Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings July 18, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings July 18, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1958-The Reds induct Paul Derringer, Ernie Lombardi, Frank McCormick, Johnny Vander Meer and Bucky Walters, the first members of the Reds Hall of Fame MLB.COM Romano slated to return for start vs. D-backs By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com 9:37 AM ET + 10 COMMENTS Robbie Ray likely won't need directions to the Great American Ball Park mound, but when he takes the ball against the Reds on Tuesday night, it will have been a long time between starts. Ray was selected to the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard, but he did not pitch, meaning he has gone 11 days between starts. The left-hander was outstanding the last time he started, as he fanned 13 Dodgers over six innings. The Reds will counter with Sal Romano, who will be promoted from Triple-A Louisville to make the start. Romano has made two big league starts this year. He picked up his first Major League win in his last one on July 6, when he allowed two runs over five innings against the Rockies at Coors Field. Three things to know about this game The Reds took two of three from the D-backs at Chase Field just prior to the All-Star break. D-backs center fielder A.J. Pollock is a lifetime.391 hitter against the Reds, including a.565 mark at Great American Ball Park. Paul Goldschmidt has five homers and 13 RBIs in 17 games in Cincinnati. Romano had a 3.47 ERA in 10 starts for Louisville. In his two big league starts, his four-seam fastball has averaged 95.8 mph, which gives him the seventh-highest season average for a starter with at least 100 four-seamers this year. Teammate Luis Castillo is atop that list, at 97.7 mph. Steve Gilbert has covered the D-backs for MLB.com since Follow him on This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Duvall Reds' Heart and Hustle Award winner By Manny Randhawa / MLB.com 9:04 AM ET + 2 COMMENTS The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association revealed the 30 preliminary winners of the 2017 Heart and Hustle Award on Tuesday. The honor is the only one voted on by former players, and is bestowed each year upon the active player who most represents a passion for the game of baseball, and best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game. Past winners of the Heart and Hustle Award include David Eckstein (2005), Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015) and Todd Frazier (2016). The 30 preliminary winners for 2017 are: AMERICAN LEAGUE Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones Boston Red Sox: Rick Porcello Chicago White Sox: Avisail Garcia Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez Detroit Tigers: Ian Kinsler Houston Astros: Josh Reddick Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer Los Angeles Angels: Andrelton Simmons

2 Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton New York Yankees: Brett Gardner Oakland Athletics: Yonder Alonso Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz Tampa Bay Rays: Logan Morrison Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus Toronto Blue Jays: Kevin Pillar NATIONAL LEAGUE Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt Atlanta Braves: Nick Markakis Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant Cincinnati Reds: Adam Duvall Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon Los Angeles Dodgers: Justin Turner Miami Marlins: J.T. Realmuto Milwaukee Brewers: Hernan Perez New York Mets: Jay Bruce Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam Frazier San Diego Padres: Clayton Richard San Francisco Giants: Brandon Crawford St. Louis Cardinals: Jedd Gyorko Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon "This year's Heart and Hustle Award winners are a true representation of the legacy of the game and the players who have come before them," said Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, president of the MLBPAA. "It is clear that these 30 men chosen all play the game with relentless pursuit." Voting for the 30 preliminary players took place before the All-Star break. Thirty voting committees were formed, comprised of alumni players with established relations to each team, to select the winners. Each of the winners will be recognized prior to an upcoming home game for their team, beginning with the Braves on Wednesday. Toward the end of the season, all alumni and active players will vote for a final winner from among the 30 teams. The final winner will be announced on Nov. 14, during the 18th annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City. The Legends for Youth Dinner is the primary fundraiser for the series of free Legends for Youth clinics that are held around the country, which have enabled more than 16,000 kids to learn from and interact with players who have left a lasting impact on the game. Manny Randhawa is a reporter for MLB.com based in Denver. Follow him on Twitter This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Wojo steps up after Feldman's rough outing Reliever goes 5 innings after starter -- who is likely DL-bound with sore knee -- chased after 1st By Mark Sheldon / July 17th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- A rough weekend vs. the Nationals stretched into Monday for the Reds in a way they didn't expect. Trouble came quickly as starter Scott Feldman displayed decreased fastball velocity and flat pitches that hitters jumped on easily. Feldman exited after giving up five runs in the first inning, and the Reds went on to lose, 6-1, to Washington in a four-game sweep. After the game, Feldman said he has a sore right knee and is likely headed for the disabled list. "I could never really get over the hump today. It didn't loosen up," Feldman said. "Not only was I making bad pitches, but they were coming in eight miles per hour slower than normal." According to Statcast, Feldman's fastball was averaging 85 mph. The first six batters reached, including a three-run homer by Bryce Harper, followed by a Ryan Zimmerman home run. The Reds have known that Feldman had been bothered by a sore knee off and on this season. "He got treatment and was able to pitch with it and pitch very effectively with it," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said.

