Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings September 9, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

Transcription

1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings September 9, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1984-Tom Browning makes his major league debut, going 8.1 innings to beat the Dodgers, 5-1 MLB.COM Garrett has sharp moments in return to Majors Left-hander shows more velocity, retires seven in row By Mark Sheldon / 1:13 AM ET + 14 COMMENTS NEW YORK -- When Amir Garrett was sent back to Triple-A Louisville following his last big league start on June 20, the Reds rookie was given some directives to make adjustments. During a 5-1 Reds' loss to the Mets in his return to the Major Leagues, Garrett demonstrated some of those changes. "Obviously there were some noticeable differences in his delivery," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's been working with [pitching coach] Jeff Fassero in Triple-A to take some of the drift out of his delivery and piece some things together and be a little more stable and consistent with his mechanics. Now he has to keep taking those steps forward, progress and have a strong finish to his season." Over five innings, Garrett allowed four earned runs on five hits (three of them homers), two walks and five strikeouts. Garrett, who pitched seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts in his final 2017 start for Louisville, showed increased velocity over his last few outings -- a likely by-product of his delivery tweaks. As he topped out at 97 mph vs. the Mets, that velocity was visible, but so were some of the issues that had plagued his previous two big league stints -- including the long ball. New York's first two homers occurred on similar pitches. Travis Taijeron in the second inning and Jose Reyes in the third inning both attacked 94-mph fastballs that were up in the strike zone for long balls to left field that made it 2-0. "The solo shots in the beginning of the game were mistake pitches when I got behind in the count," Garrett said. There were some sharp moments for Garrett as well. Besides the Reyes homer in the third inning, the lefty struck out the side, and he had retired seven in a row at one point. But concern surfaced as Garrett faced Matt Reynolds in the fifth. The pitcher's left leg cramped, which brought out Price and trainer Steve Baumann. Garrett threw three warm-up pitches and was allowed to continue. After he struck out Reynolds, pitcher Seth Lugo got a hit and Reyes returned to reach down on a 0-2 slider for a two-run homer that made it a 4-0 game. "It was pulling a little bit, but it wasn't too bad," Garrett said of the calf. "I've got to get the pitcher out there, and Jose Reyes doesn't come up." For Garrett, it was his 22nd homer allowed in 63 1/3 innings this season. Even after watching video, he wasn't sure how Reyes got to that pitch. "It was low and off of the plate," Garrett said. "He went down there and he got it. It was a nice swing. That's why these guys are big league hitters. They can get those, but it wasn't a bad pitch." Garrett is 3-7 with 7.39 ERA in his 13 big league starts. Despite the outcome vs. the Mets, Price felt like this was a competitive start to build on. "It's hard to assess anything in one game," Price said. "But I do know with his body of work from the first part of the season, the fastball-slider-changeup for strikes combination was lethal until he kind of lost a bit of command. We'll continue to look for that type of progress."

2 and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds' offense unable to back Garrett in loss By Anthony DiComo and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com 12:15 AM ET + 31 COMMENTS NEW YORK -- Seth Lugo may not have completely quieted criticisms of his ability to pitch deep into games, but he took a notable step forward Friday in the Mets' 5-1 win over the Reds at Citi Field. Needing just 84 pitches to complete six innings, Lugo blanked the Reds in his third start back from the disabled list, allowing just four hits and a walk. Though he did not stick around long enough to face the entire Reds lineup a third time, he retired four of the five batters he saw that often. That had been Lugo's bugaboo in previous starts. "I just thought he deserved an opportunity to see if he could go out and get them out in the sixth," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He went out and made some good pitches." It helped that Lugo spent most of the night pitching with a lead. Jose Reyes homered twice off Reds starter Amir Garrett, and Travis Taijeron added his first career long ball, leading the Mets to their first three-game winning streak since July Garrett, who played two years of basketball at nearby St. John's University before leaving to pursue a baseball career, allowed four runs in his first start since June 20. As a result, the Reds lost for the 22nd time in their last 26 games against the Mets dating back to "They were able to get some balls up in the air and out of the ballpark," Reds manager Bryan Price said. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Twice as nice: Two innings after cracking his first home run over the left-field fence, Reyes gave the Mets a 4-0 lead with his second -- a two-run shot that plated Lugo in the fifth. That gave Reyes 101 career home runs with the Mets, making him the 13th player to reach triple digits in franchise history. Overall, Reyes has 138 career homers for four teams. "I watched the video, and I don't know how he got that," Garrett said of Reyes' second homer. "It was low and off of the plate. He went down there and he got it. It was a nice swing. That's why these guys are big league hitters. They can get those, but it wasn't a bad pitch. It was where I wanted it, and he just went down there and got it." More > Have to start somewhere: Taijeron also has 138 career homers, though his are split among the Majors, Minors and Winter Ball. The longtime Mets farmhand hit his first career big league homer to open the scoring against Garrett in the second. He didn't have much trouble procuring the ball, which bounced off the facing of the seating bowl and back onto the field. "It's a good feeling, always, the first one," Taijeron said. "Hopefully, more to come." QUOTABLE "Does that mean that I'm old?" --Reyes, the second-oldest Met behind Norichika Aoki, on his status as a clubhouse veteran FROM THE TRAINER'S ROOM Mets shortstop Amed Rosario sat out his fifth consecutive game due to a bruised right index finger. But Rosario took swings in an indoor cage Friday, and the Mets are hopeful he can return at some point this weekend. WELCOME TO THE SHOW Prior to the game, the Mets selected the contract of infielder Phillip Evans, last year's Double-A Eastern League batting champion who hit.279 with 11 home runs this season at Triple-A Las Vegas. Evans debuted as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, scalding a line drive to second base. His reward? An inning-ending double play. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Mets called for a replay review in the eighth inning, contending that Phillip Ervin violated the slide rule as he barreled toward second base on a fielder's choice. But umpires confirmed that there was no violation of the rule.

