Reds romp against Votto-less Team Canada March 7, 2013, 12:55 A.M. ET By Mark Sheldon MLB.COM GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Not wanting to betray any allegiances to either side, Reds and Canadian superstar Joey Votto not only chose to sit out Wednesday's exhibition game between his team and his country, he wasn't even in the building. No Votto, no problem for the Reds during a 12-2 victory at Goodyear Ballpark. Cincinnati sent nine men to the plate during a sixrun bottom of the second inning that featured Ryan Ludwick's three-run home run. In the top of the second inning, Canada appeared to be in good shape without Votto as well. After Reds starting pitcher Mat Latos issued a two-out walk to Mariners outfielder Michael Saunders, Blue Jays Triple-A left fielder Adam Loewen attacked a 2-0 pitch for a two-run homer and a 2-1 lead. On the mound, Mark Hardy gave up a first-inning run on Neftali Soto's two-out lined single to right field and caught a break when Soto rounded too far around first base before getting tagged in a rundown. Hardy, a Double-A lefty for the Padres, wasn't so fortunate in the second. After a leadoff single by Todd Frazier, Chris Heisey hit a double to left field. Miguel Olivo's sacrifice fly brought home Frazier, and Emmanuel Burriss followed with an RBI double to left field. Following singles by Shin-Soo Choo and Zack Cozart, Hardy's final pitch yielded a lineout by Jay Bruce. Reliever Trystan Magnuson, a Double-A pitcher from the Blue Jays, surrendered a two-out, three-run homer over the left-field wall to his first batter -- Ludwick. In the third inning with no outs, Olivo hit a Magnuson first pitch for another three-run homer that made it a 10-2 game. "Today, it seemed like everybody was getting that first strike and doing something with it," said Frazier, who exited after going 2- for-2 with two runs scored. "For me, that's basically what I was trying to do -- find a groove. It's Spring Training. You want to get your hits but at the same time feel comfortable at the plate. Like [manager] Dusty [Baker] says, when you get that first-pitch fastball, let's go and do some damage. That's what we did. We swung a lot and hit the ball real hard, which was pretty exciting to see." Latos pitched three innings and gave up two runs and two hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Hardy was charged with six runs on seven hits over 1 2/3 innings. From the Reds bullpen, Jonathan Broxton worked a scoreless inning with one hit. Sam LeCure was pretty sharp with four strikeouts over two scoreless innings. "Not a good night," Canada manager Ernie Whitt said. "Hopefully we got it all out of the way tonight and will be ready to go on Friday. We made some mistakes defensively. We didn't swing the bats real well. We had four hits. Mind you, they had some pretty good arms throwing out there against us. But it was not a pretty game. Canada opens first-round play in the World Baseball Classic vs. Italy at Scottsdale's Salt River Fields. Third baseman Brett Lawrie, also a member of the Blue Jays, exited the game with a potential injury.
"He felt a little twinge in his side and we took him out as a precaution," Whitt said. "He was only going to play four innings tonight anyway. He's seeing the trainers and we'll see what goes on." Whitt could not determine if the issue might cause Lawrie to miss time in the Classic. "We're going to see how he is tomorrow. It's wait and see right now," Whitt said. Up next: For the first time this spring, the Reds will have an off-day Thursday. When play resumes Friday, they will have some split-squad action with a pair of night games starting at 9:05 p.m. ET. Baker will remain with the home team that faces the Cubs as prospect Tony Cingrani takes the start. Bronson Arroyo will be on the mound at Camelback Ranch in a game against the Dodgers. Lotzkar throws inning against Canadian countrymen March 7, 2013, 1:28 A.M. ET By Mark Sheldon GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Truth be told, Reds pitching prospect Kyle Lotzkar wasn't entirely comfortable about facing his opponent in a relief appearance Wednesday. The foes were Canada's World Baseball Classic team. Lotzkar, 23, hails from outside of Vancouver, British Columbia. "I'd rather not," Lotzkar responded when asked about facing his countrymen. "I played with a lot of the guys and went to high school with some of the guys. I won a gold medal with a lot of those guys. It's the team I have a lot of history with. Playing for Team Canada is a different experience than what I've had in pro ball. Pro ball, even though you're on a team, you're also looking out for yourself as much as anything. On Team Canada, it's such a group mentality and team