3 Price went to the mound to visit Feldman, who was in a 3-0 count to Daniel Murphy. Feldman still felt like he could plow through, but he walked Murphy on the next pitch. "I just wanted to look at him in the face," Price said. "He's been in this position before, but not to this degree. At the time, he said, 'Bryan, I've pitched like this before. It's not an issue. I'd like to continue to pitch.' I said, 'OK.' And by the end of the inning, I think it was just apparent that it just wasn't a good idea to go back out." Price turned to long reliever Asher Wojciechowski, and he got exactly what the Reds needed. Wojciechowski pitched five innings -- the first 4 2/3 of them scoreless -- with only a Brian Goodwin solo homer in the sixth inning. Remarkably, Wojciechowski faced 15 batters before getting his first ground ball. Seven of his outs were infield popups, which according to Statcast tied the Rangers' A.J. Griffin for the most by any pitcher in a game this season "Something that has worked well for me has been pitching at the top of the zone, using that to my advantage with how my fastball is and my other stuff is," Wojciechowski said. "I'd much rather get a weak popup than anything else." The outing harkened back to Wojciechowski's Reds debut on May 20, when he worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief vs. the Rockies. "We could have completely imploded our bullpen, exploded it, blown it up and been in real dire straits going into this next series," Price said. "Then Wojciechowski goes five innings of one-run ball, the bullpen goes eight innings of one-run ball." It hasn't been decided who will replace Feldman in the rotation. He is 7-7 with a 4.34 ERA, but he has been one of the Reds' more dependable starters. Wojciechowski could be a contender for that spot on Saturday vs. the Marlins. "There are a lot of options for us to look at at this point in time, and truth be told, I haven't thought at all about what our options are," Price said. "It was just trying to get through that game without killing the bullpen." If not chosen, Wojciechowski could be designated for assignment because he's out of Minor League options. The Reds could need a fresh arm for long relief behind Sal Romano, who is being called up from Triple-A Louisville to start Tuesday. Wojciechowski won't be ready for a few days -- the downside of his strong effort. "I'm just looking forward to whatever I can do to help the team," said Wojciechowski, who made four big league starts earlier this season. "It's been a tough series. We just lost four. Whatever I can do to help get us back on the winning side." 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. Suarez homers, but tough 1st stings Reds By Mark Sheldon and Jeremy Vernon / MLB.com July 17th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg was their starter on July 8, the last time his team lost a game, when he was roughed up by the Braves. There would be no bookending losses by Strasburg, who cruised behind another robust performance from Washington's lineup in a 6-1 victory over the Reds on Monday afternoon. That made it a smooth four-game series sweep for the Nats, who also took six of the seven games in the season series. During the long weekend at Great American Ball Park, Washington slugged 13 home runs -- including three on Monday. In the series, Cincinnati was outscored, "They clubbed us," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "They beat us up for four games. Even though we came back into that 10-7 game in Game 2, their starters didn't give us anything. They didn't give us anything to be excited about, and we were able to score off their bullpen when they had big leads and they got some of their younger guys in there. But they steamrolled us." Reds starter Scott Feldman struggled from the get-go in the finale, and he didn't retire any of his first six batters. Bryce Harper's three-run homer was immediately followed by Ryan Zimmerman's home run, and that made it a 4-0 game. Feldman was done after one inning with five earned runs, five hits and one walk. Following the game, it was learned that he had a sore right knee and would likely need to go on the disabled list. Asher Wojciechowski replaced Feldman and provided some quality relief, with one earned run over five innings. Wojciechowski's first 4 2/3 innings were scoreless until Brian Goodwin hit a homer in the sixth.

4 Meanwhile, Strasburg had little to worry about as he worked seven innings with one run and four hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts. With the exception of Eugenio Suarez's two-out solo homer in the second inning, no other Reds batter reached second base against Strasburg all afternoon. He also picked up two double plays while racking up double-digit strikeouts for the sixth time this season and the 35th for his career. "[I] just feel like, a couple days of no throw over the break, body just wants to pretend like it's the offseason," Strasburg said. "So I was just trying to wake it up the next couple days after that. It just took a little while. I just tried to battle through it and keep going, and it seemed to get better as the game went on." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED One for the franchise record: Zimmerman made it back-to-back homers in the first inning when he took a first-pitch sinker from Feldman deep to left-center field. It was home run No. 20 of the season for Zimmerman, but more notably, it was his 235th career homer. That broke the Expos/Nationals franchise record previously held by Vladimir Guerrero. The slumping Zimmerman also had been without a homer since June 13. More > Take two: In a strange play for Washington's fifth run in the first inning, Matt Wieters lifted a fly ball to right field that Scooter Gennett caught as he went down to the ground. While exchanging the ball from his glove to throw, Gennett couldn't get up while Daniel Murphy tagged up from second base and kept running. Murphy scored standing up on what was ruled a sacrifice fly, and made it a 5-0 game. QUOTABLE "That's what I'm trying to do, pitch well like that and get more opportunities and just continue to compete and work hard and see where it takes me." -- Wojciechowski, on taking over in the second inning REPLY REVIEW Despite a five-run Washington lead, Harper led off the seventh inning with a base hit to left field, and he tried hustling to second base for a double. Adam Duvall fired to second base, and Harper was called out. The Nationals challenged the call on the field, but replay officials determined that it stood. Duvall notched his eighth assist of the season, tied for most among Major League outfielders. WHAT'S NEXT Nationals: The Nationals will travel to Anaheim, where they'll take on the Angels in the first game of a two-game set at 10:07 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Edwin Jackson will make his first start of the season after signing with the Nats in June. He was 5-6 with a 5.89 ERA in 13 starts with San Diego in Reds: The homestand continues with a three-game series vs. the D-backs that begins at 7:10 p.m. ET Tuesday. Just before the All- Star break on July 7-9, the Reds took two of three games in the series at Chase Field. In a matchup that everybody should love, Robbie Ray will pitch for Arizona against Cincinnati's Sal Romano, who is being recalled from Triple-A Louisville. 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. Jeremy Vernon is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cincinnati who covered the Nationals on Monday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Mesoraco set for Triple-A rehab assignment Right-hander DeSclafani also taking next step By Mark Sheldon / July 17th, COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was briefly in the home clubhouse Monday morning gathering his bats and other equipment. He was preparing to head to Triple-A Louisville to begin a rehab assignment on Monday night. Mesoraco has been on the 10-day disabled list since July 5 (retroactive to July 3) because of a left shoulder strain. "You definitely want to make sure everything feels good and you're ready to go," Mesoraco said. "Hopefully no issues." In 2016, Mesoraco had surgery to repair a torn labrum in that shoulder, but the current injury wasn't viewed as related. There was also no structural damage to the shoulder, which was injured when he extended his left arm farther than usual to catch a couple of errant pitches.

