Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings June 11, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

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1 Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings June 11, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1938-Johnny Vander Meer throws his first no-hitter against the Boston Braves. Vander Meer walks three while striking out four, leading the Reds to a victory, 3-0, over the Braves MLB.COM Mesoraco's clutch homer isn't enough in LA By Joshua Thornton and Austin Laymance / MLB.com 3:13 AM ET COMMENTS LOS ANGELES -- Corey Seager's first career walk-off hit, a ninth-inning double scoring Yasiel Puig, gave the Dodgers a 5-4 win over the Reds on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. "It took me 20 years to finally get one," Seager said about his first walk-off hit. "It was nice. Our bullpen has been great, and to show them we have their backs, it's finally nice to repay the favor." The Dodgers raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Reds rookie Asher Wojciechowski, on an RBI single from Seager, a sacrifice fly from Adrian Gonzalez and Cody Bellinger's 13th home run of the season. Reinstated from the disabled list, Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood made his first start in two weeks and saw his league-leading scoreless-innings streak snapped at 28 after Jose Peraza smacked an RBI single with two outs in the third. Wood worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts. Wood finished the game after 87 pitches, which was manager Dave Roberts' target for the southpaw. "What he did coming off the disabled list, he pitched the heck of a ballgame," Roberts said. "He was great, dominating." While the Reds were disappointed in the final result, manager Bryan Price credited his players for rebounding from an early deficit. "They scored one off the bullpen there in the ninth to beat us, but we didn't beat ourselves in that ballgame," Price said. "I thought we played a pretty good ballgame." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Coming back strong: Trailing, 4-1, the Reds had two runners on with two outs in the sixth inning against Wood, prompting Roberts to call on Josh Fields for a righty-righty matchup with Devin Mesoraco. The Reds catcher won the battle, launching a three-run homer to tie the game. "This is a very good bullpen, they have good numbers, and I was looking for a fastball in the middle part of the plate and put on a good swing," Mesoraco said. Catch at the track: After the Reds tied the ballgame, Scooter Gennett came to plate with nobody on in the sixth with two outs. Gennett hit a fly ball deep to center field that would have been a double, but Chris Taylor robbed Gennett with a great leaping catch at the track. "Gennett hits one to the wall in right-center and [Taylor] makes another nice play," Price said. "Things that could have happened, but didn't. We took some good at-bats." QUOTABLE "That's the first one? I'm betting that won't be his last. Corey's been swinging the bat better than the numbers have indicated. He's barreling baseballs, taking good swings." -- Roberts, on Seager's walk-off "Good things happen when you put it in play sometimes. It is what it is. I would throw the same pitch again, probably get an out." -- Reds reliever Tony Cingrani, on his pitch to Seager

2 SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has reached base safely in 32 straight games, which is the longest active streak in the Majors and four games shy of Dave Concepcion's club record for a shortstop. WHAT'S NEXT Reds: Tim Adleman (4-2, 4.42 ERA) gets the ball in Sunday's series finale seeking a fourth consecutive quality start. In his last three outings, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET. Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-6, 4.08 ERA) makes his third start since a brief stint in the bullpen in Sunday's series finale, with first pitch slated for 1:10 p.m. PT. The start comes on the heels of Ryu's longest outing since 2014, seven innings and four runs allowed against the Nationals on Monday. Joshua Thornton is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles. He covered the Dodgers on Saturday. Austin Laymance is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles. He covered the Reds on Saturday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Price chalks up bullpen's hiccup to bad luck By Austin Laymance / MLB.com 2:53 AM ET + 3 COMMENTS LOS ANGELES -- Baseball can be a cruel game sometimes, as the Reds experienced on Saturday night with a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers. The Reds battled back from a three-run deficit after the first inning to tie the game on Devin Mesoraco's three-run homer in the sixth, but the Dodgers came up with two well-placed singles and a double off the Reds' bullpen in the