mentality." The Reds didn't set up the pitching schedule so Lotzkar could face Canada -- it just worked out that way. "It's not [planned to be special] but I hope he makes it like that," manager Dusty Baker said before the Reds defeated Canada by a 12-2 score. "Added motivation -- you want to be good against your homeboys." Lotzkar didn't have to pitch in a high-leverage situation when he entered in the top of the eighth inning. The Reds already had a commanding eight-run lead and benefitted from a six-run second inning that featured Ryan Ludwick's three-run home run. In the third inning, Miguel Olivo also slugged a three-run homer for the 10-2 lead. The offense was compiled without Joey Votto, who, unlike Lotzkar, opted not to play because he is a member of both team's rosters. Canada's first two batters were retired quickly by Lotzkar, who got a foul popout behind first base and a groundout to the shortstop. He issued a walk to Jonathan Malo before Tim Smith reached on an error by right fielder Denis Phipps. Lotzkar escaped on Jimmy Van Ostrand's groundout to third base. In his first spring appearance Sunday vs. the Royals, Lotzkar was charged with four runs, two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. Lotzkar hopes to one day be pitching for Canada in the Classic and has already represented his country internationally. In 2011, he was part of a gold medal-winning national team in the Pan American Games and claimed a bronze in the Baseball World Cup. He was on the provisional roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic but did not make the team, and he wound up missing that season with a stress fracture in his right elbow. Ranked as the Reds' No. 6 prospect for 2013 by MLB.com, Lotzkar was a combined 7-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 22 starts and one relief appearance with Class A Bakersfield and Double-A Pensacola. In 112 2/3 innings, he walked a lot of batters -- 63 -- while striking out 123. An injury in 2012 also prevented Lotzkar from being considered for this year's edition of the World Baseball Classic. He spent the last month of the season with right shoulder irritation, and an offseason MRI exam revealed a SLAP tear of the labrum in his shoulder, also known as a tear to the top part of the labrum, from the front to the back. It did not require surgery, however. "Going into a playoff-like atmosphere after a pretty significant injury is probably not the best idea," Lotzkar said. A former left wing in his youth hockey days, Lotzkar chose baseball to be his profession during his time at South Delta High School. The Reds made him a supplemental first-round pick (53rd overall) in the 2007 Draft.
A Blue Jays and Mariners fan as a kid, Lotzkar grew up liking Roy Halladay and Roger Clemens, but also followed fellow British Columbian Jeff Francis of the Rockies. Lotzkar hopes to be part of the continuing wave of Canadian talent that has crossed south of its border -- including Votto, the Twins' Justin Morneau and former high school teammate Brett Lawrie of the Blue Jays. There are fewer pitchers that are currently in the Majors, but the list includes Brewers closer John Axford and the Tigers' Shawn Hill. "We're getting a lot more recognition now because of names like Votto, especially recently," Lotzkar said. "It's one of those things, especially on the west coast of Canada, the weather is not too bad and the playing season is longer. Pitchers have a little disadvantage, especially coming out of Canada, compared to warmer states -- we throw two days a week and our season is half of theirs. But you're seeing a lot of really good hitters starting to come from there." Still catching up after his shoulder issues, Lotzkar was late working off a mound. But he has been developing his changeup since last season. Because it still bothers his shoulder when hitting, he will be transitioned from a starter to a reliever this season. "Whatever gets me there," Lotzkar said. "I attribute the walks a lot to health but cutting those will be a byproduct of being completely healthy." Homer surge a good sign Bruce settling in March 6, 2013, 10:25 PM ET By Mark Sheldon GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- One of several Reds to get off to a slow start at the plate this spring, Jay Bruce zoomed to the top of the leaderboard in home runs in just one game. In Tuesday's loss to the Angels, Bruce was 2-for-2 with two homers. In the second inning, he sent a 2-0 Tommy Hanson pitch to left-center field for his first long ball. In the fourth against Ernesto Frieri, Bruce yanked a very long drive to right field on a 2-1 pitch. "Home runs always feel good; so do hits," Bruce said Wednesday. "I'm settling in a little more in