5 "He'll probably play a couple of games there, and then we'll probably reassess," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I think it's a strong possibility it could be a short stint at Triple-A, but time will tell. We'll see how he gets through that." Getting behind the plate in game situations should be the test that Mesoraco's shoulder needs. "Every catcher that goes behind there is going to have a pitch that he's going to have to reach for with a backhand that is thrown with some intent and anger," Price said. "That'll be the test that he has to pass. Devin doesn't get cheated at the plate, as we all know. Game environment putting together six or eight at-bats and putting in some innings behind the plate should be the final box to check off." In 40 games this season, Mesoraco is batting.234/.333/.459 with six home runs and 14 RBIs while splitting primary catching duties with Tucker Barnhart. He didn't rejoin the club until April 27 after a Minor League rehab assignment as he came back from the shoulder and right hip surgeries. DeSclafani taking next step Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who has been throwing bullpen sessions in Arizona for the past couple of weeks, is scheduled to throw in a simulated game on Tuesday in Goodyear, Ariz. On Sunday, he is expected to begin a rehab assignment and pitch three innings for the Reds' Rookie-level Arizona League team. "But one leads to the other, so he's got to get through tomorrow," Price said. "If he can get through that without any issues, I believe we will start to get him on a regular five-day schedule to work his way back here." DeSclafani could return sometime in August. He hasn't pitched all season because of an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right elbow, which he sustained in mid-march. When the Reds played the D-backs at Chase Field July 7-9, DeSclafani threw a bullpen session in front of Price and the club. "To watch him throw the other day in Arizona on the side was really impressive and encouraging," Price said. "He threw beautifully." 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. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER BAR: The quickest way to get ejected Cincinnati Enquirer Published 10:17 a.m. ET July 18, 2017 Updated 10:31 a.m. ET July 18, 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). In Bryan Price's pregame media session Monday, we went off on a tangent about why video isn't available to managers in the dugout. Price talks often about how his view from the dugout doesn't give him the best sense of how a pitch looks, at least compared to what is on the TV feed. I asked what the barriers are to giving managers tablets that could play back certain pitches. Price rattled off a few reasons teams could decipher signs or glean some sort of competitive advantage. But someone else suggested that it could lead to more secondguessing of umpires. That's what led Price to let us in on some inside baseball knowledge. The fastest way to get run from a game? Tell an umpire you have an issue with a call he made after having seen the video playback of it. "That's worse than saying, 'you're a this, this or this,' " Price said. "Once you say, 'I went and looked at the video,' you can't be thrown out any faster than that. Video we get that stuff from the league. They say nobody needs to be referencing what they see on video that's the kiss of death as far as probability of someone staying in the game. You can't do it. You're going to be chucked." So there you have it.

6 ICYMI Scott Feldman is the latest Reds starter to get hurt. Devin Mesoraco began a rehab assignment. Ryan Raburn was surprised the Reds released him in spring. Minor-league roundup Triple-A: Syracuse 11, Louisville 8. RHP Robert Stephenson gave up five runs in six innings, but walked only one and struck out eight. The Bats defense committed three errors. RF Sebastian Elizalde went 4 for 6 with a home run, and C Devin Mesoraco hit a grand slam. Double-A: Pensacola 5, Mississippi 2. RHP Jose Lopez allowed one run in six innings. LF Josh VanMeter and 2B Shed Long each went 3 for 3 with a home run. High-A: The Tortugas were rained out. Low-A: Kane County 2, Dayton 1. RHP Tony Santillan gave up two runs one earned in five innings, He walked two and struck out three. CF Jose Siri went 2 for 4 with a triple. Rookie-Advanced: Orem 3, Billings 2. RHP Tyler Mondile threw four scoreless innings, walking two and striking out five. RF Miles Gordon tripled. Ray-Romano, and other great starting-pitching matchups Dave Clark, dclark@cincinnati.com Published 8:40 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Updated 8:40 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Tuesday's scheduled starting pitchers in the Cincinnati Reds' series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks are Robbie Ray and Sal Romano, providing a Ray-Romano matchup the comedian/actor likely would appreciate. Here are 10 of the best starting-pitcher matchup combos that have happened this season in MLB in advance of Ray-Romano on Tuesday night at GABP: Cahill-Hill (April 5) Padres' Trevor Cahill vs. Dodgers' Rich Hill Wacha-Tanaka (April 14) Cardinals' Michael Wacha vs. Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka Richard-Dickey (April 15) Padres' Clayton Richard vs. Braves' R.A. Dickey Garrett-Cole (May 1) Reds' Amir Garrett vs. Pirates' Gerrit Cole Moore-Wood (May 2) Giants' Matt Moore vs. Dodgers' Alex Wood Eickhoff-Hoffman (May 22) Phillies' Jerad Eickhoff vs. Rockies' Jeff Hoffman (The Kinks') Ray-Davies (May 25) Diamondbacks' Robbie Ray vs. Brewers' Zach Davies Pill-Hill (June 21) Mets' Tyler Pill vs. Dodgers' Rich Hill Gray-Ray (June 30) Rockies' Jon Gray vs. D'backs' Robbie Ray Nova-Nola (July 3) Pirates' Ivan Nova vs. Phillies' Aaron Nola

