced in the game, a new modern-day franchise record according to Elias Sports Bureau. It was pretty cool, Stephenson noted about his start. He set a career-high with his 10th strikeout of the game to end the fifth inning and finished with 11 in 5 ⅔ innings, as the Reds beat the Pirates 9-5 on Friday. He had a nice mix going. I think he was able to establish the fastball. They had to respect the usage and the velocity and that opened up a lot of things for the slider, curve and split, Reds manager Bryan Price said. He really was able to go out there and make good pitches. He retired the first six via the strikeout against a good lineup. It s not easy to do. As impressive as those first six outs were, it was a walk that was most impressive to Barnhart. Not the walk itself, but the fact that Barnhart felt confident they could walk Jordy Mercer with two outs in the fourth to load the bases to face the pitcher. For much of this season, the young Reds starters have struggled to throw enough consistent strikes for Barnhart or any Reds catcher to feel comfortable even with pitchers at the plate that they can load the bases. That was different on Friday. It s something that as guys continue to grow and as they get older and get more experienced, you can walk guys on purpose and pick your spots as to how you attack guys, Barnhart said. That just goes back to being able to locate your secondary stuff. If I know I've got a guy who can locate his secondary stuff, I know I can expand with it too because I know I don't have to give in to certain guys. "If you're in position that's what the Cardinals do so well and they've done forever, is they don't give in. They don't give in. If they want to walk the bases loaded because they like the matchup with two outs and they like the guy that's going to be up, they do it. The pitcher, Ivan Nova, bounced into a fielder s choice, ending the inning. The Pirates had tied the game at two in the fourth after Billy Hamilton stumbled trying to catch up to a John Jaso drive to left-center. That scored a run and catcher Chris Stewart hit an infield single to put two for Mercer. The flood gates could have opened, Barnhart said. We were able to pitch around Mercer because the pitcher was up and even though the bases were loaded we like our chances against the pitcher. It was Stephenson s second win in as many starts. He allowed just three hits in five innings in a win over the Braves on Saturday for his first win in 17 months. That was coupled with back-to-back quality starts from Sal Romano, including a no-decision in Thursday s win against the Cubs. That s just four starts, but they are moves in the right direction. Those two progressing along with Luis Castillo s impressive rookie season are a glimmer of hope in what has been a dismal season for Reds staters. I think, it's obviously been a rough year that's not ground-breaking, Barnhart said. I legitimately mean this, almost every outing from all of our young guys, there's something positive you can take from it. It's good to see, it's nice to see. And I think it's rewarding for those guys on the mound to see as well. "Although, when it's going on and you're getting hit around a little bit, it's tough to see, but when you look at it the next day you can see the positives that come from it. But especially the last two nights with Robert and with Sal. Stephenson threw 107 pitches, 71 for strikes. He allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks, including the intentional unintentional walk to Mercer.

