Reds Press Clippings July 15, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1980- breaks Yogi Berra’s record for most home runs by a with his 314th blast. Bench an additional 33 home runs while playing other positions MLB.COM Adleman, offense struggle in loss to Nats By Mark Sheldon and Jeremy Vernon / MLB.com | July 14th, 2017 + 123 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Following a personal three-game skid going into the All-Star break, Nationals starting Gio Gonzalez opened the second half with a sterling performance. Backed by 's two home runs, Gonzalez stifled the Reds for 8 1/3 innings and cruised to a 5-0 victory on Friday at .

Gonzalez allowed four hits with two walks while striking out six. It was his fourth straight but first victory since June 20. Matt Albers gave up three hits that loaded the bases in the ninth, but Matt Grace notched the final out to end it for his first of the season.

"That was the sharpest I've seen him in the longest ..." Nationals manager said. "And I mean this is a tough offensive team he faced in a very short ballpark. You never really feel comfortable here because you can reach the fences, and they've got quite a few guys that can reach the fences. So that was outstanding for Gio." The Nationals offense tallied four runs over Gonzalez's last two starts, but flipped the script by plating four in the first three innings Friday. That was all the left-hander needed, as he moved to 78-0 in his career when his team gives him four or more runs of support.

"Second half, coming back throwing eight innings, that's a good way to start the second half," Gonzalez said. "I was pretty exhausted once I got to the ninth ... but I got some work in today, definitely. Going to get a lot more work in tomorrow."

Reds starter Tim Adleman was tagged for five earned runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings with three walks and four . Cincinnati has dropped six of Adleman's last seven starts, while the right-hander was the losing pitcher in five of those games.

Adleman labored through a 28-pitch top of the first inning and gave up a pair of two-out runs on RBI singles by Stephen Drew and . Harper made it 4-0 with a two- homer to right field in the third inning and extended the lead to five runs when he led off the fifth with a homer to center field.

Gonzalez took it from there by keeping the Reds offense quiet. Three of the four hits he allowed were infield singles hit to Rendon at third base.

"He just did a super job controlling the strike zone," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "But we've got to put more pressure on these guys and keep the runs down early and give ourselves a chance to take that lead and get deeper into the game and get into the bullpen."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Harper's bat makes go boom: Friday marked the fourth time this season and 14th time for his career that Harper enjoyed a multi-homer game. His first homer off of Adleman was on a 2-1, 86-mph pitch. Harper demolished it with an exit velocity of 111.6 mph, according to Statcast™, and it traveled 405 feet to right field. His second homer traveled 440 feet to center field. Before Friday, he had hit just two home runs in his last 22 games -- both on July 2 vs. St. Louis.

"I think just coming back from the All-Star break, just trying to get in the swing of things again," Harper said. "And I tried to get a pitch over the plate I could drive and got two of them tonight." More >

Gio escapes: The Reds didn't apply much pressure on Gonzalez until the fourth inning when Adam Duvall hit a one-out and Eugenio Suarez walked. Gonzalez escaped by striking out Scott Schebler and then got some nice defense when ran in and made a diving catch on Jose Peraza's fly ball to center field.

"Gio, you don't really want to tip your cap to somebody, but he was throwing all three pitches for strikes tonight," Schebler said. "Sometimes it's just that way. He was really good tonight."

QUOTABLE

"I think we have to allow these guys to go out there and pitch and not feel like they're one start from being back in the Minor Leagues or bullpen. I think we're going to run with it and if we have to make changes, we certainly will. At this point in time, I don't see anybody a start or two from being out of the rotation." -- Price, when asked if Adleman's spot in the rotation was secure despite some recent struggles, especially with two-strike counts

NICE DEFENSE BY SCHEBLER

With one out in the top of the fourth, Goodwin laced a drive to deep right-center field. Billy Hamilton and Schebler converged on the ball, but it was Schebler who executed a nice catch on the run at the warning track. According to Statcast™, it was a four-star catch as it had a 41-percent catch probability. Schebler had 4.6 seconds to cover 76 feet. He came into the night 4-for-6 on four-star catch chances and 39-for-42 on plays of 1-4 stars (26-95 percent catch probability).

In the fifth inning with runners on first and second base, Schebler fielded a Matt Wieters single and fired a one-hop throw to at the plate that nailed and saved a run. More >

WHAT'S NEXT

Nationals: Nationals ace starts the second game of the series against the Reds at 7:10 p.m. ET Saturday. The right- hander led Major League starters in WAR and strikeouts during the first half of the season.