7 And here are 10 more on the wish list (including only pitchers who have made starts this season*): Nova-Cain Pirates' Ivan Nova vs. Giants' Matt Cain Fiers-Sale Astros' Mike Fiers vs. Red Sox's Chris Sale Locke-Smith Marlins' Jeff Locke vs. A's Chris Smith Walker-Wacha Diamondbacks' Taijuan Walker vs. Cardinals' Michael Wacha Wood-Shipley Dodgers' Alex Wood vs. Diamondbacks' Braden Shipley Young-Lively Royals' Chris Young vs. Phillies' Ben Lively Price-Wright Red Sox's David Price vs. Angels' Daniel Wright Cotton-Farmer A's Jharel Cotton vs. Tigers' Buck Farmer Farmer-Gray Tigers' Buck Farmer vs. A's Sonny Gray Miranda-Wright Mariners' Ariel Miranda vs. Red Sox's Steven Wright * Unfortunately no Sale-Price because they're teammates And here are names I somehow didn't get to use: Cobb Kuhl Leake Leiter Which ones did I miss? Scott Feldman is the latest Reds starter to head to DL C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 5:19 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Updated 5:23 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 If Scott Feldman goes on the disabled list, he will be the last of the Reds Opening Day rotation to spend time on the DL after just 92 games of the season. Feldman, 34, started for the Reds on Opening Day and was the only Reds starter to make every scheduled start since then. A right knee injury limited to him just one inning in Monday s 6-1 loss to the Nationals and Reds manager Bryan Price said a disabled list stint was probable. I think it would be unfair to Scott and to the club to put ourselves in a position where we wouldn t know for sure what he was going to feel like coming out of the bullpen and go through that, Price said. He really wants to compete. He s been great. He s dealt with this stuff before, he s pitched with it, he s pitched beautifully with it. Today was one of those days he couldn t overcome some of the issues he was having with his knee. Feldman has been dealing with the knee issue all season, Price said, but has been able to pitch through it. He was the last of the Reds starters on the roster to make a start after the All-Star break in an attempt to give him a little rest. Feldman s velocity dropped through his last start in Colorado and then fell off a cliff in Monday s game.

8 Feldman started the first inning throwing his cutter around its normal speed of 89 mph, but as the 33-pitch inning wore on, he was managing to throw it just 81 mph. Not only was I making bad pitches, but they were coming in eight miles per hour slower than normal, Feldman said. It was one of those days where (the knee) wasn't cooperating. The Nationals, as they ve done to the Reds throughout the seven-game season series, made the Reds starter pay. He gave up a double to leadoff man Brian Goodwin and a single to shortstop Stephen Drew before facing Bryce Harper. Harper crushed Feldman s 1-1 pitch (a 74-mph curveball) into the seats in right for a 3-0 Nationals lead. The next pitch, an 86-mph cutter, was another homer. This time it was off the bat of first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. That was the 12th home run allowed by Reds pitchers in the four-game Nationals sweep. In the sixth, Goodwin would make it 13 for the Nationals with a home run by Asher Wojciechowski, tying the record for homers allowed by a Reds team in a series of four games or fewer. In 1961, the Reds gave up 13 homers against the Cubs in Wrigley Field in a four-game series. In 1950, the Reds gave up 13 in a three-game series against the Boston Braves. The Nationals outscored the Reds in the series and in seven games this season. They steamrolled us, Price said. We gave them better ball games in Washington two out of the three. This series was not certainly a good representation of our team, I didn t think, at all. It wasn t representative of Feldman s season, either. A free agent signing in January, Feldman has been the one constant in the team s rotating rotation. In all, the Reds have used 13 different starting pitchers in the season s first 92 games, including seven rookies. Five different Reds starters have spent time on the disabled list, not even counting those who haven t made a start for the team this year, like Anthony DeSclafani, who is scheduled to throw a simulated game in Arizona on Tuesday. Feldman was a surprise Opening Day starter, losing that game to the Phillies. But he s been the team s most consistent starter since then. He entered Monday s game against the Nationals 7-6 with a 3.94 ERA. He leads Reds starters in wins (7), starts (19), innings pitched (103 2/3), strikeouts (86) and quality starts (9). He didn t add to any of those categories on Monday. The knee had been bothering him, but he told Price he thought he could pitch through it. He kind of felt coming out of the bullpen that it was something that he s pitched through before and really wanted to pitch, Price said. He said, I can pitch. I stuck with him, but by the time we got to the end of the first inning it was apparent that it wasn t a great idea to keep him out there. I made the decision to get Wojciechowski in there. Price visited Feldman on the mound during the first after starting 3-0 to Daniel Murphy in the first following the homers. Price considered taking him out, but Feldman convinced him to keep him in. Feldman walked Murphy and then allowed a single to Anthony Rendon before Murphy scored from second on a sacrifice fly by Matt Wieters to right that Reds right fielder Scooter Gennett fell after catching. Feldman would retire the last two batters but would be replaced by Wojciechowski to start the second. Feldman said he has no other physical issues Everything else feels great, which is the frustrating part, he said. Wojciechowski allowed just one run on two hits over five innings, keeping the score close, but more importantly keeping the bullpen fresh after a series that put the Reds bullpen depth to yet another test. Price wouldn t say if Wojciechowski would join the team s rotation in the next time through. He s already made four starts for the Reds. The team could also bring back Jackson Stephens, who beat the Cubs in his big-league debut earlier this month. Feldman s move to the disabled list would clear up room for Tuesday s starter, rookie Sal Romano. The team could also use another bullpen arm and then a starter for Saturday s game against the Marlins. There are a lot of options for us to look at at this point in time, and truth be told, I haven t thought at all about what our options are, Price said immediately following the game. It was just trying to get through that game without killing the bullpen. That s where Wojo came up big, and we ll talk with the front office and staff and try to figure out what we re going to do."