spring. This is a long Spring Training. No real rush, I'm just doing the necessary things to give you a chance to be where you want to be during the season." Bruce, who went 0-for-3 vs. Team Canada on Wednesday, is batting.188 (3-for-16) this spring. The homer to left-center field Tuesday was especially encouraging to see, because Bruce was able to stay on the ball and drive it to the opposite field. "The key in Spring Training is the work you do in the mornings and whatever it is to get your swing where it needs to be," Bruce said. "And it's direction, staying to the big part of the field. Early in camp, I wasn't doing that very well. I've hit the ball to right but my first hit was a single up the middle and I've hit balls to left-center and that's always a good sign." Baker welcomes spring night games March 6, 2013, 10:25 PM ET By Mark Sheldon GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Reds played their first night game of spring Wednesday when they hosted an exhibition against Canada's World Baseball Classic team. They will play seven night games this spring. "I like a few because it gives you time to do things," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "When do you have time in Spring Training to go to the bank, do laundry, get a haircut? Maybe you sleep in a little bit even though you can't. At the ballpark, you get to see night baseball and the reflection of the ball off of the lights. You're going to be playing most of your games when you leave from here at night." The Reds are off Thursday and have a pair of split-squad night games vs. the Cubs and Dodgers on Friday. Later in the spring, there will be some day games after night games.
"You don't mind that because you'll have to do that sometimes during the season," Baker said. "You try to simulate as many things as you can during the season." Worth noting Catcher Ryan Hanigan, who has been out since Saturday with a sore left oblique, is ready to return to action. Hanigan has been hitting in batting practice and catching bullpens. "He's improving," Baker said. "He's going to play Friday. He'll catch a few innings." Reds break out the bats March 7, 2013, 12:32 AM ET By Mark Sheldon Not that anyone out here gets caught up in Spring Training stats, Wednesday s game between the Reds and Canada was just one-off exhibition separate from the Cactus League. Too bad for the Reds in a way, because their offense was humming big time during a 12-2 win. The score was 10-2 after only two innings. Here s some lowdown: *Most of the damage came in the bottom of the second inning as nine men came to the plate. The big hit came with two outs when Ryan Ludwick crushed a three-run homer to left field as the first batter against a Double-A level pitcher in reliever Trystan Magnuson from the Blue Jays organization. Against Magnuson in the third, Miguel Olivo also sent a three-run homer to left field. *Cincinnati racked up 18 hits overall, Ludwick was 2-for-3 while Todd Frazier was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Frazier lined a hard single into center field in the second inning and singled to left field in the third. Today, it seemed like everybody was getting that first strike and doing something with it, Frazier said. For me, that s basically what I was trying to do find a groove. It s Spring Training. You want to get your hits but at the same time, feel comfortable at the plate. Like Dusty says, when you get that first pitch fastball, let s go and do some damage. That s what we did. We swung a lot and hit the ball real hard, which was pretty exciting to see. *Shin-Soo Choo was 3-for-3 with three singles and two runs scored. *Mat Latos started and had a line of 3 ip, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. It was the one walk that hurt him in the top of the second. After he walked Michael Saunders, Latos threw a 2-0 pitch that was launched for a two-run homer by Adam Loewen. *Sam LeCure had the best night among the relievers. In two perfect innings, LeCure struck out four batters. *Reds pitchers tallied a total of 14 strikeouts in the game, while allowing four hits and four walks. Not a good night, Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt said. Hopefully we got it all out of the way tonight and will be ready to go on Friday. We made some mistakes defensively. We didn t swing the bats real well. We had four hits. Mind you, they had some pretty good arms throwing out there against us. But it was not a pretty game. Reds rout Team Canada, 12-2 March 7, 2013 By John Fay CINCINNATI ENQUIRER The Reds finally won a game after losing seven straight, but it doesn't count in the Cactus League standings because it was against the Canadian team from the World Baseball Classic.