8 We're obviously a young group and I think moving forward we want to just keep moving forward as a group together and, you know, down the road we definitely want to win a championship together, Stephenson said. I think that some of the guys we've got in the clubhouse right now are very talented and we can definitely put something together. Tyler Mahle to start for Reds on Sunday C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 11:45 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 Right-hander Tyler Mahle will start Sunday s game for the Reds, manager Bryan Price said following Friday s victory against the Pirates. Mahle, who turns 23 on Tuesday, will be making his big-league debut. A seventh-round pick out of a California high school in 2013, Mahle has been the Reds best pitcher in the minor leagues this season, going 10-7 with a 2.06 ERA between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville. He will be the ninth different rookie starter for the Reds this season 16th rookie pitcher overall. He commands his fastball, he commands his stuff, he throws a lot of strikes and competes well, Price said. He s athletic. He has a good feel for pitching. He s really dominated at the Double-A level and more than held his own in Triple-A. He s been, I think, our most consistent starter. Homer Bailey, who left Tuesday s game after three innings with irritation in his shoulder, was scheduled to start Sunday but was pushed back. Price said Bailey is OK to pitch, but he wanted to be cautious. He feels great. He does not feel that he needs to be bumped back. It was my decision to do that, Price said. We took him out for precautionary reasons. With a day off (Monday) and the chance to push him back a little bit, I think it serves everybody well considering what s been happening the last few years. I just didn t want to take any chances, even though he feels great. I felt like a couple of extra days would certainly benefit him moving forward. Mahle was promoted to Triple-A on June 22 and has gone 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts. In 59 innings, he s struck out 51 batters and walked 13. He last pitched Monday in Indianapolis where he was the loser despite giving up just three runs in seven innings. He didn t skip a beat going from Double-A to Triple-A. A lot of guys when they make that advance want to test the waters a little bit but he went right after the hitters, Price said. I am grateful for the fact that (general manager) Dick (Williams) and (director of player development) Jeff Graupe and our front office staff felt like it was a good idea to get him up here for whatever it is. I don t know how many starts he s going to make while he s here. But it s a chance to get his feet wet at the big league level and a chance for us to see him here with our own eyes leading into spring training next season. Cincinnati Reds recap: Robert Stephenson shines in win over Pittsburgh Pirates C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 10:48 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 Robert Stephenson struck out a career-high 11 batters as the Reds beat the Pirates 9-5 on Friday at Great American Ball Park. Here are the main storylines from Friday s game: Bob dazzles: Wearing Bob on the back of his jersey as part of Major League Baseball s Players Weekend, Robert Stephenson turned in perhaps the best start of his young career. Stephenson struck out the first six batters he faced, allowing two runs on seven hits in 5 ⅔ innings. The right-hander didn t allow a runner until the third when Francisco Cervelli led off the inning with a walk. He retired the next two batters he faced before leadoff man Starling Marte singled and then Adam Frazier hit a liner to center. Billy Hamilton came up firing to the plate, but Joey Votto cut the throw off and caught Marte in a rundown for the third out, but not before Cervelli scored. John Jaso doubled in a run in the fourth before Stephenson got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the inning. He left the bases loaded in the sixth on two hits and a walk, but Tim Adleman struck out pinch-hitter Jose Osuna to end the inning. Stephenson s six strikeouts to start a game was a new modern-day club record according to Elias Sports Bureau. It was two shy of baseball s modern-day record, achieved by Jacob degrom in 2014 and Jim Deshaies in Schebler a double shy of the cycle: Reds right fielder Scott Schebler just missed the Reds first cycle since 1989 falling a double shy of the cycle.

9 Schebler hit an RBI triple in the second, singled in the fourth and hit his 25th home run of the season in the fifth. He batted in the seventh, but was hit by Pirates reliever Daniel Hudson. Schebler was left on deck in the eighth when Eugenio Suarez struck out with a runner on second to end the inning. Votto extends his streak in the eighth: Joey Votto walked to start the eighth inning, extending his streak of reaching base to 29 consecutive appearances, the longest active streak in the big leagues. Votto entered the eighth 0 for 3, but walked against Pirates right-hander Johnny Barbato. Votto s streak is the second-longest by a Red this season after Zack Cozart s 32-game streak from May 2 to June 10. Cozart s streak is one behind the longest this season (33 by San Francisco s Eduardo Nunez). Votto s career-best is 48, set in He holds