9 Cincinnati Reds recap: Washington Nationals complete sweep with 6-1 win C. Trent Rosecrans, Published 3:38 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Updated 5:12 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 The Washington Nationals are going, going, gone from Great American Ball Park, hitting three more home runs in Monday s 6-1 victory over the Reds to complete the series sweep. Washington outscored the Reds in seven games. Feldman out early: Right-hander Scott Feldman left Monday s game after just one inning, allowing five runs on five hits and two home runs. Feldman, who leads the Reds in wins, was making his first start of second half in the fourth game to give him extra rest. He threw just 33 pitches. Feldman had been dealing with declining velocity throughout the season, including in his last start before the break. On Monday, his cutter s velocity went from 89 mph to 81 mph during his one inning of work. Wojo to the rescue: At the very least, right-hander Asher Wojciechowski sped up Monday s game. The right-hander started the second inning for Feldman, and retired the first five batters he faced. He pitched five innings, allowing just one run on two hits, giving up a solo homer to Brian Goodwin with two outs in the sixth. Wojciechowski walked three and struck out four. Of the 15 outs Wojciechowski allowed, seven were on infield popups, tied for the most by any starter this season, according to MLB.com s Statcast. The Rangers A.J. Griffin also had seven in a shutout on May 9 against the Padres. The last time a Reds pitcher had seven infield pop-ups when Bronson Arroyo had seven in 7 innings against the Brewers on June 26, Outfield adventures: At their best, the Reds outfield has been one of the best defensive units in baseball. Monday was not the Reds at their best. It also wasn t the usual Reds outfield. Center fielder Billy Hamilton was given the day off, so Scott Schebler moved from right to center and Scooter Gennett started in right. Four of the five runs in the Nationals first came on homers, while the fifth was a sacrifice fly that scored Daniel Murphy from second base. Gennett struggled to make the catch on Matt Wieters line drive, taking a circuitous route to the ball and then falling as he made the catch. Murphy tagged up from second and kept running around third. Gennett struggled to throw the ball in from his backside, but Murphy scored easily. It was officially ruled a sacrifice fly. Wojciechowski didn t allow a hit in his first two innings of work before Ryan Raburn led off the fourth with a triple. Raburn lined a ball off the wall in left-center and Duvall fielded it, but there was nobody covering second. Standing behind center fielder Scott Schebler, Duvall just held onto the ball. Raburn noticed and kept running. By the time Duvall decided to throw it, Raburn had third easily. Wojciechowski got out of the inning, though, striking out Stephen Strasburg before getting a pair of pop ups to end the inning. Devin Mesoraco to begin short rehab assignment Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 11:50 a.m. ET July 17, 2017 Updated 12:15 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Devin Mesoraco will catch Robert Stephenson s start with Triple-A Louisville on Monday night as he begins what s expected to be a short rehab assignment for the strained lat he suffered earlier this month. Mesoraco has been on the disabled list since July 3. Mesoraco suffered the injury on July 1 when he tried to backhand a stray curveball from Ariel Hernandez. Scans revealed the injury to be much less serious than the ailment that required surgery on the same shoulder last year, but the Cincinnati Reds have been cautious in bringing Mesoraco back. He hit on the field Friday, and caught relievers warming up in the bullpen during Saturday s game. Reds manager Bryan Price said Mesoraco will start a couple games in Louisville, but that his stay could be a short one. He's going to get an opportunity to catch some pitches and some pitches that are yanked to his backhand, Price said

10 Mesoraco has hit.234 this year, but has a.333 on-base percentage and.793 OPS. DeSclafani progressing Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani out since March as he s recovered from a strained ulnar collateral ligament will throw a two-inning simulated game Tuesday at the team s spring training complex in Arizona. After that, he s scheduled to throw three innings in a rookie-league game on July 23. If DeSclafani makes it through those two outings in good shape, he could begin a rehab assignment at one of Cincinnati s fullseason affiliates. If he pitched on an every-five-days schedule to build up to six innings, that would put him on pace for a return about August 11. Nationals Ryan Raburn: I was surprised Reds released me Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 12:11 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Updated 12:14 p.m. ET July 17, 2017 Ryan Raburn was as surprised as anyone when the Cincinnati Reds released him in the final days of spring training. The Reds had signed him to a minor-league deal after camp began with the hopes of shoring up their bench. All spring, they d talked about wanting a veteran presence on the bench, and Raburn seemed to integrate himself into the clubhouse culture almost immediately. The 36-year-old had already made living arrangements in Cincinnati. My truck and everything was up there, Raburn said. We already had houses lined up. But, late into spring, the Reds cut him. The team wanted a bench piece who was more defensively versatile than the corners-only Raburn, and also one who could hit from the left side of the plate. A few days later, the Reds put a claim on waived Milwaukee Brewers infielder Scooter Gennett, who checked all those boxes and surprisingly has hit.312/.364/.606 with 16 home runs this year for the Reds. Things have worked out fine for Raburn since. He signed another minor-league deal with the Chicago White Sox. In late May, the White Sox traded him to the Washington Nationals, who called him up to the majors about a week later. Now Raburn finally has been able to see Cincinnati. (He presumably retrieved his truck long ago.) Entering the final game of the four-game series against the Reds, he was hitting.294 with an.816 OPS in 55 plate appearances. I was down in the trenches for a couple months, man, hoping to get an opportunity, Raburn said. Things worked out, and I ended up with probably the best team in baseball. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Feldman seventh Reds starter to go on disabled list Pitcher left game Sunday with knee pain By David Jablonski Posted: 11:01 a.m. Tuesday, July 18, 2017 CINCINNATI The Cincinnati Reds played staring pitcher Scott Feldman on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, one day after he left a start against the Washington Nationals because of inflammation in his right knee. Manager Bryan Price said Monday he expected Feldman to go on the DL. I think it would be unfair to Scott and the club to put ourselves in a position where we wouldn t know for sure what he was going to feel like coming out of the bullpen (before the game) and go through that, Price said. He really wants to compete. He s been great. He s dealt with it before. He s pitched with it. He s pitched beautifully with it. It was one of those things he couldn t overcome. Feldman allowed five runs in the first inning. The Reds lost 6-1 and were swept in a four-game series by the Nationals for the first time. Feldman is the seventh Reds starting pitcher to go on the DL this season. His next scheduled start was Saturday.