Reds: Luis Castillo will seek his second big league victory as he takes the mound vs. Washington. Castillo worked 6 2/3 innings last Saturday for a 7-0 victory over Arizona, while allowing three hits and one walk with three strikeouts.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. Jeremy Vernon is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cincinnati and covered the Nationals on Friday. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs.

Schebler comes up big on defensive end Outfielder makes 4-star catch, throws runner out at home By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | July 14th, 2017 + 27 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Reds Scott Schebler was irate with himself and how he performed at the plate on Friday night. During a 5-0 loss to the Nationals, Schebler struck out twice with runners in scoring position. The only thing he could do was make up for it, defensively.

Schebler did that, making a nice running catch at the warning track and notching an outfield assist to throw out a runner at the plate.

"With my at-bats with runners in scoring position, I had to make a way to save some runs, man," Schebler said. "I'm just so frustrated with that right now. I know fans don't think we get frustrated, but we get extremely frustrated with stuff like that. Two at- bats where I could have broke the game open and just didn't."

Schebler has developed as a solid left-handed hitter for the Reds, batting .254/.326/.525 with 22 home runs and 44 RBIs this season. But he's also demonstrated better-than-expected defense on a regular basis, which can only help him solidify his place in the team's future.

With one out in the top of the fourth against Tim Adleman, Brian Goodwin hit a drive to the warning track in right-center field. Schebler made the long trek to the ball and caught it on the run to prevent an extra-base hit.

According to Statcast™, it was a four-star catch as it had a 41-percent catch probability. Schebler had 4.6 seconds to cover 76 feet. He came into the night 4-for-6 on four-star catch chances and 39-for-42 on plays of 1-4 stars (26-95 percent catch probability).

In the fifth inning with runners on first and second base, Schebler charged Matt Wieters' rolling single through the right side and came up throwing quickly as Ryan Zimmerman was waved around third base. His one-hop throw to the plate was perfectly placed to catcher Tucker Barnhart, who tagged out Zimmerman to prevent another run.

It was Schebler's fifth assist of the season.

"He was really good," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He made a great play going into the right-center gap, full-speed, backhand play, which was outstanding. Certainly the big 9-2 at the plate -- Wieters' base hit off Ariel Hernandez that saved us a run as well. He's been outstanding. Our outfield defense, I can't imagine there being a better outfield defense in the . It may not be spectacular -- a lot of people talk about Billy Hamilton -- but the way that Adam Duvall and Schebler play, I think we've got an outstanding starting three."

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Castillo, Reds face tall order in opposing Max By Jeremy Vernon / MLB.com | July 14th, 2017 + 8 COMMENTS

The Major Leagues' ERA leader, Max Scherzer, kicks off his second half Saturday as the Nationals take on the Reds in Game 2 of a four-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Washington's ace led National League in several statistical categories before the All-Star break, including WAR (4.8), strikeouts (173) and complete games (2). The right-hander became an All-Star for the fifth time in his career in 2017 -- he threw a perfect first inning in Tuesday's All-Star Game -- and has compiled a 10-5 record in 18 starts this season.

Scherzer didn't face the Reds when the Nationals hosted Cincinnati earlier this season, but he does have some experience facing Reds batters -- who have a combined .250 average in 28 career at-bats against him. is 4-for-8 (.500) with a and three RBIs against Scherzer in his career.

On the mound for Cincinnati will be Luis Castillo, who is coming off his first Major League victory, which he picked up on July 8 against the D-backs. The rookie right-hander tossed 6 2/3 innings of three-hit baseball vs. Arizona, and he has gone at least five innings in each of his four starts this season.

The Reds hope Castillo can continue his success in the second half with the way their rotation performed in the first half. Cincinnati starters ranked last in MLB in ERA, and home runs allowed in the first half of the season.

Things to know about this game

• Daniel Murphy should return to the Nationals lineup after resting Friday night. The second baseman was an All-Star for the third time in his career in 2017, having come in to the series ranking fourth in MLB in batting average (.342) and tied for first in doubles (29).

• Votto has arranged for three donkeys to be at Great American Ball Park on Saturday, although none of the three will be the one Votto has already bought Zack Cozart for making the All-Star roster. That said, fans can email their suggestions for what to name the donkey to [email protected] before the end of the month. Votto and Cozart will then review the suggestions before announcing the name in August.