3 WHAT'S NEXT Reds: Homer Bailey is 4-7 with a 7.24 ERA in 14 starts this season but has a 3.00 ERA over his last three starts. Bailey will try to keep quality pitching going when the series continues at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. Mets: Rafael Montero returns to the mound Saturday, looking to build upon the 3-1 record and 3.45 ERA he's submitted over the last four weeks. Montero took a one-hitter into the ninth inning the last time he saw the Reds, Aug. 30 in Cincinnati. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since Follow him on and Facebook. and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. DeSclafani sharp in 20-pitch simulated game Right-hander expected to get more work in next week By Mark Sheldon / September 8th, COMMENT NEW YORK -- Time is running out on the 2017 season before he's had a chance to get into a game, but Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani is continuing to keep make progress toward returning. DeSclafani threw a 20-pitch simulated game while facing teammates Jesse Winker and Zach Vincej at Citi Field on Friday. "I threw everything," DeSclafani said. "I threw some pretty good pitches. I was able to get extension on some. I was happy with it overall." "He looked good," Winker said. "The ball came out of his hand well. I felt like his fastball was solid." Reds manager Bryan Price was among those who watched the session and also felt it went well. "Between the bullpen and live batting practice, he threw somewhere in the neighborhood of pitches total. He was sharp," Price said. "His arm looked good. The velocity was good. The breaking pitch, the action on the ball, the delivery -- all very positive." DeSclafani has yet to pitch this season, initially because of an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right elbow suffered during Spring Training. On Aug. 3, during what was expected to be his final Minor League rehab assignment start, he came down with right elbow tendinitis and had to be shut down. If DeSclafani feels good on the heels of Friday's performance, Price expected him to pitch a couple of simulated innings next week at St. Louis. "If he gets through that OK, we'll see where he goes from there," Price said. "It could be a simulated game. It could be instructional league, any number of things." With 20 games remaining in Cincinnati's season, could DeSclafani be activated to see action in a Major League game? "I don't think we'll activate him for a game right away. We might do a test flight," Price said. "I'm not saying one way or the other if he's going to pitch here or not this year. The thing that's important is he's pitching in September, and we're giving him that opportunity to really build that arm strength up and define the health of his elbow." Winker closer to returning Friday's BP for DeSclafani also served a purpose for Winker, who is trying to return from a left hip flexor strain that has had him on the 10-day disabled list since Aug. 25. "I feel good, too. It was nice to get out there and get some swings in," Winker said. "I'm hoping to be back as soon as I can." Winker also performed some key running and agility tests the last couple of days. On Thursday, he ran the bases without difficulty and is expected to do that again on Saturday.