11 The Reds also optioned rookie outfielder Jesse Winker, who was in the big leagues for the third time this season, to Triple-A Louisville. They recalled pitchers Sal Romano, who will start the series opener Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Lisalverto Bonilla from Louisville. Coffee break: Mesoraco s grand slam almost, kind of/sort of leads the way and makes you wonder By Matt Winkeljohn Posted: 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, July 18, 2017 OK, so you re out of coffee or too lazy to make some and you have to run to one of those places which may or may not serve you promptly, so you deserve a smidgen of good news to blow that frown off your face. Who d have though Devin Mesoraco might brighten your day? Before you fly out of the abode, check this, which may be only about a minor-league catcher but probably as good a piece of news about the Reds as you ve seen in 10 days or so. The Reds have surely been making your head hurt and you re certainly miserable about their starting pitching crud. Yet, even after they were blasted by the Nationals in a four-game sweep loss that was one of the worst in franchise history after Monday s 6-1 loss, Mesoraco offered cause for optimism with asterisks. With Louisvile on a rehab assignment after straining his surgically-repaired left (non-throwing) shoulder, Mesoraco has in past two seasons has not come close to approximating his breakout All-Star season of 2014 season while being saddled by a Game of Thrones-like siege of hip and shoulder injuries. But he banged a big one Monday night for Louisville. That was Johnny Bench stuff, albeit coming in an 11-8 loss to dreadful Syracuse. Sorry this won t completely salve the misery of what s going on with the Reds, but come on! A grand slam for a win is a big deal at any level. Mesoraco, whose 2014 season was an All-Star thing of beauty, might just help you start day dreaming. Or, are we crazy? At least you have options for breakfast. Personally, the steak and cheese bagel at Mouse D s is the best. By the way, Mesoraco has done this before. Comments are welcome. Wojciechowski saves Reds bullpen in loss to Nationals By David Jablonski - Staff Writer Posted: 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 17, 2017 CINCINNATI On a day full of bad news, Asher Wojciechowski delivered a small silver lining for the Cincinnati Reds. Starter Scott Feldman left a game against the Washington Nationals on Monday at Great American Ball Park after allowing five runs in the first inning. Knee pain that has bothered him in recent starts became too much. On short notice, Wojciechowski took the mound, and he made the most of the opportunity. Wojciechowski allowed one earned run on two hits in five innings. The Reds still lost 6-1, suffering a four-game sweep, but Wojciechowski s performance keeps their bullpen rested for the three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks that starts Tuesday. I was attacking the zone and getting quick outs, Wojciechowski said. My fastball was working today. Being able to elevate against these guys and get some pop outs and weak contact, I was able to come in there and throw a solid five innings. Feldman (7-7, 4.34 ERA) likely will spend time on the disabled list, manager Bryan Price said, and Wojciechowski (1-1, 5.22) could get another chance in the rotation. Wojciechowski has made four starts and five relief appearances.