Jeremy Vernon is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cincinnati and covered the Nationals on Friday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Votto has a chance to join an illustrious group Reds haven't had player lead NL in homers since Foster By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | July 14th, 2017 + 6 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds are baseball's oldest franchise, yet have had precious few players ever lead the National League in home runs. All-Star first baseman Joey Votto has a chance to add his name to a rarefied spot in the team history.

Votto entered the start of the second half with 26 homers, tied with of the Marlins. Only five different Cincinnati players have ever led the league in homers, the last being in 1978. Every other current NL team has had a player win outright or tie for the home run title since 1991.

"Since I've never done it before, I don't know if it matters to me or not," Votto told MLB.com on Friday afternoon. "But I don't think about it. I have never thought of myself as a home run hitter. I try to check all the boxes, and be able to do everything. It's something I take pride in and something that's a goal of mine."

Checking boxes across the offensive spectrum won't be a problem for Votto if he keeps up the present pace. He would also have one of the best offensive seasons in team history overall.

Votto, 33, entered Friday batting .315/.427/.631 with 68 RBIs and 62 walks while striking out 42 times. His career high in homers is 37, set in his 2010 NL MVP season, and he slugged 29 for all of 2016.

"Maybe I will continue this or maybe it's a first-half surge, I'm not really sure. It feels like I can keep it up," Votto said. "At the same time, you never know. My goal is to continue the style of hitting I had in the first half, being really discerning when it came to balls and strikes, trying to be really competitive and focused with two strikes, passing the at-bat to the guy behind me so we can continue to have big innings. I would really like to just play every day. Those are the things that stand out to me."

According to baseball-reference.com, these are the numbers of five different home run champs in Reds history:

Foster - 1978 .281/.360/.546, 40 homers, 70 walks, 138 strikeouts

Foster - 1977 .320/.407/.631, 52 homers, 61 walks, 107 strikeouts

Johnny Bench - 1972 .270/.379/.541, 40 homers, 100 walks, 84 strikeouts

Bench - 1970 .293/.345/.587, 45 homers, 54 walks, 102 strikeouts

Ted Kluszewski - 1954 .326/.407/.642, 49 homers, 78 walks, 35 strikeouts

Dead-ball-era players (nine homers in 1905) and (16 homers in 1901) form the rest of the group. Clearly, Votto's season as it currently stands resembles closest to what Kluszewski accomplished, but he could have a better overall year than any of the home run champs from the Reds.

According to Statcast™, Votto's 17 homers of 400 or more feet was tied for most in the Majors with of the Yankees.

"I don't think I've ever attempted to hit a home run or put some sort of a loft on the ball any time this season," Votto said. "I think it's just me reacting to the style of pitching, avoiding ground balls, making sure I put the ball in play."

Worth noting

• Catcher Devin Mesoraco, currently on the 10-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain, took batting practice Friday with the team and will catch in the bullpen on Saturday.

"We'll see how he comes through that before we outline his trail to being activated," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Watch: REDzilla debuts at GABP Dave Clark , [email protected] Published 12:44 a.m. ET July 15, 2017 | Updated 12:44 a.m. ET July 15, 2017

REDzilla was introduced at Great American Ball Park on Friday night during the Nationals' 5-0 win against the Reds.

The first-ever -barrel, cart-mounted souvenir launcher was mounted on the back of a high performance side-by-side ATV.

More info from the Reds:

REDzilla has 57 barrels and is capable of firing up to 171 soft baseballs or 114 T-shirts into the upper decks of the ballpark.

Fans can see REDzilla in action at all games this season during the middle of the 4th inning break plus following each Reds win.

Fueled by 160 lbs. of CO2 and generating nearly 1,000 PSI, REDzilla was created and fabricated by Fx in Motion from New Berlin, WI.

"Launching souvenirs into the stands is a fan favorite at Great American Ball Park,” said Phil Castellini, Reds Chief Operating Officer. “We designed REDzilla to be a spectacle that adds to the fun by launching t-shirts and balls unprecedented distances into the upper decks."

REDzilla is proudly presented by the Joseph Auto Group.

“Joseph Auto Group is excited to partner with our hometown Reds to bring fans this new exciting element to the game experience,” said Ron Joseph, Jr., of Joseph Auto Group.