the club record along with Pete Rose (1978). Reds notes: Winker hoping for short DL stint Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 5:40 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 Updated 5:50 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 Last weekend against the Atlanta Braves, outfielder Jesse Winker felt something in his left hip as he went back on a ball hit his way. It didn t feel very serious at the time, and he continued playing. Thursday against the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds rookie felt it again as he sprinted out of the box to first base. He was later pulled from the game, although it seemed to be a simple double-switch at the time. But a day later, the Reds placed Winker on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hip flexor. Winker spent most of his time pregame doing flexibility and strength exercises with the training staff. Yesterday it just got to the point in that last at-bat running down the line, I felt some pain and decided I should probably come out, Winker said. Winker s hip injury is similar to the one left-hander Amir Garrett sustained earlier in the year, but not quite as serious. Garrett s injury involved the hip joint, while Winker s involves only the muscle. The Reds are hoping Winker will be able to return after 10 days, but recognized Thursday night that a DL stint likely would be needed. Reds manager Bryan Price had been searching for ways to work Winker into the outfield mix since Scott Schebler returned from his own DL stint a week ago, and the 24-year-old rookie certainly had been living up to his prospect status. In 87 big-league plate appearances this season, Winker has batted.297/.402/.500 with four home runs, more than he d hit all year in Triple-A. He s a nice-looking player, and it s always fun to put his name in the lineup when I can, Price said. He always finds a way to get on base and do something positive for us. Fellow rookie outfielder Phillip Ervin was recalled from Triple-A to take Winker s place. Wallach called up With catcher Stuart Turner taking three-day paternity leave beginning Friday, the Reds selected the contract of catcher Chad Wallach from Triple-A Louisville. The son of former big-leaguer and current Miami Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach, the 25- year-old catcher will play against the Pirates this weekend and is likely to remain in the majors once starter Tucker Barnhart takes his own paternity leave at some point next week. Wallach earned the nod in part because of his familiarity with the team s young pitchers. He s also been in big-league spring training each of the last two years. He s just a very mature kid, Price said. I think our player development felt he was the most prepared to do this. Wallach has struggled at the plate against Triple-A pitching this year, batting just.226/.280/.398. DeSclafani update Rehabbing right-hander Anthony DeSclafani threw his first flat-ground session Thursday since his elbow setback earlier in the month, and the Reds still are preparing him as if he ll return later this season

10 But Price acknowledged that there s not much room for error. Many of the team s minor-league affiliates will wrap their seasons soon, and if DeSclafani has any more hiccups there may not be enough calendar left on the big-league season either. We really need things to go flawlessly through the remainder of this rehab, Price said. Cincinnati Reds place outfielder Jesse Winker on disabled list with hip injury C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 4:16 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 Reds rookie outfielder Jesse Winker was put on the 10-day disabled list before Friday s game with a left hip flexor strain. The team also put catcher Stuart Turner on the three-day paternity list. To replace the pair, the Reds recalled outfielder Phillip Ervin from Triple-A and selected the contract of catcher Chad Wallach. Winker was hitting.297/.402/.500 in 87 plate appearances over 30 games for the Reds this season. Ervin has five hits in 10 at-bats over seven games for the Reds this season, including two home runs. He was hitting.256/.328/.380 in Triple-A. He was just optioned on Wednesday. Wallach, 25, has never played in the big leagues. He was acquired along with Anthony DeSclafani in the December 2014, trade of Mat Latos to the Marlins. The son of former big leaguer Tim Wallach, he was hitting.226/.280/.398 with nine home runs and 18 RBI for the Bats this season. With Turner on the paternity list, there was only one catcher on the roster, starter Tucker Barnhart. Turner s wife was scheduled to be induced on Friday and Barnhart s wife is due with their first child next week. BAR: Where does Joey Votto fit in the MVP discussion? Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 11:15 a.