12 At this point in time, it s a possibility, Price said. There s a lot of options for us to look at. Truth be told, I haven t thought about what our options are. I was just trying to get through that game without killing the bullpen. Nationals dominate: The Nationals (56-36) won the season series 6-1 and outscored the Reds They clubbed us, Price said. They beat us up for four games, even though we came back into that 10-7 game in game two. Washington pushed its lead over the Atlanta Braves in the National League East Division to 10 games with its fifth straight victory. The Reds (39-53) fell 12 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central with their fourth straight loss. Nationals starters combined to allow four earned runs in 27 1/3 innings in the four games. Washington s starters lowered their season ERA to Reds starters have an era of 6.12, the worst in baseball. Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg allowed one run in seven innings Monday. Tanner Roark allowed three earned runs in six innings Sunday. Max Scherzer pitched six scoreless innings Saturday. Gio Gonzalez pitched 8 1/3 scoreless innings Friday. Their starters didn t give us anything to get excited about, Price said. We were able to score off their bullpen when they had big leads and they got some of their younger guys in there, but they steamrolled us. Mesoraco update: Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment Monday night for Triple-A Louisville. He has been on the disabled list since July 5 with a shoulder strain. Looking ahead: The Reds begin a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday. Sal Romano (1-1, 4.50) starts for the Reds against Robbie Ray (8-4, 2.97). There has been a DeSclafani sighting Hal McCoy July 17, 2017 CINCINNATI Anybody remember a guy named Anthony DeSclafani? Tall guy? Beard? Pitched for the Cincinnati Reds? Yeah, sure, tall and with a beard pretty much describes every pitcher on the Reds staff and most pitchers in the major leagues these days. DeSclafani, though, was supposed to be Something Special this season. After missing most of the first half of last season with oblique problems, he went 9-and-5 with a 3.28 earned run average in 20 second-half starts. With Homer Bailey expected to start this season on the disabled list, DeSclafani was the early pick to start Opening Day and to be the face of the Reds pitching staff. ALAS ANOTHER KICK IN THE solar plexis. Elbow miseries struck in spring training and DeSclafani was placed on the disabled list and has seldom been heard from this season. And now...a sighting. When Bryan Price was asked about him Monday morning, the Reds manager broke out a broad and toothy grin. Yesssssss! Yeah, said Price. He is going to throw a couple of simulated innings Tuesday. Then on the 23rd (Sunday) he will pitch three innings in the Arizona Rookie League. But one leads to the other and he has to get through tomorrow, Price added. If he gets through both those, we will put him on a five-day pitching schedule to work his way back here. Price watched DeSclafani throw on the side last week when the Reds were in Arizona and was pumped up. It was really impressive and encouraging, he said. He threw beautifully, very encouraging. OF COURSE, EVERYBODY IS going to be on the upbeat about DeSclafani s return, just as they were with Homer Bailey. But, like Bailey, too much shouldn t be placed on DeSclafani s early results after missing half the season. Bailey had two atrocious starts when he came back, then had two outstanding starts, then regressed Sunday, giving up eight runs, eight hits that included a couple of home runs to Daniel Murphy over four innings.

13 After the game, Price watched video of Bailey s short stay on the mound and detected some issues. Sometimes you can just see a crispness in a pitcher s delivery, said Price. In his previous two starts by Homer there was a crispness in which everything was right that provided quality to pitch execution. It wasn t there Sunday. I could see early that he threw a couple of splits that cut (a splitter shoudn t cut), that tumbled down and in to lefties. I saw some sliders well-thrown and well-executed, some of them, and some that just kind of spun. I think it was mechanics-based. It is a matter of getting re-acquainted to game situations so it is second nature. There is still a period of time where he is finding his way with his delivery. NOT MUCH POSITIVE CAN be taken away from a 14-4 stomping like the one the Reds took from the Washington Nationals Sunday afternoon. Believe it, there was one. Jesse Winker made his first major league start that didn t involve the designated hitter tag to his name. He batted five times and reached base four times a single and three walks. Oh, man, he was terrific, said Price. He was just terrific. He knows the strike zone (hence the three walks). He put the barrel on the ball a couple of times and the best one was when he made an out a bullet he hit to the left fielder. It was strike zone command, getting on base, hitting the ball on the barrel. That part was fun to watch and it was especially good for him to get that experience. AND WINKER S REWARD probably will be another trip down I-71 to Louisville, a return to the Class AAA Louisville Bats. The Reds will need a roster spot Tuesday for pitcher Sal Romano. And if that one doesn t get Winker, then the return of catcher Devin Mesoraco probably will. Mesoraco will play Monday night at Class AAA Louisville on rehab assignment and play another game Tuesday. Then he will be evaluated. It is a strong possibility it will be a short stint in Triple-A, said Price. Time will tell. We ll see how he gets through catching a couple of games and having some at bats. THE REDS ARE LOOKING to see if any soreness remains in his left lat If there is soreness there, that would be a concern, said Price. I don t know the genesis of the soreness, but it was exacerbated when he reached on the backhand side for a pitch. This will give him an opportunity to catch some pitches that are yanked to his backhand side, making him reach. Every catcher has to reach for a pitch on his backhand side that is thrown with intent and anger. That will be the test he has to pass. QUOTE OF THE DAY Most fans and observers believe the quickest way for a manager to get ejected from a game is to spice up a discussion with an umpire with some mouth wash words, some f-bombs. Not so, says manager Bryan Price. He says there is one thing that will get immediate ejection without using a single swear word. One thing that will get you thrown out right away is to go out there and say, Hey, I looked at the video and you missed the call. You can t do that. That s worse than saying, You re a -. Once you say, I looked at the video, you re gone. Cincinnati Reds: Hunter Greene s debut apparently is not imminent after all By Matt Winkeljohn Posted: 4:10 p.m. Monday, July 17, 2017 And no, it s not because anything bad has happened. It s just that Greene and the Reds are exercising patience before their firing up their first-round draft choice. After signing with the Reds July 7, the former California high school superstar pitcher and shortstop reported briefly to the Arizona League for work, and then on Saturday joined the Billings Mustangs of the Advanced Rookie Pioneer League. Greene was the No. 2 overall pick in last month s MLB Draft.