4 On Friday, coach Billy Hatcher hit fly balls to Winker with his fungo bat. He had to play balls that were over his head, in front of him and to either side. "If everything goes well, it's probable he'll be activated by the time we get to St. Louis [on Tuesday]," Price said. and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Bailey seeks better results in rematch vs. Mets By Mark Sheldon / September 8th, COMMENTS As veteran Reds pitcher Homer Bailey tries to end the season on a good note and get momentum for 2018, Rafael Montero is trying earn a spot on the Mets' pitching staff next season. The two pitchers will face each other for the second time in less than two weeks on Saturday at Citi Field. Bailey is 4-7 with a 7.24 ERA in 14 starts overall since returning from Feb. 18 elbow surgery, but is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA over his last three starts. Both of his last two outings were quality starts, including six innings, three runs and six hits for a no-decision Monday during a 5-4 win over the Brewers. On Aug. 30 vs. the Mets at Great American Ball Park, Bailey also pitched six innings with two runs and four hits but took a 2-0 loss against Montero. Montero is 4-9 with a 5.21 ERA in 29 games with 14 starts this season. But he took a one-hit shutout into the ninth inning at Cincinnati before giving up three hits and four walks over 8 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. Three things to know about this game Amed Rosario missed his fifth straight game for the Mets on Friday with a sore right index finger. Rosario took swings in an indoor cage Friday, and it's possible he could return on Saturday. Joey Votto's next double for the Reds would give him 339 for his career and pull him even with Hall of Famer Tony Perez for sixth on the club's all-time list. Jose Reyes hit his 100th and 101st homers for the Mets on Friday, making him the 13th player in franchise history to reach triple digits. Reyes has 138 career homers overall. and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Amir Garrett unveils new look in loss to Mets Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 11:05 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2017 Updated 12:22 a.m. ET Sept. 9, 2017 NEW YORK Since a couple members of the player development staff met with the in Chicago last month to discuss the organization s minor-league pitchers, Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price has been curious to see the changes made by left-hander Amir Garrett. A pre-september call-ups conference call and notes from Triple-A pitching coach Jeff Fassero only whetted his curiosity further. Friday against the New York Mets, Price got his first chance. Garrett slotted into the rotation in place of right-hander Luis Castillo, who hit his innings limit earlier in the week and was shut down for the season. Garrett broke spring training with the club and isn t a new pitcher to Price s eyes, but in some senses he looked like one. For one, he was throwing 94 mph instead of the 91 mph he averaged earlier in the year, which Garrett said is a byproduct of his improved hip strength. Garrett also has a different delivery, setting up on the first-base side of the rubber and basically pitching entirely from the stretch. The rest of the month will determine how effective those changes are, but Friday was an interesting first look. The Reds fell 5-1 at Citi Field and Garrett allowed four runs in five innings, but the 25-year-old was in control more often than he wasn t.

5 Now he s got to pitch enough to really assess him, Price said. One game, it s hard to assess anything in one game. Through four innings, the only damage off Garrett came on a pair of solo home runs, hit by Travis Taijeron in the second and Jose Reyes in the third. Both came on mistake pitches, fastballs over the heart of the plate. After the second bomb, Garrett struck out two to end the inning and ultimately retired seven in a row. A calf cramp briefly put his start on pause in the fifth, but Garrett rebounded to strike out his next batter. But he gave up a hit to the opposing pitcher, and then another home run to Reyes that put the Mets up 4-0. The pitch to Reyes wasn t bad a slider below the zone, and a pitch Reyes had badly swung past two pitches earlier. I ve got to tip my cap, Garrett said. I watched the video and I don t know how he got that. It was low and off of the plate. The outing didn t do much to help Garrett s ERA, but Price seemed mostly pleased with the changes the lefty has made, and mentioned the increased fastball velocity. But catcher Tucker Barnhart had a slightly different take. Barnhart believes that the added velo is a symptom of Garrett trying to do too much rather than trust his mechanics. As a result, the catcher said, Garrett s command suffers. When I look up there and I see 94s and 95s, it worries me, Barnhart said. I would rather look up there and see 91 and 92, because when I see 91 and 92 I know that his command is probably going to be a lot better. Garrett s return marks a bit of a different modus operandi for the Reds when it comes to handling their young pitchers. Previously, the club has elevated rookies into the big-league rotation only when their Triple-A numbers were deserving. Sal Romano, Robert Stephenson and Tyler Mahle earned promotions that way. But Garrett posted a 5.72 ERA in 14 starts for Triple-A Louisville this year. Starters-in-waiting Rookie Davis and Jackson Stephens had marks of 4.77 and This month, Price is looking past all that. Now, instead of feeding them too many different thoughts, we want to watch them pitch, Price said. See what they learned and see what they bring to the table now coming through the second time around this year. A previous version of this story stated that the entire player development staff met in Chicago. The story has been corrected to note it was only a few members of that staff. Cincinnati Reds recap: Amir Garrett solid, New York Mets shut down Reds Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 9:55 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2017 NEW YORK The Cincinnati Reds dropped their second straight game at Citi Field, falling 5-1 to the New York Mets on Friday. Here are the main storylines. Box score: Mets 5, Reds 1 Amir Garrett had an up-and-down return to the majors. The tall left-hander was making his return to the rotation and the majors after his first stint started so promisingly only to go up in flames because of injury and poor performance. His outing Friday might as well have been an encapsulation of that. Pumping fastballs at 94 mph, Garrett at times looked in complete control of the game. He gave up two runs in the first three innings, but both came on solo home runs. After the second homer, from Jose Reyes in the third, Garrett rebounded to strike out the next two batters to end the inning. The fourth was breezy, as Garrett induced two groundouts and froze Dominic Smith for strike three. Garrett got a flyout to start the fifth, but came up hobbled after delivering a pitch to Matt Reynolds. A trainer met him at the mound, where Garrett was grabbing at his left calf. He threw three warm-up pitches and remained in the game, striking out Reynolds on the first pitch he threw after the pause. But opposing pitcher Seth Lugo followed with a single, and Reyes smacked another home run to put the Mets up 4-0. Garrett gave up another hit, but finished the inning. He was replaced by left-hander Cody Reed for the sixth, ending his night after 82 pitches. The Reds whiffed on their one big scoring chance. The Reds had no luck against Lugo for the first three innings, with Tucker Barnhart s one-out single in the third representing the first Cincinnati hit of the game. But the fourth presented a tasty opportunity.