Two-strike pitches haunt Tim Adleman again in loss Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 11:21 p.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 11:38 p.m. ET July 14, 2017

Two pitches into their first face-off Friday, Tim Adleman had two strikes on star Bryce Harper.

The first was a curveball down and in, and Harper fanned at it. The second was the same pitch in the same spot, but this time Harper fouled it off. Then the right-hander's recent two-strike struggle reared its head.

Harper laid off a curveball down and away for ball one, and then took a high fastball to even the count. Adleman buried another curve in the dirt, but didn’t elicit a swing. Then a low-and-away fastball just miss the corner for ball four.

A chance for an out had turned into a walk. Two runs wound up scoring that inning, both with two outs, and Adleman gave up five total over the course of 4 ⅓ innings in a 5-0 loss at Great American Ball Park. Harper scored three of those runs – one in the first, another on a two-run homer in the third and the last on a solo shot to start the fifth.

Of the 10 batters who reached against Adleman, four of them managed to get aboard on a two-strike count. Three of those reached on walks. Over his previous two starts, opposing hitters batted .400 with two strikes.

“I don’t want to make a big deal of it but that is kind of his Achilles heel the last two starts, finishing off those hitters and getting us into those good two-strike counts,” manager Bryan Price said.

Adleman thinks his problem is equal parts mechanical and mental. He said he needs to stay back and not get too rotational with his delivery in two-strike counts, but also needs to guard against changing his mentality.

“There’s a little more room for with two strikes you can play with the zone a little bit and expand,” Adleman said. “But just not try to be too fine with it and make a pitch.”

Two-strike issues have been a recent phenomenon for Adleman, but the last month has been a rough one. After three quality starts spanning late May and early June, Adleman has a 5.86 ERA in his last seven outings. He’s lasted five innings or less in six of those.

Before Friday’s game, Price said that his current rotation – featuring Adleman, veterans Homer Bailey and Scott Feldman, and rookies Luis Castillo and Sal Romano – was his rotation for the foreseeable future. After the game, he said he had no reason to change his mind.

“We have to allow these guys to go out there and pitch and not feel like they’re one start from being back in the minor leagues or bullpen,” Price said. “I think we’re going to run with it and if we have to make changes, we certainly will. At this point in time, I don’t see anybody a start or two from being out of the rotation.”

Cincinnati Reds recap: Gio Gonzalez dominant in Washington Nationals' win Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 10:10 p.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 10:42 p.m. ET July 14, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds started the second half of their season on a dour note, falling 5-0 to the Washington Nationals on Friday at Great American Ball Park. Here are the main storylines.

Tim Adleman had a rough night. Adleman has had a frustrating month, carrying a 5.23 ERA in his last six starts into the game. In that span, he’d allowed 10 home runs. He gave up two more to the Nationals – both to Bryce Harper – and allowed five runs in just 4 ⅓ innings.

Adleman’s troubles began with Harper, but not with a long ball. The 29-year-old got ahead of Harper 0-2 in the first, but walked the Nats star to put two on with one out. After a Ryan Zimmerman , Stephen Drew and Anthony Rendon plated two with a pair of singles.

Harper struck with his first homer in the third, a two-run shot that gave Washington a 4-0 lead. Adleman avoided further damage by stranding a runner at third, but gave up another homer to Harper to start the fifth. After a walk and a groundout, Adleman was pulled for a reliever. He’d thrown 98 pitches and had walked three.

The Reds had no answer for Gio Gonzalez. Gonzalez tossed 8 ⅓ shutout innings, and the Reds didn’t really manage a threat after the fourth. Only Tucker Barnhart’s infield single in the eighth broke up a run of Gonzalez dominance.

The Reds managed just four hits off the left-hander, and all but one of those were infield hits. Only twice did Cincinnati place a runner in scoring position. In the second, Scott Schebler singled against the shift and stole second, but Jose Peraza and Barnhart both grounded out to end the inning. Adam Duvall hit a one-out double in the fourth and Eugenio Suarez walked, but Schebler struck out and Peraza lined out to center, where Brain Goodwin made a nice catch.

After that, Gonzalez systematically mowed down Reds hitters. Between the fourth and the eighth, Gonzalez retired 11 batters in a row, only one of whom got the ball out of the infield. After Barnhart’s single, the next three batters went down as well.

Gonzalez returned for the ninth, but was replaced after getting Joey Votto to fly out to start the inning.

