Press Clippings April 25 , 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1951-Center fielder Bobby Usher throws out two runners in the fifth inning during a win, 4-3, over the Cubs

MLB.COM Schebler's 4 RBIs not enough vs. Crew

By Adam McCalvy and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 12:23 AM ET + 46 COMMENTS MILWAUKEE -- Eric Thames is the early-season toast of Major League , but you don't have to remind the Reds. Thames has hit as many home runs in five games against Cincinnati -- seven -- as any other big leaguer has hit this season, period.

Thames went deep in each of the first two innings of the Brewers' 11-7 win over the Reds on Monday at Miller Park, where Milwaukee roughed up rookie left-hander Amir Garrett and Thames ran his MLB-best total to 10, matching a franchise record for April.

"I had the pleasure of facing the guy before he went to Korea," said Brewers starter Matt Garza, who came off the disabled list to make his first start of the season. "Good thing he's on my side now."

Eric Thames launches his league-leading ninth homer of the year to deep right-center field, giving the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the 1st Hernan Perez also homered and drove in four runs, as the Brewers tallied multiple runs in each of the first four innings against Garrett, a promising 24-year-old who made his Major League debut this month and began his career with three straight quality starts. That streak ended emphatically on Monday, when Garrett's 1.83 ERA grew to 5.09 after he was charged with 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits, including the three home runs. "I felt bad that I had to leave him out there to give up 10 runs, but we were just really short in the bullpen today," Reds manager said. "You might do that to a veteran , but you hate to do that to a rookie. There were some limited options."

Amir Garrett strikes out Matt Garza swinging for the second out in the bottom of the 2nd inning Garza was so eager to return from a groin injury that he arrived at Miller Park six hours before throwing the first of his 93 pitches in a four-inning start complicated by three Brewers errors. Because of those miscues, only one of the Reds' four runs against Garza was earned. He surrendered four hits while walking three and striking out four.

The Brewers have won four of the five matchups between the teams this season and are averaging seven runs per game.

Matt Garza strikes out Jose Peraza swinging in the top of the 1st to record his first in his first start of the season

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Perez-ing the issue: Thames is one of the biggest stories in baseball, but Perez was just as big a factor in Monday's game. His three- run home run off the scoreboard in the first inning extended the Brewers' lead to 4-0 and gave Garza a comfortable cushion. The Brewers have outscored opponents, 22-7, in the first inning this season. Perez, who entered the night hitting .143, added a double in the third inning for a fourth RBI, matching his career high set last August. "'HP' is going to get going," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "and he's going to play an important part on this team and in this offense."

Hernan Perez hammers a deep three-run homer to center to extend the Brewers' early lead to 4-0 in the bottom of 1st inning Reds make it a ballgame: Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia needed one more errorless game to claim the second-longest streak in franchise history for a shortstop. But he booted a grounder with two outs in the third for his first error since Sept. 5 of last season, snapping a streak of 42 errorless games and extending the frame for Scott Schebler's three-run home run off Garza. The homer, Schebler's fourth overall and second in as many days, cut the Reds' deficit to 6-4.

QUOTABLE

"I think the safest place for him is on third base, if he's on a base." -- Garza, on Reds speedster Billy Hamilton, who hit the game's first pitch for a single, then advanced to third on a stolen base and a throwing error charged to catcher Manny Pina before being stranded

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Brewers have five more games in April, all at domed Miller Park, giving Thames a shot at history. The Major League record for home runs by the end of April is 14, set by the Cardinals' Albert Pujols in 2006 and matched by the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez in 2007. After games against the Reds on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Brewers host the Braves, who allowed 21 home runs in their first 18 games.

BRAUN EXITS FOR BREWERS

Brewers left fielder played part of the game in pain after fouling three pitches off his left foot during one of his early at- bats, then exited in the sixth with the Brewers leading, 10-5, because he was having trouble moving around. Braun said X-rays were negative, so he is day to day. "That has to be a record," he joked of his trio of tough-luck foul tips.

Ryan Braun belts an RBI double into left-center field to score Eric Thames and extend the Brewers' lead to 9-4 in the 4th inning

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: is coming off one of his best starts of the season and will face the Brewers at 7:40 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Feldman held the Orioles to one and four hits over seven innings on Thursday. Brewers: Zach Davies is still searching for his first quality start, as he prepares to take the mound against the Reds at 6:40 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Davies also started slow after a promotion to the Major Leagues last year, but after going 0-3 with an 8.78 ERA he rebounded to go 11-4 with a 3.54 ERA over his final 25 starts. So far this season, he has an 8.24 ERA after four starts.