ninth for their fourth walk-off win of the season. Drew Storen came out of the bullpen to open the ninth in a 4-4 game and allowed back-to-back singles to Yasiel Puig and pinchhitter Justin Turner with one out. Left-hander Tony Cingrani then came on and struck out pinch-hitter Franklin Gutierrez before Dodgers star Corey Seager delivered a walk-off double. The Reds felt they had a good chance to send the game into extra innings, but the Dodgers were able to find holes in the defense. Puig's single had a hit probability of 26 percent, and Seager's double had a hit probability of 19 percent, according to Statcast. "It's two ground balls," Mesoraco said. "If they're two feet to the other way, they're outs. So that's a hard thing to really get too frustrated over. They're going to find holes. Those were just hit in perfect spots." Reds manager Bryan Price said he wanted to save closer Raisel Iglesias to pitch with a lead in the ninth or in extras, so he went with Storen to open the ninth with a pair of right-handers scheduled to hit. Iglesias hasn't allowed a run in his last 20 innings out of the bullpen, the longest active scoreless-innings streak by a reliever in the Majors. "You hate to have to match up with the lead and extra innings," Price said. "We would have had Iglesias there in the ninth. Drew was going to be able to see right-handed hitters there in the ninth and then Tony would be lined up for the lefties, and they just happened to get their hits. They got three hits to win the game. You got to do that. Those guys are legitimate big league relief pitchers, and today they got us." Cingrani threw a first-pitch fastball to Seager, who slapped it the other way to left field. Scooter Gennett made a diving attempt, but the ball found the ground and Puig scored from second to end the game. "Good things happen when you put it in play sometimes," Cingrani said. "It is what it is. I would throw the same pitch again, probably get an out." The Reds were in an early hole after starter Asher Wojciechowski allowed three runs on three hits in the first inning, including a homer to Cody Bellinger. Wojciechowski then settled in and held the Dodgers to one run over the next four innings, giving the Reds a chance to get back in the game. "After that first inning, just settled down and tried to go as deep as I could and give this team a shot," Wojciechowski said. The Reds had opportunities to take the lead against the Dodgers' bullpen.

3 After Mesoraco homered off Josh Fields to tie the game at 4, Gennett sent a deep fly ball to right-center and Chris Taylor made a leaping catch at the wall. The Reds also had a runner in scoring position with one out in the eighth, but couldn't bring Eugenio Suarez home. "This is a tough place to win, obviously," Mesoraco said. "They put some good at-bats together in the ninth and were able to find some holes on some ground balls, and that will happen, and then Seager got the big hit to win it." Austin Laymance is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles. He covered the Reds on Saturday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Reds finalize deal with Cuban SS Garcia Prospect was expected to receive signing bonus close to $5 million By Matt Kelly / MLB.com June 10th, COMMENTS The Reds announced Saturday that they have signed highly touted Cuban shortstop Jose Israel Garcia to a Minor League contract. The 19-year old is expected to get a signing bonus close to $5 million, according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. He will report to Cincinnati's Dominican Summer League affiliate. "Right away, Jose stood out because of his 6-foot, 3-inch live, athletic body," said Reds director of international scouting Tony Arias in a prepared statement. "During the 18U Pan Am gold medal game, I thought this kid would fit right in with the USA team's middle infielders, who were going to be some of the best young kids available for the 2017 Draft." "He is a super-athletic player who hits line drives using the whole field," Arias continued, "he showed his ability to run and showed great instincts." Garcia played for Cuba in the 18U World Cup two years ago. He is viewed as a plus runner with a plus arm and quick feet, and he projects as an everyday shortstop in the Majors. Scouts also see him as an athletic talent with line-drive, gap-to-gap power and the potential to hit home runs. The signing will mark another bold move for the Reds on the international front. In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement that governs the signing period that expires Thursday, each team was allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool with four slot values based on the team's record in '15 for the international signing period. Cincinnati's pool total was $5,163,400, and the club passed that threshold and into the maximum penalty by signing Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez for $7 million in July, and right-handed pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez for $4.75 million in September. Including the Garcia signing, the Reds will have committed more than $17.5 million to 20 prospects during the current international signing period, and they will be subjected to an additional overage fee close to $12.5 million. Cincinnati, which will have $5.25 million to spend when the next international signing period begins July 2, will not be allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 for the following two periods as part of the penalty. Matt Kelly is a reporter for MLB.com based in New York. Follow him on Twitter This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Adleman, Reds seek strong finish in LA By Austin Laymance / MLB.com 1:31 AM ET + 6 COMMENTS Hyun-Jin Ryu will try to lead the Dodgers to a fourth straight win and a series sweep on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium in the finale of a three-game series with the Reds, who will give the ball to Tim Adleman. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. PT. Ryu went seven innings and allowed four runs against the Nationals on Monday in his last start, after which Dodgers manager Dave Roberts declared Ryu had done enough to earn another turn in the rotation. Seven pitchers have made at least five starts for the Dodgers this season. Adleman and Ryu will each make their 10th start in their 11th appearance of the season. Adleman was moved to the rotation after opening the year in the bullpen. Ryu made a four-inning relief appearance on May 25. For Adleman, it will be his first career outing at Dodger Stadium. The right-hander is looking for a fourth consecutive quality start. Over his last three starts, Adleman is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA over 21 innings. Things to know about this game

4 The Reds are hoping to have two of their regular outfielders back in the lineup. Adam Duvall has not started since Thursday because of an illness. Billy Hamilton did not start Saturday, as manager Bryan Price wanted to rest the "beat up" center fielder. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has reached base safely in 32 straight games, the longest active on-base streak in the Majors. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is one save away from becoming the sixth active pitcher to reach 200 career saves, joining Francisco Rodriguez, Huston Street, Fernando Rodney, Craig Kimbrel and Joakim Soria. Austin Laymance is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles. He covered the Reds on Saturday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Bailey sharp in first rehab start By Austin Laymance / MLB.com June 10th, COMMENT LOS ANGELES -- Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey began a Minor League rehab assignment on Friday and delivered an encouraging outing in his first start of Bailey, who underwent right elbow surgery in February, pitched five shutout innings, scattering three hits with five strikeouts and one walk for Double-A Pensacola. The Reds originally planned for Bailey to work four innings, but he felt good enough to pitch another inning after cruising through four on 51 pitches. "He was so efficient and felt so good that going back out there for the fifth was a good idea," Reds manager Bryan Price said on Saturday. "He ended up finishing strong. I think 64 pitches in five innings. Very efficient, sharp, came out of it feeling good." The Reds are hoping Bailey can return to their rotation by the end of June. He still has at least two more rehab starts planned. The extra inning of work Friday will not speed up Bailey's timetable, Price said. "I think he has to make those next two starts and then we'll reevaluate him," Price said. "So I definitely think he'll pitch in [Class A Advanced] Dayton and [Triple-A] Louisville and make sure that he's built up a little bit of an innings log, as we would with any starting pitcher before they start the season. It just to me suggests that everything went well and he felt good enough to where pitching the fifth inning seemed like a good idea to everybody who was there. I'm glad he did it." Worth noting Outfielder Adam Duvall was held out of the lineup again Saturday as he continues to deal with an illness. He has not played since Thursday. "Still not feeling great, feeling a little bit better," Price said. "I don't think his night went as well as we hoped it would go. I don't think it was an easy night. We had him come in on the second bus, trying to get him more rest in hopes that either later on today he'll feel good enough to be able to help out in some way, shape or form, or if not, get closer to feeling ready to play tomorrow or in San Diego." Billy Hamilton did not start Saturday as Price looked to get his center fielder some needed rest. "He's just a little beat up," Price said. "It's nothing that would prevent him from playing, but just to the point where a day off serves him well." Catcher Stuart Turner (right hamstring) is getting closer to being activated from the 10-day disabled list. Turner has appeared in nine games with Louisville since beginning a Minor League rehab assignment on May 28. "He's certainly getting close," Price said. "That will be an organizational decision on that, so I don't know what to say to it other than the fact I'm happy he's playing regularly and doing well." Austin Laymance is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles. He covered the Reds on Saturday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