The Washington bullpen made things interesting. Matt Albers replaced Gonzalez with two outs to record in the ninth, and wound up leaving with the bases loaded.

Duvall singled to start the action, and then Suarez fought off an inside pitch for a floater to shallow center. After Schebler struck out, Peraza reached on an infield hit to third, the fourth time a Reds hitter grounded to Rendon and reached base. At that point, with the tying run on deck, Nationals manager Dusty Baker pulled Albers for left-hander Matt Grace.

Grace got Barnhart to ground out on his first pitch to end the game.

Finnegan on boat fall: “In the grand scheme of things, this doesn’t really matter” Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 6:01 p.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 6:09 p.m. ET July 14, 2017

It was the Fourth of July, and Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan planted his foot on one of the boat’s seats as he prepared to transfer himself to the dock. Then he slipped, and reached out with his right arm to catch his fall.

Pop!

Immediately, the 24-year-old knew he’d dislocated his shoulder. He was driven to the hospital to get it popped back into place, and there he learned he’d suffered labrum and ligament damage. Then he called the Reds.

“I called and told them what happened, made sure they knew no alcohol was involved,” Finnegan said. “I was just getting out of a boat. It was a freak accident, nobody’s fault.”

The left-hander had surgery three days later.

Finnegan speaks of the accident with less than devastation. He was already on the disabled list with a recurrence of the teres major injury in his left shoulder that already cost him more than two months. Because of that, he was unlikely to pitch the rest of 2017 anyway.

The labrum surgery ultimately required on his right shoulder is an annoyance, but Finnegan is confident it won’t affect his ability to pitch next year. His rehab process is doubly frustrating now, but he feels no need to pull his hair and gnash his teeth in despair over his injury luck.

“That’s what people don’t understand,” he said. “In the grand scheme of things, this doesn’t really matter. It’s my right shoulder. It sucks that I had to have surgery, but it doesn’t matter.”

Mesoraco on shoulder injury: “This is nothing” Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 5:44 p.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 5:57 p.m. ET July 14, 2017

Devin Mesoraco felt it immediately as he reached across his body to stab at a runaway curveball from Ariel Hernandez on July 2. Something wasn’t right in his shoulder, on which he’d had surgery the year before.

The Cincinnati Reds catcher now knows the injury isn’t serious, simply a strained lat muscle and not a torn labrum like he suffered a year ago. But given his recent injuries – three surgeries since 2015 – he knew it was best to alert the team.

“They do a great job here of taking care of things and knocking them out before they snowball into anything,” Mesoraco said. “I feel at this point, I need to speak up any time something’s feeling bad.”

The Reds tried resting him for two days, but the problem only worsened as the team hit the road for its final road trip of the first half. He returned to Cincinnati to get medical images of the joint and meet with the team doctors.

It’s then he learned that he’d avoided serious injury.

“This is nothing,” he said. “Things got a little bit out of whack. It wasn’t completely killing me, but I could tell there was something going on.”

The Reds shouldn’t be without Mesoraco’s services too much longer. The 29-year-old felt good after hitting in the cage before Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals, and was scheduled to hit on the field during batting practice as well.

Saturday, he’ll catch a bullpen session. The Reds haven’t said whether a rehab outing will be required, but his return is imminent enough that manager Bryan Price pointed out the team might have to make a roster move in the coming days to accommodate Mesoraco’s activation.

“He has no soreness to speak of with the shoulder,” Price said.

MLB alumni help with clinic at Reds Urban Youth Academy Scott Springer , [email protected] Published 3:10 p.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 3:28 p.m. ET July 14, 2017

ROSELAWN - Though a stormy morning forced them inside, several young boys and girls were treated to an opportunity to learn basic baseball fundamentals in the Reds plush P&G Cincinnati MLB Urban Youth Academy July 13.

With temperatures into the 90s, the early storms may have had actually had a cooling effect, but the hundreds of youth in different colored t-shirts still had plenty of energy to burn. With their young age and being indoors, whiffle balls were used to teach fielding, throwing and other basic skills.

It was the second clinic of the summer put on in coordination with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Among the locals from that group that participated were Larry Luebbers, who did two tours with the Reds, Chris Nichting, a former Red and Colorado player, Jon Warden and Kip Young of the , Bill Early of the Cubs, Brian O'Connor of the Pirates, Steve Stemle of the Royals and Jeff Parent of the Cardinals.