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 The Blog Above Replacement a daily look at the Cincinnati Reds, their minor leagues and whatever else is on the mind of Enquirer Reds beat writers, C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan. You can follow them on Twitter (@ctrent Facebook (C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan) and Instagram (ENQReds). Shall we mailbag? Let's shall. Could/should Votto be in NL MVP discussion? I do not vote on this award this year -- I have a National League Cy Young ballot -- so it's easier for me to talk about. And the answer is yes. Joey Votto certainly will be in the discussion, and will likely finish in the top 10 of voting for the third year in a row. I doubt he wins it. Going by bwar from Baseball-Reference, Votto leads the NL in value with 6.1 WAR. But four other players -- Nolan Arenado (5.9), Giancarlo Stanton (5.6), Paul Goldschmidt (5.5) and Anthony Rendon (5.3) are within striking distance. On top of that, Washington Nationals pitchers Gio Gonzalez (6.4) and Max Scherzer (6.2) have higher marks. Using fwar from FanGraphs, Votto has 5.1 WAR and trails Goldschmidt, Rendon and Charlie Blackmon. Scherzer is also on his heels. Votto's got as good a case as any of them, but that's a lot of similar resumes to stand out against, and the Reds' poor fortunes won't help. Although that shouldn't matter, it will. Do you think DeSclafani and Finnegan are written in ink in the rotation for next year or could someone squeeze them out? I'd have a hard time writing any pitcher into any slot in ink at this point, and the injuries Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan make it tougher. But there's a difference between feeling like you can count on 200 innings from a pitcher and feeling like he's in your rotation if healthy. If DeSclafani is healthy, he's starting for this team. His success has been notable enough that the Reds can lean on his performance track record. I'd think the same happens for Finnegan, but it's not as sure a case. Finnegan had a nice 2016 season, but had further to go to be polished like DeSclafani is. I could see the Reds using Finnegan in the bullpen if they feel they have better starting options. Would a Billy Hamilton who squared to bunt on every pitch, taking every breaking ball and only bunting/swinging at FB, be more valuable? No. First of all, if he bunted only at fastballs, why would anyone ever throw him one? They'd pump breaking pitches in the zone all day. Secondly, if all Billy Hamilton did was bunt, teams would sell out to defend it.

11 Also, bunting is really, really hard. There's a reason players do not do it much, and that's because vastly more often than not it results in an out. Hamilton's speed is a game-changer for sure, but there's no way he gets to an acceptable on-base percentage by only bunting. ICYMI - Sal Romano had his second strong start in a row. - Catcher Baby No. 2 is on the way. - Eugenio Suarez is living up to his potential. Minor-league roundup Triple-A: Indianapolis 10, Louisville 0. LHP Amir Garrett got shellacked, giving up nine runs (seven earned) in 4 1/3 innings. 1B Brandon Dixon doubled. Double-A: Jackson 2, Pensacola 1. RHP Jesus Reyes allowed two runs in six innings and has an ERA of Nick Senzel was 1 for 1 but was pulled from the game. It wasn't injury-related, according to the Reds. High-A: Daytona 7, Bradenton 5. LHP Ty Boyles went eight innings and allowed four runs. 1B James Vasquez and LF Malik Collymore each hit a homer. Low-A: Dayton 4, Bowling Green 1. RHP Matt Blandino tossed seven innings and allowed one run. Home runs were hit by 1B Bruce Yari, LF Taylor Trammell and CF Jose Siri. Rookie-Advanced: Great Falls 4, Billings 0. RHP Luis Alecis surrendered four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings. 3B Alejo Lopez and 1B Montrell Marshall collected the only two hits for the Mustangs. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Former top pick Stephenson strikes out 11 to lead Reds past Pirates By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Posted: 11:01 p.m. Friday, August 25, 2017 Going into his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, rookie right-hander Robert Stephenson was starting to show signs of being the kind of pitcher the Reds were looking for when they made him their No. 1 pick and the 27th overall selection in the June 2011 draft. Over his previous two starts, sandwiched around time on the disabled list and a two-inning relief appearance, he d allowed totals of five hits and three runs two earned with seven strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings. Sure, he d walked five batters, but his earned-run average was 1.78 and a blown save cost him a 2-0 record in that span. The 24-year-old Stephenson seemed to take another step forward in the opener of a three-game series. He struck out the first six batters he faced a franchise record for consecutive strikeouts to start a game, according to Elias Sports Bureau and had a careerhigh 10 through five innings. Stephenson finished with 11 one short of matching the team s season-high, set by left-hander Amir Garrett on April 19 against Baltimore as the Reds maintained their Pittsburgh dominance with a 9-5 win. Right fielder Scott Schebler drove in three runs while falling a double short of the cycle. Schebler followed Adam Duvall s 30th homer in the fifth with a two-run shot for his 25th and a 7-2 lead over Ivan Nova (11-10). Schebler was hit by a pitch during his final shot at the cycle in the seventh. Catcher Tucker Barnhart drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly in the second and a bases-loaded single in the fourth and as Cincinnati improved to 9-2 this season against Pittsburgh overall and 4-1 at Great American Ball Park. The Pirates have lost four of their last five games and 10 of 13, including a six-game losing streak.