5 CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds fall as Iglesias is held for a lead that never comes Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 3:35 a.m. ET June 11, 2017 Updated 5 hours ago LOS ANGELES Raisel Iglesias did not pitch. Iglesias is by far the Cincinnati Reds best reliever, the top arm in a bullpen that manager Bryan Price has talked about using creatively. He has a 0.57 ERA and hasn t allowed a run since April 23. He allows less than one baserunner per inning. He hasn t been held exclusively for save situations. In April, Price brought him in to the fifth and pitched him two innings. He s pitched more than one inning seven times in 26 appearances. But Saturday at Dodger Stadium, Price returned to conventional baseball wisdom. He saved Iglesias to protect a lead that didn t materialize, and the Los Angeles Dodgers walked off a different Reds reliever for a 5-4 win. I was saving him for having the lead, Price said of Iglesias. Price twice opted for a different reliever in the bottom of the ninth, which the Reds and Dodgers began knotted in a 4-4 tie. Facing an all-right-handed bottom third of the lineup and knowing Los Angeles had no left-handed batters left on the bench, Price tapped righty Drew Storen for an inning. Storen entered the game with a 2.08 ERA, second-best of any Reds reliever. He froze Logan Forsythe for a looking strikeout, but Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner both singled to left to put two on. Price walked out to the mound. Instead of signaling for Iglesias to pitch the game s tensest moment, Price called upon left-hander Tony Cingrani. Cingrani had pitched only twice since returning from the disabled list, both times in lopsided games. The night before, he d allowed a home run. But the Dodgers had two left-handed hitters coming up, Price explained. If the Reds were to win, Price said, at some point they d have to pitch an inning with a lead. He d rather play the lefty-righty matchups now, he said, instead of then. At some point in time, I was going to need to close that game down with the lead, Price said. That s why I saved (Iglesias). The Reds didn t survive the now. Price didn t get the matchup he wanted for Cingrani s first batter, although it hardly mattered. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts pulled the lefty-batting Chase Utley for righty-batting Franklin Gutierrez, but Cingrani blew strike three past Gutierrez for the second out of the inning. The next batter was lefty-hitting shortstop Corey Seager. Cingrani s first pitch was waist-high and on the outer third of the plate. Seager flared it into left, the ball tailing in a high arc toward the foul line. It fell fair, just beyond the outstretched glove of a diving Scooter Gennett. Puig scored, and the game was over. Cingrani had no second-guesses afterward. He said he d throw the same pitch again. If it was an out, you guys would be happier and I would be happier, Cingrani said. He put it in play, and good things happen when you put it in play sometimes. It is what it is. Such bullpen caution has backfired on other managers, most spectacularly in last year s American League Wild Card game. In that win-or-go-home contest, Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter held back closer and Cy Young candidate Zach Britton to protect a road lead his offense never produced. The Orioles fell in 11 innings to the Toronto Blue Jays, ending their season. But, as Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco pointed out, postseason fates weren t on the line in Saturday s game against the Dodgers. It was game No. 61, with 101 remaining on the schedule. A 10th inning may not have been promised, but tomorrow was. And although Price didn t offer it as an explanation, Mesoraco stressed that Iglesias has pitched a lot, both recently and in general. The right-hander began Saturday 10th among National League relievers in innings. He hadn t pitched Friday, but had appeared in five of the seven games before that. Throughout the course of the season, you really have to have faith in all your guys, Mesoraco said. We would love to have Raisel pitch every single game. That s just not humanly possible.