The arms: Mat Latos started and went three innings. He allowed two runs - both on Adam Loewen's home run - on two hits and struck out five. Jonathan Broxton followed with his third scoreless outing. Sam LeCure pitched two perfect innings, striking out four. The bats: Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Olivo hit three-run home runs. Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-3 and scored two runs. The rest: Joey Votto, who will join Team Canada on Friday, was not at the game. Up next: The Reds are off Thursday. They split the squad Friday to play the Chicago Cubs in Goodyear and the Los Angeles Dodgers in nearby Glendale. Both games start at 9:05 Eastern. Reds' Chad Rogers has fish story with happy ending Back after a shark bite, late draft pick shows promise March 7, 2013 By John Fay GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Reds manager Dusty Baker singled out Chad Rogers as one of the young players who has impressed him at camp. Given Rogers backstory, it s impressive that he s even in camp. Shortly after he was drafted in the 28th round of the 2010 draft, Rogers was surfing off the coast of Galveston, Texas, when a shark bit him on his right foot. I was supposed to pitch for the Reds the next day for signing bonus money, he said. I had to call the scout and tell him I wasn t going to make that scheduled tryout. I said, you re probably not going to believe me, but I got bitten by a shark. After the shark bit Rogers, it swam in front of him. He was conscious and relatively OK, but he had to get to shore. I was afraid to paddle, he said. I was afraid to stick my arms in the water. I didn t want to get my arm bitten. After I saw him disappear, I kind of paddled with fingers. I got to shore. One of my buddies drove me to the hospital. The bite would require 60 stitches. But Rogers has had no lingering effects. He pitched for scout Jerry Flowers on Aug. 11. They were impressed and ended up signing me, he said. Baker was aware of Rogers background. That s why they call him Sharky, Baker said. The injury kept Rogers from pitching at all in 2010. But he s been good since debuting as a professional. He went 6-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 2011 with Single-A Dayton. For Dayton, 36 of his 37 appearances were out of the bullpen. Last year, he worked exclusively as a starter. He began last season at high-a Bakersfield. He went 6-4 with a 3.15 ERA there. He was 3-1 with a 1.99 ERA after being promoted to Double-A Pensacola. Rogers is not your prototypical right-hander. He s only 5-foot-11. He isn t overpowering: 197 hits, 183 strikeouts in 2121/3 innings. But it s hard to argue with a 15-9 record and a 2.93 ERA. That earned Rogers an invitation to camp as a non-roster player. It s been a blast, he said. The guys have been great. It s everything and more than I expected. I m just having fun, soaking it up while I can. The taste of the big leagues has further motivated Rogers. He probably has no chance out of camp, but the Reds are high on him. The ultimate goal is to be here, he said. I like the guys. I d like to be in Cincinnati. Right now, I m shooting for Louisville. That s where I see myself.
Given the shark incident, Rogers is happy to be pitching anywhere. He considered himself very lucky. For sure, a lot of people don t get bitten by a shark and walk away from it without any injuries, he said. I walked away with 60 stitches. No pain. Nothing wrong. I m very lucky, very fortunate to be where I am. By the way, Rogers isn t likely to get scared on the mound. He s still surfing, after all. Doc: Most important Red you've never heard of Sam Grossman tells team what numbers mean March 7, 2013 By Paul Daugherty GOODYEAR, AZ The most important Cincinnati Red you ve never heard of majored in Math and graduated from Northwestern. He started his professional life as an actuary. He doesn t wear a uniform to work, unless a striped pullover atop a white T-shirt is a uniform. Willie Mays sounds like a ballplayer s name. Sam Grossman sounds like a bookkeeper. And in fact, Sam Grossman, the Reds Director of Baseball Research, does like numbers. Mountains of numbers. Planets, solar systems, universes of data. Enough digits to make your head hurt, all with the click of a mouse. His business is about turning an intuition into a certifiable data-fact. He crunches the hunches. Every major league team works the statistics now, and has for a decade, at least. The era of scoffing at the stats nerds is as done as anabolic steroids. The trick isn t gathering the data. It s interpreting it. Reds owner Bob Castellini isn t interested in numbers, unless they re on a check he s signing. Tell him what the numbers mean. You might think what Sam Grossman does for the Reds is dreadfully dull. All these statistics, some so obscure even Grossman isn t sure what they mean, if anything. Grossman can tell you what pitch Johnny Cueto threw the last time he pitched on an empty stomach under a full moon south of the Mason-Dixon line. He can tell you that about every ballplayer in the majors, give or take. It s his job. Drilling down, he calls it. Baseball is in an age of endless information. An explosion of data, says Dick Williams, the team s VP of Baseball Operations. The teams that do best are the teams that best pick and choose what data works for