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Adam McCalvy has covered the Brewers for MLB.com since 2001. Follow him on Twitter @AdamMcCalvy, like him on Facebook and listen to his podcast.

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 or its clubs.

Garrett endures first rough start of career Rookie left-hander allows nine earned runs in loss to Brewers

Amir Garrett strikes out Matt Garza swinging for the second out in the bottom of the 2nd inning

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 1:04 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Amir Garrett made things look smooth and easy from the mound during his first three big league starts for the Reds. But Monday's performance in an 11-7 loss to the Brewers was a reminder that Garrett remains a rookie still figuring things out.

The left-hander allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings with four walks, one strikeout and three home runs -- including two by Eric Thames.

"I just wasn't myself today," Garrett said. "Everything I threw they were able to hit, they were able to capitalize on my missed pitches, which I had a lot of today. There's going to be days like this. It's how you bounce back. I am definitely going to bounce back from this."

Garrett's ERA jumped from 1.83 to 5.09.

"When other teams have a lefty on the mound, I think we can put together a pretty good lineup against them," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "I think that's a strength of ours. He has pitched well his first [three starts], but I think we had a good feeling coming in."

Garrett's 3-2 to Thames was slugged for a solo homer to right field two batters into the first inning. Hernan Perez added a three-run homer off a first-pitch later in the first, and Thames returned in the second inning with a two-out, two-run opposite-field homer on an 0-2 slider. "He pitched more behind today, a lot more offspeed, it seemed, to me," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "The mistakes he made got hit."

Of his 80 pitches in the game, Garrett threw 49 four-seams , according to Statcast™. That was his lowest percentage of usage yet at 61 percent. He also threw 19 sliders. In his first three starts, opposing hitters made contact against his slider a total of three times. On Monday, the Brewers put sliders into play seven times.

"I was just missing spots, leaving it up in the zone," Garrett said. "It wasn't normally what I do. I like to keep it down in the zone. This is a learning experience. I will be OK."

Because the bullpen was shorthanded with long relievers, Price had to leave Garrett in the game longer than he would have liked. Ariel Hernandez took over with two outs in the fourth inning after two more runs scored to make it an 8-4 game.

"I was OK. At that point, I was trying to go as deep as I can for my team," Garrett said. "Things like that happen. I wanted to get through as much as I could. Today wasn't my day."

Statcast of the Day: Hernandez brings heat Reds reliever strikes out five over 2 2/3 innings against Brewers

Statcast of the Day looks at Ariel Hernandez's velocity in his Majors debut with the Reds, spanning 2 2/3 hitless frames with five K's By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 2:01 AM ET + 1 COMMENT

CINCINNATI -- Perhaps the Reds had to summon right-hander Ariel Hernandez sooner that might have normally. But they needed an arm for the bullpen and knew Hernandez had a power arm, as well.

The 25-year-old did not disappoint in his Major League debut during an 11-7 Reds loss to the Brewers. Called upon with two outs in the fourth inning to replace starter Amir Garrett, Hernandez -- who is the Reds' No. 23 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com -- struck out five without allowing a hit or walk over 2 2/3 innings.

The Reds have been excited about Hernandez's arm since he joined the organization last season. His control has always been a question mark, but that's been coming around since .

"I know he did a lot of really good work with [pitching coach] Danny Darwin in Double-A [Pensacola], getting his delivery figured out," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I think he wants, in the worst way, to throw the ball over the plate. It's a big - combination. It's every bit of 96-to-100 [mph] with a power curveball. It's as good of a breaking ball as we have in the system, and the challenge was getting him in the zone."

According to Statcast™, four of Hernandez's 30 pitches reached 100 mph, which already ranks him sixth in the Majors for the season. His 98.9 mph average on his four-seam fastball ranks him third in the Majors behind only and Trevor Rosenthal.

"If I throw less than that, something is wrong with me," Hernandez said via translator Julio Morillo. The 23.3 percent swing rate (seven out of 30 pitches) was more than twice the league average of 11.3 percent. Hernandez's curveball averaged a spin rate 3,022 revolutions per minute, and it was 3,070 when he struck out Jesus Aguilar in the sixth inning. Based on a minimum of 10 , his RPM average already leads the Majors.

"I just want to work hard and want to be here as a teammate to help the team," Hernandez said. "I believe in myself, that's the first thing."