6 Homer Bailey flashes past form, Blue Wahoos get lift Bill Vilona, Published 11:56 p.m. ET June 9, 2017 Updated 12:17 a.m. ET June 10, 2017 Homer Bailey produced the kind of performance he wanted in what's become a three-year comeback quest. It also coincided with delivering a win for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in a game they needed. In front of a sellout crowd (5,038) Friday night, Bailey flashed the form that formerly made him a mainstay of the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation, all the while helping the Blue Wahoos to a 6-2 victory against the Mississippi Braves. "That is an important step in this process," said Bailey, 31, whose eight-year major league career includes throwing two no-hitters with the Reds. But he's pitched in only eight games for the Reds in the past two seasons (2015 and '16).. "Whether you are coming back from an injury or just preparing for a season, you need to have these games under the lights with another team that is trying to win," said Bailey, who signed a six-year, $105-million contract with the Reds after his stellar 2013 season when he had his second no-hitter. "And this team (Blue Wahoos) is trying to win (first half division) as well," he said. "That is kind of part of it... kinda put you pants on and let's go." That's exactly what Bailey did Friday night with his first injury rehab start since last pitching for the Reds on Aug. 28 last season. That night last only one inning. From there, he was shut down the rest of the season, followed by arthroscopic surgery -- his third surgical procedure in three years -- in February to remove bone spurs in his right elbow. Last night, he felt so good after four innings at Blue Wahoos Stadium, where he threw only 51 pitches, he welcomed going another inning past his schedule. And he looked even stronger in the fifth, striking out the final batter to qualify as the winning pitcher. More: Blue Wahoos now have three-game lead in first place In leaving with a 4-0 lead, Bailey threw 64 pitches, 42 for strikes, allowing just three hits, a walk and recording five strikeouts. He will work two more rehab starts, the next one likely in Dayton, Ohio (Reds' Single-A affiliate) when the Blue Wahoos are in Jacksonville. "He look good," said Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly, whose team leads Biloxi by three games, the M-Braves by four in the South Division race. "I think he was excited to see some competition under the lights.. It is always nice to go under the lights. "I thought he established his fastball early and threw his off-speed stuff late when he had to.. His fastball was where he wanted to throw it most of the time and the ball was coming out out of his hands really nice." This has been an arduous, difficult road for Bailey, who exited the 2013 season as one of the hottest and best pitchers in Major League Baseball. It's been one hard luck setback after another since that point. "And it is tough," said Bailey, who grew up in La Grange, Texas and was drafted in the first round by the Reds (the No. 7 player overall) in the 2004 draft. "You can't think about it. You can't change the things in the past. It is about going forward.. "I think all signs (Friday) pointed in really good directions. The ball was coming out of my hand really well. That is one thing throughout this the whole process I really haven't lost... is the command. "It is kind of rare thing and to add that with way ball was coming out, I felt good." On Sunday, another Cincinnati Reds' starting pitcher, Brandon Finnegan, will make his rehab start at Blue Wahoos Stadium against the M-Braves. The Reds are putting these guys into situations where the games are in more meaningful as the Blue Wahoos try to win their fourth consecutive half-season division title. "It is nice to win that first game." Kelly said. " You never know when you have a rehab guy... obviously everything is based around him. Then you bring (Kuery) Mella (who would have been the starter) in a situation he is not used to."

7 After giving up two runs in the sixth, Mella retired the last 10 batters he faced and was dominating the rest of the way. He even helped himself with his first hit, a scorching run-scoring double in the seventh that helped extend the Blue Wahoos lead. Josh VanMeter, Gabriel Guerrero, Eric Jagielo and Blake Trahan all had two hits apiece as the Blue Wahoos produced 11 hits, including six doubles. They gave Bailey a comfortable lead with runs in the second, third and fourth innings. And he looked even better as innings passed. "I was staying in the zone," Bailey said. "They asked me how I felt.. I wanted to be in there. I didn't know how many pitches I had left (under pitch count limit) and I didn't want to know. "That is kind of decisions to be make by trainers and coaching staff. For me.. I need to worry about in-game stuff." He did that to expectation. Schebler hopes Dodgers see what they re missing Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com Published 8:49 p.m. ET June 10, 2017 Updated 14 hours ago LOS ANGELES Friday s game was Scott Schebler s first at Dodger Stadium since