them. The Reds are very good at that. A few numbers we can understand: The Reds are third in Baseball in the number of homegrown players on their 40-man roster. That contributes to efficiency in what is often an inefficient marketplace. Ask the Dodgers and Cubs about inefficiency. The six teams that have won two division titles in the last three years had an average payroll of $143 million. The Reds average was $81 million. They were the third most efficient team in baseball during those years, in terms of dollars spent per win. The Reds have drafted phenomenally well. They are the only team in the bigs in the last seven years to have every No. 1 draft pick make it to the majors. This isn t luck or coincidence or because they have scouts named Nostradamus. It has something to do with Sam Grossman, and his database. I don t think we have a system that s above and beyond the rest, Grossman says. It just works very well for what we do. What the Reds do very well, judging from the recent results, is find players who fit their small ballpark and their medium budget. They do it by combining Grossman s data and Walt Jocketty s scouting staff, most notably scouting director Chris Buckley. Instead of scouts and nerds battling it out over players, the numbers encourage discussion. It s a balanced approach. Walt starts with the scouting reports, then he ll bring in the statistical analysis to support the reports, or refute them. We find the common ground, Grossman says. The common ground has been mother-loaded lately. Homer Bailey, Jay Bruce, Drew Stubbs, Devin Mesoraco, Yonder Alonso, Mike Leake, Yasmani Grandal... It s not just draft picks. The club needed a pitcher quickly last spring, after the injuries to Ryan Madson, Nick Masset and Bill Bray. They signed Alfredo Simon for next to nothing. The Orioles didn t want him. Grossman s numbers said they were mistaken. Simon had a lot of strikeouts. The batting average against him was low. He delivered a high percentage of ground ball outs, an
advantage in Great American Small Park. He had started and relieved, so he was versatile. Jeff Taylor, the Reds scout for the AL East, knew the Orioles were down on him. Nick Krall, the team s director of baseball operations, prepared a dossier on Simon. The Reds signed him for $487,000. Simon went 3-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 61 innings. A bargain. Bob Miller, the assistant general manager and Grossman s boss, stands at a large dry-erase board, pointing his pen-tip at each player on the 40-man roster: Our system, our system, he began, going down the list. International. Trade, thanks to great pro scouting, he said, referring to the Wily Mo Pena-Bronson Arroyo steal. International, international, our system, trade, our system, trade, our system. And so on. The only pure free agent on the team now is Ryan Ludwick. All of this gold mining is important only if you want your small- or middle-money team to be relevant year after year. As Miller said, We can t compete signing major-league free agents. When all you look at is the big picture, you re missing something, said Grossman. The Reds haven t missed much lately. Reds' Donald Lutz turning Dusty Baker's head Slugger will likely begin season at Double-A March 7, 2013 By John Fay GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Reds manager Dusty Baker has raved about Donald Lutz this spring. Lutz, or Big Lutz, as Baker calls him, has a lot of pop in his bat. How much pop? He hit a ball as hard the other day... it reminded me of Willie Stargell and those guys. When I was a kid and I was playing center field, I was nervous. (I thought) Willie Stargell and Willie McCovey might hit a ball that I d misjudge and it would hit me in the chest and go through me. Lutz, who is listed at 6 feet 3 inches, 250 pounds, went into Wednesday 6-for-17 (.353) with a home run and five RBI. Lutz, a 24-year-old who grew up in Germany, has only played 40 games above the Single-A level. But he s hit 23 and 25 home runs the last two years. Lutz was limited to 107 games last year because of a strained oblique. He d be further along if he hadn t got hurt, Baker said. He d be ready for Triple-A. Lutz will probably start at Double-A Pensacola. Wherever he starts, he elevates fast, Baker said. He has a great aptitude. He likes to compete and he works hard. There s going to come a time when he ll put pressure on the organization to do something. Lutz is transitioning to the outfield from first base. He ain t messed up yet, Baker said. You know how I love defense, but it s getting harder and harder to field bats. I told you what my roommate said: You shake a baseball tree and about 100 gloves will fall out and two bats. UNDER THE LIGHTS: The Reds played their first night game of the spring Wednesday. I like a few night games, Baker said. It gives you time to do things. In spring training, when do you have to time to go the bank, go to the cleaners? It also helps get a read on things as far as baseball. You see reflection of the ball off the lights, Baker said. You re going to be playing most of your games under the lights. I like a few games. It s really nice for us because we ve got an off day (today), then a night game (Friday). MORE TIME OFF: Despite the three off days this spring, Baker will give his starting position players an additional break.