Hernandez joined Tony Cingrani (Sept. 9, 2012) and Angel Torres (Sept. 12, 1977) as the third reliever in Reds history to strike out five batters in his big league debut.

Hernandez spent last season at Dayton and Class A Advanced Daytona and was a Minor League Rule 5 pick in December 2015. He spent his first six professional seasons with the Giants after being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2009 and never got above Rookie ball. Hernandez missed all of 2014 in the D-backs' organization because of a right shoulder strain and spent some time in independent league baseball in 2015.

Until he was called up on Sunday from Double-A, he was 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA in eight appearances. "If he can throw the ball like that he would be pitching here with some regularity," 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.

Reds target Friday to activate Mesoraco Catcher is set to complete rehab assignment in Double-A on Tuesday

Devin Mesoraco fires a strong throw down to second base in time to catch Kyle Schwarber trying to swipe the bag

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | April 24th, 2017 + 19 COMMENTS

MILWAUKEE -- Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is expected to complete the 20th and final day of his rehab assignment with Double-A Pensacola on Tuesday and be activated on Friday for the club's next series vs. the Cardinals at St. Louis.

There had been discussion of having Mesoraco up for the series vs. the Brewers. He has been working his way back from right hip and left shoulder surgeries since last summer. Mesoraco's last Major League appearance was last season on April 27.

"Unless there is a need here, I would really like him to get the at-bats that he'll get the next couple of days in Pensacola," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I think he's done all the work necessary to feel comfortable behind the plate and have the stamina necessary to catch two or three days in a row. Now it's a matter of getting comfortable at the plate. I think we're headed in the right direction with that."

Mesoraco entered Monday batting .175 (7-for-40) during his rehab assignment. He was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk as the on Sunday.

When Mesoraco does return, he will split time behind the plate with , but it does create a roster question for current backup catcher and Rule 5 pick, Stuart Turner. If the Reds don't keep Turner on the 25-man roster the entire season, he would likely be sent back to the Twins.

Cincinnati could also keep Turner as a third catcher on a five-man bench. The rookie has no idea what will happen when Mesoraco returns.

"I obviously can't worry about what's going to happen or what may happen. It will clog your brain," Turner said. "I hope to continue to be part of this system, whether it's here or Triple-A or whatever happens. If I am the third catcher, it will take a lot more preparation and work on the non-playing side just to be ready when your name is called."

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.

Feldman looks to slow Thames, Brewers

Reds starter Scott Feldman is set to take on Zach Davies and the Brewers at Miller Park

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 1:28 AM ET + 1 COMMENT

Brewers first baseman Eric Thames may be the Major League leader with 10 home runs, but he has clearly become a Reds problem. That's because seven of his homers have been hit against Cincinnati, in five games. He will get another chance to wield his power on Tuesday as the three-game series continues.

Thames slugged two homers in the first two innings vs. Amir Garrett in Monday's 11-7 Brewers win.

Neither of Tuesday's starters, Scott Feldman of the Reds and the Brewers' Zach Davies, was overly sensational when the two clubs met in Cincinnati earlier this month. Both got no-decisions one day apart and showed there was room for improvement. The two will square off in the second of three games between the two at Miller Park on Tuesday.

In a 10-4 Brewers win on April 14, Feldman gave up two runs and four hits over five innings, but he walked five batters with 104 pitches. Thames did not get to him for any long balls but he later hit one against lefty reliever Wandy Peralta in that game. Feldman is coming off one of his best efforts of the season, Thursday's no-decision vs. the Orioles, when he gave up one earned run and four hits over seven innings with no walks and four .

The following day in a 7-5 Reds victory, Davies threw 96 pitches over his five innings, allowing three earned runs, five hits, two walks and striking out four. The 24-year-old right-hander has yet to get going with a 1-2 record and 8.24 ERA in four starts. He has 10 walks with 16 strikeouts over his 19 2/3 innings, and his longest start of the season is 5 1/3 innings.

With Matt Garza's return to the rotation on Monday and lefty Tommy Milone being shifted to the bullpen, Milwaukee has options should Davies not find an early groove.

Three things to know about this game

• Reds first baseman has the highest batting average (.346) and on-base percentage (.465) at Miller Park since the stadium opened in 2001 (minimum 200 plate appearances). His 16 home runs in Milwaukee are his most at any visiting ballpark.

• Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw did not start on Monday, but he has been dangerous at the plate when he plays. Of his 18 hits this season, 14 have been for extra bases -- including five home runs.

• Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez's hot start hasn't just been a matter of a few bloopers falling in for hits. Entering Monday, his .379 expected batting average -- based on exit velocity and launch angle -- was the Majors' best among those with at least 50 at-bats, ahead of second-place Freddie Freeman (.362).

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.

Davis to start Wednesday; Reed to bullpen

Right-hander has been out of action since April 11 with forearm injury

Rookie Davis gets hit in the forearm by a pitch in the top of the 5th inning and later exits with a forearm injury By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | April 24th, 2017 + 1 COMMENT

MILWAUKEE -- More adjustments to the Reds' rotation came Monday, but manager Bryan Price feels optimistic he has a starting five that could remain a more stable group. Through the first 19 games, Cincinnati had already used eight different starting pitchers.

Price revealed right-hander Rookie Davis will be activated from the 10-day disabled list to start vs. the Brewers on Wednesday. That will move Tim Adleman back in the rotation to Friday against the Cardinals in St. Louis following an off-day. Cody Reed, whose start vs. the Cubs on Saturday lasted just two innings, will move back to the bullpen.

"What you're looking at is our rotation now," Price said. "We have some flexibility if necessary, but the guys in there are capable of performing with enough consistency to keep it as it is."

Davis and Adleman join veterans Scott Feldman and Bronson Arroyo and rookie Amir Garrett in the Reds' rotation. Davis, who has been on the DL since being hit by a pitch on the right forearm on April 11 vs. the Pirates, threw a bullpen session on Sunday and felt good.

"It's definitely nice to get back out there. It's been a while," Davis said. "I'll just watch these two games [against the Brewers] and get ready for Wednesday, talk to these guys and come out with a win."

Davis used the time off to watch video and make adjustment to his pitches and mechanics. "I worked on that in my bullpens. I was really pleased with it," Davis said. "The command of that sinker has been huge in the two bullpens I've thrown. It's just a matter of carrying that over into the game."

Adleman allowed two earned runs and four hits over six innings in a no-decision vs. the Cubs to earn the chance to remain in the rotation. It came at the expense of Reed, who was erratic and lacked control in allowing seven earned runs on four hits, including two home runs, and five walks.

The poor start came on the heels of Reed retiring 18 straight over his previous three relief appearances. He was 0-7 with a 7.36 ERA in 10 starts last season in his first taste of the Majors.

"I think there is more comfort right now out of the bullpen," Price said. "There's not as much time to have to sit and think about preparation and game plans. Right now, he's being better served in these shorter stints where he can just come in and get after it. "With the way we go some of the time with a seven-man bullpen and some of the other starts we've gotten that have been short, we're trying to find the best five guys to give us the innings to take some of the heat off of our bullpen."

Price said Reed's assignment to the bullpen is not a permanent move. At 24, he's viewed as too young to have a definitive role. "Right now he's better served learning at this level, getting experience at this level," Price said. "We may at some point in time decide to get him to start again. That would probably take some time at Triple-A just to get him stretched out again if too much time goes by."

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 Reds' rookie Amir Garrett unfazed by poor outing

C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] 12:10 a.m. ET April 25, 2017

MILWAUKEE — Amir Garrett stood tall, defiant even. The left-hander had just gotten the worst beating of his short big-league career and he wasn’t phased.

That same competitive nature that saw him shut down the Cardinals at Busch Stadium in his debut was on display as he talked to reporters after giving up 10 runs in an 11-7 loss to the Brewers on Monday night.

“I just wasn’t myself today,” Garrett said afterwards. “Everything I threw they were able to hit, they were able to capitalize on my missed pitches, which I had a lot of today. There’s going to be days like this. It’s how you bounce back. I am definitely going to bounce back from this.”

In different circumstances, Reds manager Bryan Price said, Garrett wouldn’t have had to see his ERA jump from 1.83 to 5.09 in one start, he would have been out of the game before giving up his 10th run of the game.

But the Reds’ circumstances haven’t been usual this year. The rotation has been beset by injuries even before spring training started and those have continued through the season, with Brandon Finnegan and Rookie Davis already making trips to the disabled list early this season.

Reds starters have also struggled to put together even acceptable length starts. Garrett went just 3 1/3 innings on Monday, but in what was the 20th game of the season, there have already been five outings by Reds pitchers shorter than his effort on Monday. That’s meant an overworked bullpen, one that lost another member last week when Tony Cingrani went on the disabled list.

“I felt bad that I had to leave him out there to give up 10 runs, but we were just really short in the bullpen today,” Price said. “You might do that to a veteran pitcher, but you hate to do that to a rookie. There were some limited options.”