the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him away after the 2015 season. He, Jose Peraza and Brandon Dixon were sent to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a three-team deal that shipped Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox. Dixon is still in the minors, and Peraza had been a Dodger for only a few months. But Schebler was drafted and developed by L.A., and can't help but want to show his old club what they gave away. That s human nature, Schebler said. That s pretty natural to kind of what to show them, Hey, this is what you re missing out. This is what you let go. Schebler is batting just.244, but has an OPS of.861. When adjusted for ballpark and league differences, that mark is considered 20 percent better than league average. His total of 17 home runs is tied for the National League lead. He played the Dodgers a year ago in Cincinnati, but wasn t doing nearly as well. Actually playing in Dodger Stadium isn t all that special as Schebler points out, he spent only about 30 days in the big-leagues with L.A. in 2015 but catching his old team while he s on the upswing is. You kind of have that extra little bit of energy you want to spend on a team that traded you away, Schebler said. They obviously didn t see a future with you. There s more than just competitive fire in Schebler s heart when it comes to the Dodgers, though. He s friends with several people on the team, including center fielder Joc Pederson. He s especially close with shortstop Corey Seager, with whom he lived for three seasons in the minors. Seager is currently fending off Reds counterpart Zack Cozart in NL All-Star voting. Injury updates Right-hander Homer Bailey wasn t set to throw five innings in his first official rehab outing with Double-A Pensacola on Friday night, but pitched so efficiently that it made sense to give him one more inning. He threw only 64 pitches. Despite that extra inning, the timeline of Bailey s big-league return is unchanged. He is working back from offseason surgery that removed bone spurs from his elbow. He has to make those next two starts and then we ll reevaluate him, Reds manager Bryan Price said. Left-hander Amir Garrett, who took a line drive off his left palm in Friday s game, was confident after the game about making his next start. A day later, he was even surer about it. It feels good, Garrett said. I can squeeze it and stuff. It s got a little swelling, but no pain. Outfielders Adam Duvall and Billy Hamilton were both out of the lineup for Saturday s game. For Duvall, it was his second consecutive absence as he battles an unspecified illness. Hamilton is a little beat up, Price said, but would be playable if the Reds needed him.

8 Prep phenom Hunter Greene could be generational player Zach Buchanan, Published 3:25 p.m. ET June 10, 2017 Updated 19 hours ago SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. For someone who grew up in southern California, Alec Moss seems to have been at the center of a lot of baseball happenings in Cincinnati. He played four years at Xavier, winning all-conference honors as a junior. A few years after his graduation, he spent a year as a coach for the Musketeers. But he was also a high school teammate of former Cincinnati Reds prospect Chris Dickerson, who once spent a couple weeks living on Moss' couch in Cincinnati as Dickerson rehabbed from shoulder surgery. Moss also knew Aaron Boone through a mutual friend when Boone was with the Reds, and would watch Monday Night Football at the third baseman's house. Now Moss is an assistant baseball coach at Notre Dame High School in this Los Angeles neighborhood, but he could wind up with another significant Cincinnati baseball connection soon enough. One of his players is prep phenom Hunter Greene, who some feel is the favorite to be selected by the Reds with the second pick in the draft Monday. It s pretty cool to think it could happen, Moss said. I hope it happens. I don t think Hunter is a Skyline Chili guy, but I could see him at Montgomery Inn a lot. No player in this year s draft arrives with as much hype as the 17-year-old Greene. He s a lanky 6-foot-4 and 197 pounds, but is considered by some to be a generational talent. He carries a first-round grade as a shortstop, but many predict his future will be on the mound after the right-hander fired fastballs up to 102 mph this year. The fact that he s being considered for such a high draft pick speaks to his potential. Teams historically have been unwilling to spend such a high pick on prep pitchers, especially right-handers. Only three high school arms have been taken with the first overall pick, and all were lefties. Prep pitchers going second is more common, but only three high school pitchers have gone at No. 2 since For a team to do something considered to be so risky especially in the age of pitcher arm injuries a player must be head-andshoulders above his peers. Greene certainly has generated that type of excitement, as Notre Dame head coach Tom Dill knows well. Dill has coached more than his fair share of eventual big-leaguers. He had Dickerson, shortstop Brendan Ryan and catcher Brett Hayes go on to lengthy