I always give them an unscheduled day off during spring training, he said. I like to give them a day later in the spring. Early, they re trying to get themselves together. HANIGAN FRIDAY: Ryan Hanigan, who s missed five games with a sore side, is scheduled to play Friday. He s better, Baker said. He s going to catch a few innings. Ondrusek still fighting for job in bullpen March 6, 2013, 7:21 PM ET By Tim Schmitt DAYTON DAILY NEWS GOODYEAR, ARIZ. Spring training s a time when those who have jobs clutch onto them with everything they ve got while those hoping to pull in their first major-league paycheck treat each appearance like it s the postseason. That s never as evident as with relief pitchers, at least those not designated as closers. In the case of the Cincinnati Reds, Logan Ondrusek has survived the final round of cuts in each of the last three seasons, but he s again in the precarious position of fighting for a roster spot. When he avoided arbitration by signing a two-year deal in the off-season, Ondrusek got a little piece of mind, knowing he would at least be within the organization. He still has to stake his claim in the bullpen, however, and that s no easy task, even if Aroldis Chapman stays in the starting rotation. Pitching coach Bryan Price said Ondrusek s contributions 189 appearances in three years have been well noted through the past few seasons. He s been hugely important for us. Logan s a guy who s pitched in a lot of games. And he s been very, very durable, Price said. You ask anybody who faces him and they have to see that hard sinker/cutter combination. He s a very uncomfortable at-bat. Ondrusek didn t give up a run through his first 17 appearances last year, but he suffered through a miserable stretch from the end of July through August, and was optioned to Triple-A for a short spell. He looked better upon his return but was kept off the playoff roster. The only time he gets in trouble is if he gets out of synch mechanically and doesn t command his stuff as well, Price said. That s what he got into a little bit late last year where his command kind of went. Not necessarily his ability to throw strikes, but moreso his quality within the strike zone. After the Reds enjoy their first off-day today, Ondrusek is scheduled to pitch against the Cubs at Goodyear Ballpark on Friday. He s not the only potential bubble pitcher likely to throw in that contest: J.J. Hoover is also expected to see time on the hill. Both have similar stats this spring, allowing one earned run in three appearances. In the case of Ondrusek, Price insists he s still got the potential to be one of those rare relievers who comes into camp with a big contract and a spot waiting on the roster. I ve thought since he got to the big leagues he s a guy that could, at some point in time, be a closer, Price said. As long as he s able to smooth out the rough edges. Night moves: The Reds played their first of seven night games Wednesday, meeting up with the Team Canada contingent that s preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Catcher Ryan Hanigan, who was held out of the lineup again with a minor oblique injury, is expected to return Friday. Baker said he likes night games. They free up his morning schedule. I like a few. It gives you time to do things. When do you have time during spring training to go to the bank a haircut. It s all closed, he said. And at the ballpark, you get to see night baseball, you get to see the reflection of the ball off the lights. You re going to be playing most of your games when you leave here at night.