Most all reside in the Greater Cincinnati area with the exception of Parent, who came from Louisville.

"This is a great facility, one of the best in the country," Warden said. "We had nothing like this. You just went out to get some of your buddies to go to an open field and just play a neighborhood game."

The former Detroit Tigers pitcher has coached high school ball through the years and has been very active in other sports in the high school circuit. His big claim to fame is a World Series title in 1968 with the Tigers.

"I show them my World Series ring and they say, 'Let me see that or how did you get that?'" Warden said. "Well, I tell them I actually played. I was on the team. You may not know my name but I was on the team"

Larry Luebbers was a right-hander who got the call to the Reds in 1993 as a 22-year-old. He had pitched his high school ball at St. Henry in Erlanger. With the team struggling, many young pitchers got a shot. Luebbers would later see time with the St. Louis Cardinals and then returned to the Reds again in 1999.

"It's great to be able to give back to the community and the Reds Nation," Luebbers said. "Being back in Northern Kentucky, it's home. I've had the opportunity to do some things with the Reds and the Major League Baseball Alumni Association. This facility out here is fantastic. It's something a lot of kids didn't have growing up."

Truth be told, Luebbers' father built a replica of Crosley Field on his family's property in Union, Kentucky, so he did have that unique opportunity. However, the pristine grass and dirt at the Urban Youth Academy and the addition of turf fields and a full indoor turf field were non-existent for most just 25 years ago.

The event also featured autographs, baseball giveaways and lunch with the rain dissipating and the sun creeping out right around the end of the program at noon. Before they left, the campers were also to send the Reds RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) youth baseball team off with a cheer as they embark on a chance at the RBI World Series starting in Detroit.

"Hopefully one of those kids will wind up being in the big leagues some day," Warden said. "It's a fun to see a kid advance. It's fun to follow them."

A few players from the Cincinnati Steam from the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League were also on hand helping the former pros in camp drills.

Zack Cozart open to extension with Reds, but time is running out C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] Published 2:27 p.m. ET July 14, 2017 | Updated 2:27 p.m. ET July 14, 2017

Before Tuesday’s All-Star Game, Reds first baseman Joey Votto was asked about the future of fellow Reds All-Star Zack Cozart. Votto couldn’t help but quote the movie “Jerry Maguire.”

“Show me the money!” Votto said, dramatically.

Cozart picked a good time to have his best season. The Reds shortstop is a free agent at the end of the season. Cozart, who will turn 32 next month, is in the midst of the best offensive season of his career, hitting .316/.394/.547 with nine home runs and 35 RBI during the first half.

The Reds entered the second half of the season 39-49, 9 1/2 games behind the leading Brewers and will be sellers at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline for the third-straight season. Cozart, starter Scott Feldman and reliever are all free agents after the season and could be attractive to contending teams.

There’s also a case to be made that all three are more attractive to the Reds — especially Cozart. Dick Williams, the Reds’ president of baseball operations, has publicly stated the team is interested in extending Cozart.

Votto said he’d like to see Cozart stick around, but is also realistic about the timing of these talks.

“If it doesn't happen before the trade deadline, it could happen before the end of the (season), but I've almost never seen that before and I don't think you have,” Votto noted.

After the deadline, Cozart would be just two months from free agency and there would be little reason for him to not at least test those waters, as Votto indicated.

While Cozart’s offensive numbers earned him All-Star recognition, his defense may be the most important part of the package. Cozart consistently ranks among the best fielding shortstops in the game. With a young pitching staff, a premium defender at a premium position can do wonders.

Cozart also is widely respected in the Reds’ clubhouse. His teammates gave him the nickname “Coach” this year because he’s like a coach on the field. Not only did Votto promise him a donkey for his All-Star nod, he also went an extra mile to track down the ball that Cozart hit for his first All-Star hit. Adam Duvall, an All-Star in 2016, had custom shoes made for Cozart for his All-Star appearance.

If Cozart is traded, Jose Peraza would be the obvious candidate to move to shortstop full-time and Scooter Gennett would play second. Peraza, who was acquired in the trade before the 2016 season, has played most of the season at second base. He finished out the 2016 season at short in place of Cozart and showed promise.

This season, however, he’s not been as productive at the plate, hitting .254/.278/.334 in 83 games in the first half of the season. Defensively, he’s been solid, but not to Cozart’s admittedly high standards. Gennett isn’t as good defensively at second as Peraza, therefore weakening both spots in the middle infield.