big-league careers. His marquee alumnus is Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, whom Dill still calls Mike out of habit. Stanton is another physical marvel who does things almost no one else can do. As a prep player, he generated but a fraction of the interest that Greene has, Dill said. Once Greene threw 102 mph in a January scrimmage, Notre Dame s fancy field-turf baseball stadium became the center of the amateur scouting world. That s when it got crazy, Dill said. Then it was GMs. I had a game where four GMs were at the game. I d never had that before. I d never met a GM, I don t think. Greene probably always has been destined to be taken highly in the draft. He s been baseball-focused since he could flash his age on his fingers, and Dill marvels at how the Greene family seems to have prepared for the frenzied attention the 17-year-old's talent would generate. Still, Dill couldn t have predicted Greene would be this good. Dill started Greene at short as a freshman and saw his talent there, but as a pitcher he was throwing in the low 80s out of the bullpen. But with each year came more ticks on the radar gun. The summer before his sophomore year, he hit 90 mph. As a sophomore, he hit 92. A year later came 96, and then the fateful 102 as a senior. It defies logic, but Dill isn t so sure that Greene is done adding velocity. He s never seen someone make such leaps when it comes to throwing hard, and doing it with such an easy throwing motion. You don t usually keep going, Dill said. How hard can you throw? What s the hardest you can throw? Does he throw 108 next year? I don t know. Throwing that hard that young comes with a heightened risk for arm injuries, which is a large reason why Greene was shut down after just five starts this year. He hasn t pitched in more than a month, and the 28 innings he produced as a senior will have to be enough for interested teams. The Reds are certainly among those, though they are not alone. Greene was unavailable to talk for this story because he was headed to Minnesota for a meeting with the Twins, who hold the No. 1 pick. It s unlikely he d last past the San Diego Padres at No. 3 if the Twins and Reds pass.

9 Like many Reds fans, Moss is pulling for Cincinnati. That ballpark, that city, as much as they love professional baseball there and just being a great city, the great downtown environment around the professional stadiums, Moss said, it would be awesome for Hunter. ASSOCIATED PRESS Seager gets walk-off double in Dodgers 5-4 win over Reds By STEVE DILBECK Today LOS ANGELES (AP) Corey Seager has been playing baseball of some sort since 1997, and Saturday night marked a surprising first for the Dodgers star. When Seager s ball eluded left fielder Scooter Gennett in the bottom of the ninth inning for a run-scoring double, it gave Los Angeles a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and a new accomplishment for Seager. A walk-off hit. No high school, no summer ball, no minor leagues, no nothing, Seager said. It was Seager s second double and it made a loser of reliever Drew Storen (1-2), who allowed one-out singles to Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner to set the stage for Seager in the ninth. Kenley Jansen (4-0) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory. The Dodgers built a 4-1 lead but it came undone when manager Dave Roberts replaced starter Alex Wood with two on and two outs in the sixth with reliever Josh Fields. Devin Mesoraco greeted Fields with the three-run homer to tie it. It was his fifth home run of the season. The Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the first against starter Asher Wojciechowski. A single by Chase Utley and double by Seager scored one. After Seager scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez, rookie Cody Bellinger hit his team-high 13th home run. After that first inning, I just tried to settle down, go as deep as I could, and give this team a shot, Wojciechowski said. Cincinnati got one back in the third against Wood, making his first start since coming off the disabled list. Gennett doubled and scored on Jose Peraza s single. That snapped a 27-inning scoreless streak by Wood. I felt good, Wood said. I felt my stuff was pretty good. The Dodgers went up 4-1 in the fifth after Puig doubled and was sacrificed to third by Wood. Utley doubled to score Puig. Wood went 5 2/3 innings in his first start since May 26 and was charged with three runs and five hits. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter. And then watched a little personal history as Seager delivered his first game-ending hit. I m betting it won t be his last, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. TRAINER S ROOM Reds: OF Adam Duvall missed his second consecutive start with an illness. He did pinch hit. Manager Bryan Price said he expects him back either in the series finale Sunday or Monday in San Diego.... RHP Homer Bailey (elbow surgery) threw five scoreless innings in his first rehab start at Double-A Pensacola on Friday, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out five. Price said he would likely need at least two more rehab starts.