12 Eugenio Suarez scored three runs and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with a one-out double. He scored on Schebler s first triple of the season. Stephenson (2-4), who also won his last start on Saturday in Atlanta, lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs with four walks. He left with the bases loaded in the sixth, but former starter Tim Adleman struck out pinch-hitter Jose Osuna. Pittsburgh scored its first run against Stephenson when center fielder Billy Hamilton stumbled just as he was camping under Starling Marte s two-out drive to deep left-center field, which went for an RBI double. Schebler s homer proved crucial when Josh Bell banged a three-run shot into the tunnel next to the Reds left-center field bullpen off of Adleman in the seventh. The Red got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning as Daniel Hudson walked one batter and hit two more, setting up Patrick Kivlehan s bases-loaded, two-run double. Kivlehan leads the Reds with seven pinch-hits and is tied with Scooter Gennett for the team lead with five pinch-hit RBIs. Wallach gets the call as Reds experience baby boom By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Updated: 5:02 p.m. Friday, August 25, 2017 Posted: 4:42 p.m. Friday, August 25, 2017 CINCINNATI Chad Wallach and his fellow catchers with Triple-A Louisville were almost as interested in the pending parenthoods of major leaguers Devin Mesoraco, Tucker Barnhart and Stuart Turner as the future fathers themselves. The Bats backstops all knew that, with the three Reds expecting to become parents in a relatively short amount of time, at least one of the minor-league catchers could get a ticket to the big leagues. When Turner went on paternity leave Friday with Mesoraco on the disabled list, the Reds promoted Wallach. It s awesome, said Wallach, who drove from Indianapolis to Cincinnati after getting the news. I m excited to be up here. The timing is perfect. It couldn t have worked out any better. The 25-year-old son of former major league third baseman Tim Wallach was acquired by the Reds with right-hander Anthony DeSclafani on Dec. 11, 2014, from the Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Mat Latos. He has spent the last few spring trainings with the Reds, which gave him an edge over his teammates. I ve caught a lot of bullpens with these guys, so that should make it easier, he said. It was an organizational discussion, manager Bryan Price said of the choice. He s very mature, and the player development guys felt like he was the most prepared. He s got familiarity with a lot of these guys. He s caught so many of them in Double-A and Triple-A. Wallach, who batted.226 with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 18 RBIs over 64 games with the Bats, will become the 13th player and second catcher to make his major league debut with the Reds this season. Adding Wallach bumps the 40-man roster to its limit. Ervin back: Joining Wallach in traveling to Cincinnati though from Toledo rather than Indianapolis was outfielder Phillip Ervin, who was recalled when the Reds placed rookie outfielder Jesse Winker on the 10-day disabled list with a left hip flexor strain. He said he did something during the Atlanta series, but he thought it was relatively benign, Price said about Winker. He didn t tell anybody. Then he started doing some extra stretching and getting some treatment. He did something in his last at-bat coming out of the box (Thursday) night. Winker was the last batter of the sixth inning. He stayed in the game to play defense in the seventh and then was replaced by pitcher Michael Lorenzen in a double switch after the seventh. That looked like an unusual double switch because we ended up with Peraza hitting in that spot, but we had to get Winker out of there, Price said. Peraza came off the bench and provided a bases-loaded, ground-rule double that gave the Reds a 3-2 lead.