6 Jose Peraza singled to start the game and then moved to second when Lugo balked on a pickoff attempt. Joey Votto then drew a walk. After a flyout, Scooter Gennett singled to right to load the bases with the Reds trailing 2-0. Eugenio Suarez went down swinging for the second out. Scott Schebler struck a ball well on the ground to the left side, but Mets second baseman Gavin Cecchini made a nice play to end the inning. The Reds didn t get another runner in scoring position until the eighth. They finally cashed in in the ninth when Zack Cozart hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. DeSclafani faces Winker in live batting practice Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 6:17 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2017 Updated 6:24 p.m. ET Sept. 8, 2017 NEW YORK Two injured Cincinnati Reds players got some action Friday, as right-hander Anthony DeSclafani faced outfielder Jesse Winker in a live batting practice session. DeSclafani is returning from tendinitis that halted his comeback from a strained elbow ligament suffered in spring training, and Winker is working back from a hip injury. Winker could be activated as soon as Tuesday he also ran the bases and did outfield drills Friday but DeSclafani s rehab has been more fraught. But Friday, everything looked good for the righty. I was just trying to throw everything for strikes, like always, DeSclafani said. I was trying to be normal, as normal as possible. Everything felt normal for the most part, at least in this environment. At this point, everything feels good. I m just going to keep progressing. The live batting practice lasted about 20 pitches, and Winker and shortstop Zach Vincej took their hacks against DeSclafani. The right-hander also threw between more pitches afterward in a normal bullpen session. The Reds might have DeSclafani participate in a two-inning simulated game in St. Louis next week, after which they ll plot a course further down the road of his return. An outing or two in instructional league in Arizona could be in order, although Reds manager Bryan Price continues to say that a major-league return before the season ends is not out of the question. TRANSACTIONS 09/08/17 Chicago White Sox placed LHP Carlos Rodon on the 10-day disabled list. Left shoulder inflammation. Los Angeles Angels placed 1B Jefry Marte on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to September 5, Left foot fracture. Los Angeles Angels selected the contract of CF Shane Robinson from Salt Lake Bees. Washington Nationals recalled SS Adrian Sanchez from Syracuse Chiefs. San Francisco Giants sent RF Carlos Moncrief outright to Sacramento River Cats. Pittsburgh Pirates activated RF Gregory Polanco from the 10-day disabled list. Pittsburgh Pirates activated LF Adam Frazier from the 10-day disabled list. Milwaukee Brewers sent RHP Aaron Brooks outright to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Atlanta Braves activated C Tyler Flowers from the 10-day disabled list. C Austin Romine roster status changed by New York Yankees. New York Yankees activated C Gary Sanchez. Houston Astros activated RHP Michael Feliz from the 10-day disabled list. Toronto Blue Jays transferred RHP Cesar Valdez from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list retroactive to September 1, Right shoulder impingement Toronto Blue Jays recalled RHP Leonel Campos from Buffalo Bisons. Texas Rangers recalled LF Ryan Rua from Round Rock Express. Baltimore Orioles designated LHP Andrew Faulkner for assignment. Baltimore Orioles activated SS J.J. Hardy from the 60-day disabled list. Miami Marlins activated 1B Justin Bour from the 10-day disabled list. Chicago White Sox selected the contract of RHP Chris Volstad from Charlotte Knights. Chicago White Sox selected the contract of RHP Al Alburquerque from Charlotte Knights. New York Mets transferred LHP Steven Matz from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Irritation of ulnar nerve in left elbow New York Mets selected the contract of 3B Phillip Evans from Las Vegas 51s. Los Angeles Angels designated RHP Brooks Pounders for assignment.