10 Dodgers: OF Joc Pederson (concussion, neck) hit his second home run in as many rehab games at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Pederson was batting only.200 with two home runs in 35 games with the Dodgers. I appreciate that he wants to be here, but we want to make sure that he can come help us when he does get here, Roberts said.... When the Dodgers activated Wood, they optioned RHP Brandon Morrow back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Morrow has not allowed a run in five appearances. PERFECT JANSEN Jansen is not only 4-0 and 10 of 10 in save opportunities, he has struck out 42 without walking a single batter. Said Roberts: For me, the best closer in the game. He s automatic right now. He has a lot of confidence. COZART STREAK When Wood hit Zack Cozart with a pitch in the sixth, it extended his on-base streak to 32 consecutive games. It s the longest in the majors this season. UP NEXT Reds: RHP Tim Adleman (4-2) will look to continue his recent turnaround Sunday. In his last three starts, he has allowed only four earned runs in 21 innings (1.71 ERA). In his only appearance against the Dodgers last August, he did not allow a run in five innings. Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-6) will start in the series finale for Los Angeles. Ryu temporarily lost his place in the rotation, and likely did not cement his return in his last start, taking the loss after allowing four runs and seven hits in seven innings against the Nationals. TRANSACTIONS 06/11/17 Oakland Athletics optioned RHP Frankie Montas to Nashville Sounds. New York Yankees designated LHP Tommy Layne for assignment. Minnesota Twins optioned LHP Randy Rosario to Rochester Red Wings. Tampa Bay Rays optioned RHP Ryan Garton to Durham Bulls. New York Mets optioned SS Matt Reynolds to Las Vegas 51s. New York Yankees recalled RHP Domingo German from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. 06/10/17 Baltimore Orioles designated C Francisco Pena for assignment. Los Angeles Dodgers activated LHP Alex Wood from the 10-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Matt Andriese from the 10-day disabled list. Seattle Mariners recalled RHP Emilio Pagan from Tacoma Rainiers. Seattle Mariners optioned RHP Tyler Cloyd to Tacoma Rainiers. San Diego Padres optioned RHP Carter Capps to El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres sent RHP Tyrell Jenkins outright to El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres reassigned RHP Carter Capps to the minor leagues. Milwaukee Brewers placed 2B Jonathan Villar on the 10-day disabled list. Lower back strain. Milwaukee Brewers recalled CF Lewis Brinson from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Baltimore Orioles signed LF Adam Brett Walker. Texas Rangers sent CF Carlos Gomez on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express. Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Brandon Morrow to Oklahoma City Dodgers. New York Mets activated LHP Steven Matz from the 10-day disabled list. Baltimore Orioles activated C Welington Castillo from the 10-day disabled list. Minnesota Twins optioned LHP Randy Rosario to Rochester Red Wings. Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of RHP Edgar Santana from Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates recalled RHP A.J. Schugel from Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates optioned RHP Tyler Glasnow to Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates optioned RHP Dovydas Neverauskas to Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates designated RHP Pat Light for assignment. Cincinnati Reds signed free agent SS Jose Israel Garcia to a minor league contract. Tampa Bay Rays recalled Chih-Wei Hu from Durham Bulls. Miami Marlins recalled Drew Steckenrider from New Orleans Baby Cakes. Miami Marlins optioned Brian Ellington to New Orleans Baby Cakes. New York Mets activated LF Yoenis Cespedes from the 10-day disabled list. Chicago Cubs optioned Seth Frankoff to Iowa Cubs. Chicago Cubs recalled Felix Pena from Iowa Cubs.

11 Chicago White Sox activated 2B Alen Hanson. Oakland Athletics recalled RF Matt Olson from Nashville Sounds. Oakland Athletics placed RHP Andrew Triggs on the 10-day disabled list. Strained left hip. Oakland Athletics activated LHP Sean Doolittle from the 10-day disabled list. Atlanta Braves optioned RHP Jason Hursh to Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves recalled Matt Wisler from Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves selected the contract of LHP Sean Newcomb from Gwinnett Braves. Chicago White Sox optioned CF Adam Engel to Charlotte Knights.