13 This stint with the Reds is Ervin s fourth of the season. He d just been optioned Wednesday to help make room for pitchers Luke Farrell and Alejandro Chacin. Spinning wheel: The Reds went into Friday s opener of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a record, a.422 winning percentage that had them on a pace to finish Sound familiar? That s the same record with which Cincinnati finished the 2016 season. Through 128 games last year, the Reds were Want more déjà vu? The three-game series against the Cubs that ended with a come-from-behind 4-2 Cincinnati win Thursday drew 55,225 fans most of them clad in Cubs royal blue. Average attendance was 18,408, dropping the overall average through 63 home dates to 23,383. That left the franchise on pace to draw 1,894,008 fans for the 81 home dates, slightly down from last season s 1,894,085. That s an average difference of less than one fan per game. That would be the lowest in the 15-year history of Great American Ball Park and the lowest for the franchise since the 1998 team drew 1,793,679. Brother act: The Avett Brothers, a folk rock group, are scheduled to perform in a postgame concert following the second game of the series between the Reds and the Pirates on Saturday. The concert pushes the usual first-pitch time up to 6:40 p.m. Rookie right-hander Luis Castillo (2-6, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to make his 13th start and first against Pittsburgh. He ll be opposed by right-hander Gerrit Cole (10-8, 4.16), who will be looking for his first career win in his 10th career start against the Reds. He is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA against Cincinnati. Hal McCoy: Reds can t afford to dump Bailey yet By Hal McCoy - Contributing Writer Posted: 11:30 a.m. Friday, August 25, 2017 Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about our nation s pastime. Tap into that knowlede with an to halmccoy1@hotmail.com. Q: Will Joey Votto be remembered as the greatest to have never played in a World Series? DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek. A: Ever hear of Ernie Banks? How about Ken Griffey Jr., Gaylord Perry, Andre Dawson, Ron Santo and Ralph Kiner? Not only did these guys never play in a World Series, they all are in the Hall of Fame. Kiner led the National League in home runs and RBIs one year and Pittsburgh Pirates part owner Branch Rickey cut his salary and said, We finished last with you, we can finish last without you. Votto is more likely to join these guys in the Hall of Fame than he is to play in a World Series, unless the Reds trade him. Q: When are the Reds going to give Homer Bailey his walking papers? GARY, Fairborn. A: Reds pitchers don t need walking papers. They lead the league in walks without any papers involved. As for releasing Bailey, if they do they would pay him $70 million just to walk away. That s how much they still owe him through Let s at least give him one more year to see if he can bounce back from three arm surgeries the last couple of years. His velocity is there, his stuff is there, he just needs to recapture his command and control. If he has a good first half next season the Reds might be able to trade him to a contender at the deadline. Q: What do the SP, RG and ML represent on the sleeves of the MLB umpire this year? LARRY, Piqua. A: They are all former American League umpires who died this year Steve Palermo, Russell Goetz and Mike Johnson. Palermo is more famous for rushing from a restaurant after a Texas Rangers game to aid two waitresses who were being mugged in the parking lot. He was shot and paralyzed from the waist down. Speaking of umpires, it is doubtful the players will ever wear JW and AH on their sleeves because Joe West and Angel Hernandez are lowly-regarded by MLB players. Q: Sports have boundaries, but is baseball the only sport that allows out of bounds plays like catching balls in foul territory and runners advancing on throws in foul territory? ERICH, Oakwood. A: Never thought about that but I believe you are correct. In football, basketball, hockey, tennis, golf, soccer, lacrosse you name it out of bounds is out of bounds. That s another reason baseball is unique. Isn t it strange that you can catch a pop foul and it is an out, but you can t make a play for an out on a ground ball foul? There are so many contradictory rules in baseball that it is no