The other option for the Reds is 26-year-old Zach Vincej, the shortstop at Triple-A Louisville. Vincej won the Minor League Gold Glove last season and is having an impressive season at the plate for the Bats, hitting .282/.335/.348 in the first half. Blake Trahan is struggling offensively at Double-A Pensacola and Cuban Alfredo Rodriguez, signed for a $7 million bonus last season, is still at high- Daytona.

There’s also the question of what Cozart would net in return. Few contenders need a shortstop. The Cardinals could use one, but it doesn’t seem likely that the Reds would try to help out their NL Central rivals. The Diamondbacks’ Nick Ahmed is out with a broken hand, but have veteran and youngster Ketel Marte. Marte has struggled so far in the big leagues and is the team’s long-term plan at the position.

Washington’s is also out, but the Nationals’ lead is so large — and their need in the bullpen so pressing — that the Nationals could just hope that Turner is ready for the postseason. His injury is similar to the one suffered by Braves first baseman . Freeman returned to action in seven weeks.

Another team that could use a shortstop is the , but Baltimore may be as likely to be sellers as buyers at the deadline. Baltimore entered the second half 7 1/2 games back in the East and closer to last in the division than third. The Orioles are only four games out of the Wild Card, but there are four other teams ahead of them and Seattle.

The Reds nearly traded Cozart to the Mariners last year at the trade deadline and also shopped him in the offseason, finding no takers willing to pay the price the Reds thought he was worth. He validated that opinion with his All-Star first half.

There’s also the issue of Cozart’s injured right quadriceps. He recently spent time on the disabled list because of the injury and has gotten regular time off since being activated. Concern over the injury could give pause to any team looking to acquire him.

That could also be an issue for the Reds when deciding about an extension. Cozart finished each of the last two seasons on the disabled list.

Familiarity could be the most important part for both sides — the Reds know what they have in Cozart and Cozart knows what he has in Cincinnati.

“I've told them I love it in Cincinnati, my family does, we're open to talk,” Cozart said before Tuesday’s All-Star Game. “I know at this point in anybody's career, I'm going to be a free agent after this year, if you don't have that long-term deal after this year, the team's probably going to look to shop you around and see how that goes. Especially with what the Reds have been doing the past couple of years. We'll see what happens.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Bryce Harper homers twice, Nationals beat Reds 5-0 By JOE KAY Today

CINCINNATI (AP) — Gio Gonzalez was tired after throwing eight shutout innings on a hot and muggy evening. His manager wanted him to face one more batter, and the left-hander took it as a compliment.

Gonzalez pitched four-hit ball into the ninth inning, retired Joey Votto to open the inning on his 113th pitch, and let the bullpen finish off the Washington Nationals’ 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.

Bryce Harper extended his mid-July tear with two homers as the Nationals got rolling out of the All-Star break with a solid all- around win.

“Just a good way to start the second half,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez (8-4) snapped his streak of three straight tough-luck losses. He allowed a double and three infield singles before leaving. Matt Albers gave up three singles, and Matt Grace escaped the bases-loaded threat for his first save.

Gonzalez thought he was done after the eighth inning, but manager Dusty Baker wanted him to face Cincinnati’s most dangerous hitter leading off the ninth before taking the night off.

“I got some work in today, definitely,” said Gonzalez, who had not gone eight innings this season. “It was good to see that (Baker) let me go out there in the ninth. I was told to go out there in the ninth and pitch, and I felt good enough to keep pitching.”

The Reds were shut out for only the second time this season. Four of their seven hits were infield singles.

Harper had a two-run shot and a solo homer off Tim Adleman (5-7) as the NL’s top offense got right back in form after the All-Star break. Harper has 22 homers overall, four during his nine-game hitting streak.

Baker had offered Harper a day off if he needed one after the All-Star Game, but the outfielder turned it down.

“I want to stay in the lineup, and every single day I’m in there to do some damage,” Harper said.

The Nationals lead the league in most categories on offense and featured three starting position players in the All-Star Game — Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy. Murphy got a planned day off on Friday, and the rest of the offense carried on without him.

Anthony Rendon extended his hitting streak to eight games with an RBI single. Stephen Drew also drove in a run with a single off Adleman, who lasted only 4 1/3 innings — his season low for a start that didn’t involve an injury.