14 He s not active there yet, though, and will apparently not pitch for at least another week or so, according to KHQ Q6, an NBC affiliate in Spokane, Wash., that serves Northern Idaho, which isn t far from Billings, Montana. Greene said that he needs to get back into game shape. In the meantime, he seems to be loving Billings, which is quite different than Southern California, or Arizona. As he said, The weather is a lot better than when I was just in Arizona, so it's not that bad. The environment is great. You may be wondering why a TV station in Spokane is reporting this. Well, apparently, this story first was rolled out by SWX Montana, a digital subchannel. That s owned by Cowles Company, and produces sports and weather over Cowles multiple channels, including Spokane s KHQ and KULR in Billings -- which is 530 miles from Spokane. Reds best starting pitcher likely headed to DL Knee pain sidelines Scott Feldman after first inning Monday By David Jablonski - Staff Writer Posted: 3:36 p.m. Monday, July 17, 2017 CINCINNATI The worst starting pitching staff in baseball does have an ace. Scott Feldman won t win the Cy Young Award this season. What the 34-year-old veteran has done is save the Cincinnati Reds from an even worse fate in Feldman s season hit a snag Monday, however, in a 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park. He allowed five earned runs in the first inning and then left the game because of knee pain. Feldman likely will spend time on the disabled list, manager Bryan Price said. He s had some on-and-off knee stiffness throughout the season that he s dealt with, Price said. He got treatment and has been able to pitch with it and pitch very effectively with it. After warming up before the game, Feldman told Price he would pitch. Then he gave up a double and single to start the game. The third batter, Bryce Harper, hit a three-run home run. The fourth, Ryan Zimmerman, hit a solo shot. A walk, single and a sacrifice fly made it 5-0. By the time we got to the end of the first inning, Price said, it was apparent it wasn t a great idea to keep him out there. The Nationals (56-36) completed their first four-game sweep of the Reds (39-53) and tied the record for most home runs hit against the Reds in a four-game series (13). The Reds hadn t allowed 13 home runs in a four-game series since Feldman doesn t know the exact nature of the knee pain, only that it s something he has overcome in recent starts. The pain affected his velocity. I didn t really get over the hump today, Feldman said. It didn t loosen up. Not only was I making bad pitches, they were coming in 8 miles an hour slower than normal. It was one of those days where it wasn t cooperating. This was the shortest start of Feldman s career. He fell to 7-7. His ERA jumped from 3.94 to That s still the best mark on the staff for anyone who has made more than five starts. It s hard to see him struggle because he s done everything he can to take the field and compete for us, Price said. He s been our best starter. He s been a great addition to the organization. He s appreciated the opportunity. He s taken advantage of the opportunity. He s worked his tail off. He s been influential with the young guys. And he s been a performer. The idea of him not being in the mix, at least for a short period of time, hurts the club and hurts me personally because he s given us everything he s got to give us some important innings.

15 Winker s batting gloves a tribute to Jay Bruce Hal McCoy July 17, 2017 CINCINNATI Jay Bruce is gone, but far from forgotten by at least one new member of the Cincinnati Reds. Rookie outfielder Jesse Winker remembers Bruce passionately and as a tribute he wears a pair of Bruce s batting gloves. Reds right fielder Jesse Winker throws the ball back to the infield after a hit by the Nationals on Sunday, July 16, 2017, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. David Jablonski/Staff Winker wore the gloves Sunday against the Washington Nationals in what he considers his major league starting debut. Winker has been in the Reds lineup as a designated hitter, but Sunday is the first time he started a game as a hitter and a fielder, And I consider this my real major league starting debut, he said. THE WINKER-BRUCE CONNECTION goes back to spring training of 2013 when Winker was in camp as a minor league invitee, his first sniff of what comprises a major league environment. Even though it was projected that Winker would soon make the major leagues as an outfielder, and Bruce is an outfielder, Bruce took an immediate liking to the 20-year-old No. 1 draft pick (supplemental) in Bruce became his mentor and a constant companion, quick with the advice and information and quick with the wallet to pay for meals. And what clinched it for Winker was at mid-season of 2013 when he was playing for low Class A Dayton. I still remember to this day that I was in the Midwest League All-Star home run derby, said Winker. And Jay texted me good luck. At that moment in my life, I thought, Damn, this is pretty cool. And it pumped up Winker so much that he won that home run derby. BRUCE NOW PLAYS RIGHT FIELD for the New York Mets and has 24 home runs and 62 RBI. He has been a great guy for me to learn from, a great guy to ask questions, said Winker. It has been so cool to learn from a guy like that. Winker, as do most players who pass through Dayton, speak fondly of the Gem City and he said, It was a really cool place for me to have my first full season (.281, 16 homers, 76 RBI in 112 games). You get spoiled there with all the fans and the atmosphere. His next step up was high Class A Bakersfield, but to most players who advanced from Dayton to Bakersfield, it was a step down. There were few fans, there was a bad ball park in a seedy part of town. In fact, the park was aligned incorrectly and the sun shone directly over the center field batter s eye into the hitter s eyes. I remember one time the game was scheduled to start at 7:15, but the sun was so bright that the hitters couldn t see. So they pushed it back to 7:30. Then they pushed it back to 7:45. Then it was 8 o clock. I think we got started at about 8:15 when the sun ducked behind the batter s eye, said Winker. Some wonder why the long delay in getting Winker to the majors. It comes down to playing time. Because he is a corner outfielder, spots occupied by Scott Schebler and Adam Duvall, the Reds would rather have him playing every day in Triple-A, getting precious at bats. And he understands. My mind-set in Triple-A is just to get better every day, he said. I don t pay attention to what s going on up here, although I obviously know how well Schebler and Duvall are playing. And when I m here I see their at bats and how well they are hitting the ball. It is obvious they are both having great years and I m happy for them. Winker says he gets what is going on, knows that it is a process and, I m not one to complain and I know the Reds have a plan for me. IT IS NO STATE SECRET that the cash-strapped Reds like to sign a bunch of marginal players released by other teams or trade for marginal players, especially at the end of spring training when other teams cleanse their rosters. Then the Reds throw it all against the wall to see if anything sticks.