On Chapman: Count Albert Pujols as an admirer Aroldis Chapman, who he faced on Tuesday during the slugger s spring training debut. Pujols struck out against Chapman and finished 0-for-3 in his first action since a knee injury last fall. He s a competitor, Pujols said of Chapman. He threw me three sliders back to back to back. He s a great pitcher. He showed last year what he can do. But Pujols said the third pitch, which he fouled off, could have produced a different result. If he throws that pitch in a couple of weeks, maybe I ll put a better swing on it, Pujols said. I was right on it. Reds beat Canada's WBC team 12-2 March 7, 2013, 1:30 AM ET By Gary Schatz THE ASSOCIATED PRESS GOODYEAR, Ariz. A struggling Cincinnati Reds lineup turned Canada's tuneup into a trouncing. Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Olivo hit three-run homers Wednesday night and the Reds piled up 18 hits for a 12-2 victory over the team that Canada will take to the World Baseball Classic. The Reds have been struggling to score runs so far during spring training. They were aggressive against Canada's pitching staff and took advantage. "Tonight it seemed that everybody was getting that first strike and did something with it," said Todd Frazier, who had a pair of hits. "For me that's basically what I was trying to do, just trying to get in a groove. Like (manager Dusty Baker) says all the time, 'You get that first-pitch fastball, let's go do some damage.' We hit the ball really hard tonight." The Canadians managed only four hits in its final exhibition before opening the WBC against Italy over the weekend. Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who is on Canada's team, didn't play. "Hopefully we got it all out of the way and get ready for Friday," Canadians manager Ernie Whitt said. "We didn't swing the bats well, but they had some strong pitching. Sometimes you tip your hat to the opposition. When you compound that with shoddy defense, that's what happens. Mark Hardy, who pitched for Double-A San Antonio last season, struggled through 1 2-3 innings. He allowed six runs on seven hits. Trystan Magnuson, who was Toronto's first pick in the June 2007 draft, gave up Ludwick's homer. Third baseman Brett Lawrie left the game after three innings with tightness in his side. "We took him out as a precaution," Whitt said. "He was only going to play four innings anyway. We are always very cautious of individuals. If they feel anything, we don't want to hurt them or extend their injuries. We are going to wait and see how he feels tomorrow." Mat Latos pitched three innings for Cincinnati, allowing two runs on a homer by Adam Loewen. NOTES: Two former MVPs are on Canada's roster. Justin Morneau won the AL MVP in 2006. Votto won the NL MVP in 2010.... Morneau and Pete Orr played for Canada in the WBC in both 2006 and 2009.... Phillipe Aumont, Chris Leroux, Scott Mathieson, Lawrie and Votto played on the 2009 team. Chris Robinson played on the 2006 team.... RHP Jesse Crain of the White Sox has withdrawn from Canada's team with a shoulder injury. R.J. Swindle replaced Crain on the roster.... Reds C Ryan Hanigan is expected to play Friday against the Chicago Cubs. He missed seven games with a strained oblique.
TRANSACTIONS MLB.com has reported the following player transactions for Thursday, March 07, 2013: C Brian Ward assigned to Baltimore Orioles. OF Adam Greenberg assigned to Baltimore Orioles. SS Marco Hernandez assigned to Chicago Cubs. IF Gioskar Amaya assigned to Chicago Cubs. RF Jordan Smith assigned to Cleveland Indians. C Abel Baker assigned to Los Angeles Angels. C Gorman Erickson assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. RHP Pedro Baez assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. 1B Chris Jacobs assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. OF Jeremy Rathjen assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. SS Rolando Gomez assigned to Los Angeles Angels. RHP Yimi Garcia assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. RHP Ross Stripling assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. C Webster Rivas assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. 1B O'Koyea Dickson assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. OF Scott Schebler assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. OF James Baldwin assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. SS Corey Seager assigned to Los Angeles Dodgers. 2B Austin Barnes assigned to Miami Marlins. OF Cory Vaughn assigned to New York Mets. OF Brandon Nimmo assigned to New York Mets. 3B Patrick Wisdom assigned to St. Louis Cardinals. Texas Rangers signed free agent RHP Derek Lowe. C Pierce Rankin assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. Randy Boone assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. OF Kevin Pillar assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. RHP Danny Barnes assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. SS Andy Burns assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. SS Emilio Guerrero assigned to Toronto Blue Jays. OF Billy Burns assigned to Washington Nationals. 2B Cutter Dykstra assigned to Washington Nationals.