Gonzalez had lost his last three starts despite allowing a total of five runs, getting little help from his offense or the bullpen. Everything fell into place to end the streak.

“We weren’t able to get any pressure on Gio,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We didn’t have any push at all to get back into the game until the ninth inning. I think we only had six baserunners. That was a dominant performance.”

The Reds got only two runners as far as second base against Gonzalez, who walked two and struck out six.

NICE GRAB

Brian Goodwin saved a run in the fourth inning. He made a diving catch of Jose Peraza’s sinking liner with two runners aboard for the final out, what Gonzalez called “a monster play in center field for me.”

GOING, GOING ...

The Reds have given up 148 homers, on pace to shatter their major league record from last season when they allowed 258. It was Harper’s fourth multi-homer game of the season and the 14th of his career.

NATIONALS MOVES

Starter Joe Ross (5-3) went on the 10-day DL with a sprained elbow. There’s no indication how long he’ll be sidelined. The Nationals also called up relievers Austin Adams and from Triple-A Syracuse and optioned LHP Sammy Solis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: OF Jayson Werth is taking longer than anticipated to recover from a bruised left foot, which he fouled a ball off on June 5. Baker says the foot still bothers him when he runs hard.

Reds: C Devin Mesoraco will catch in the bullpen on Saturday. The Reds then will decide whether he needs a rehab assignment before returning from the DL. He’s been sidelined since July 3 with a strained left shoulder.

UP NEXT

Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (10-5) started for the NL in the All-Star Game on Tuesday and pitched one inning.

Reds: RHP Luis Castillo (1-1) makes his fifth major league start. He made his debut in Washington on June 13 and gave up solo homers to Goodwin and Rendon during five innings of a 6-5 loss. TRANSACTIONS 07/15/17 signed RHP Bryce Hutchinson. Washington Nationals signed free agent LHP Sean Adler to a minor league contract.

07/14/17 recalled LHP Jordan Montgomery from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. recalled Tyler Naquin from . signed free agent C Shawn Zarraga to a minor league contract. Colorado Rockies sent LF David Dahl on a rehab assignment to Albuquerque Isotopes. recalled LHP Jose Alvarez from Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels optioned RHP Mike Morin to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels activated CF from the 10-day disabled list. activated 3B Eduardo Nunez from the 10-day disabled list. placed RHP Jason Motte on the 10-day disabled list. Back strain. Atlanta Braves recalled Jason Hursh from Gwinnett Braves. activated LHP Tyler Webb. Milwaukee Brewers optioned RHP to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. recalled RHP Miguel Almonte from Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals placed RHP Neftali Feliz on the paternity list. placed RHP Kirby Yates on the paternity list. San Diego Padres placed RF Hunter Renfroe on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 10, 2017. Strained neck. San Diego Padres recalled RHP Jose Valdez from El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres recalled LF Jabari Blash from El Paso Chihuahuas. New York Yankees placed RHP Michael Pineda on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 11, 2017. Right UCL injury. Rangers sent RHP A.J. Griffin on a rehab assignment to AZL Rangers. Cleveland Indians placed CF Lonnie Chisenhall on the 10-day disabled list. Calf New York Yankees selected the contract of 1B Garrett Cooper from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees activated DH from the 10-day disabled list. sent RHP Joe Smith on a rehab assignment to Buffalo Bisons. Baltimore Orioles activated 1B Chris Davis from the 10-day disabled list. Baltimore Orioles sent LF Craig Gentry outright to . Atlanta Braves sent LF Danny Santana on a rehab assignment to Gwinnett Braves. Washington Nationals recalled RHP Trevor Gott from Syracuse Chiefs. Washington Nationals recalled RHP Austin Adams from Syracuse Chiefs. Washington Nationals placed RHP Joe Ross on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 11, 2017. Right elbow sprain. activated LHP Jose Quintana. Tzu-Wei Lin changed to 5. activated RHP Miguel Gonzalez from the 10-day disabled list. Chicago White Sox activated 2B Tyler Saladino from the 10-day disabled list. St. Louis Cardinals placed LF on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 10, 2017. Lower back strain. St. Louis Cardinals recalled 1B Jose Martinez from . Milwaukee Brewers recalled CF Brett Phillips from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. designated 3B for assignment. Boston Red Sox activated 3B Pablo Sandoval from the 10-day disabled list. New York Yankees optioned 1B Rob Refsnyder to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.