Garrett was pitching behind from the start, giving up a solo homer to Eric Thames in the first on a full count and then was ambushed for a three-run shot later in the opening frame to fall behind 4-0. Garrett had allowed just four runs total in his first three innings, and here he gave up that many in the first alone.

He gave up another home run to Thames in the second — a two run shot, Thames’ 10th of the season and seventh against the Reds in five games.

“He's not missing. As the saying goes, you may get one good pitch to hit in your at-bat and you don't want to miss it. He's not missing it,” Price said of Thames. “It's not that every pitch he's hit against us has been a terrible pitch. He's hit some good pitches too, but he doesn't miss a mistake. That's where we've gotten in a lot of trouble with him.”

Garrett gave up two more runs in the third and then two in the fourth before being taken out with a runner on and one out.

The Reds reached down to Double-A Pensacola on Sunday to bring in Ariel Hernandez to fortify the bullpen. The 25-year-old right- hander has perhaps the best pure stuff in the Reds’ system, but he’s had trouble controlling it in the past. This spring, he appeared in three games and walked five batters over the course of just two innings.

However, Monday he looked more like the guy who has 14 strikeouts and four walks in eight innings over seven appearances for the Blue Wahoos. He retired all eight batters he faced, five via strikeout.

“I think he wants, in the worst way, to throw the ball over the plate. It's a big fastball, curveball combination,” Price said. “It's every bit of 96-to-100 (mph) with a power curveball. It's as good of a breaking ball as we have in the system and the challenge was getting him in the zone.”

According to BrooksBaseball.net, Hernandez’s 20 fastballs averaged 99.6 mph with a maximum of 100.9.

“If I throw less than that, something is wrong with me,” Hernandez said, according to translator Julio Morillo.

Both Price and Hernandez credited Blue Wahoos pitching coach Danny Dorn with helping him get his delivery in order, because once the former independent ball pitcher can throw strikes consistently, he could find himself in the back of the bullpen rather quickly.

“I believe in myself, that’s the first thing,” Hernandez said according to Morillo. “Back in Pensacola, I was working with the pitching coach down there on my mechanics. Thank God I’m here.”

While Hernandez got a jolt of confidence, Price wasn’t worried about Garrett’s being shaken.

“It's the competitiveness that allows you to rinse this one off and learn from it and move forward it,” Price said. “I wouldn't anticipate any hangover in his next start.”

Reds recap: Amir Garrett struggles in loss

C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] 11:05 p.m. ET April 24, 2017

MILWAUKEE — For the first time in his brief big-league career, Reds left-hander Amir Garrett looked like a rookie, giving up 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 11-7 Reds loss to the Brewers at Miller Park on Monday. Here are the main storylines from Monday’s game:

• Amir Garrett is human: The Reds rookie lefty gave up as many runs in the first inning of Monday’s game as he had in his first three big-league starts combined (four).

Garrett gave up two home runs in the first, a solo shot to Eric Thames and a three-run homer to Hernan Perez.

The rest of his innings were better, but still not good, giving up two runs in each of the next three innings, although one was unearned after Zack Cozart’s second error of the season.

Garrett walked more batters Monday (four) than he had in the rest of his starts combined (three). He also struck out just one of the 23 batters he faced. He struck out 12 Orioles in his last start.

• Eric Thames may not be human: First Thames homered in the first and then he hit a two-run home run in the second. Thames now has 10 home runs on the season and seven in five games against the Reds.

The left-handed hitting Thames also has four home runs against left-handers in just 16 plate appearances.

Thames walked and scored on a Ryan Braun double in the fourth, but did line out to Billy Hamilton for the first out of the sixth inning.

• Nice debut for Ariel Hernandez: Ariel Hernandez became the eighth different Reds player to make his big-league debut this season. The right-hander came into the game in the fourth for Garrett.

Hernandez pitched 2 2/3 innings, retiring all seven batters he faced, striking out five Brewers. The right-hander also hit 100 mph on the radar gun several times.

The 25-year-old has struggled with his control at times (including this spring), but of his 25 pitches on Monday, 18 were for strikes.

Not only did Hernandez make his debut on the mound, he also recorded his first professional plate appearance in the sixth, grounding out to first and moving Stuart Turner to third.

Gloves have been a good fit so far

C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] 9:49 p.m. ET April 24, 2017

MILWAUKEE - Under the best of circumstances, defensive numbers come with caveats, and less than a month into the season, they should be viewed with even more skepticism. That being said, by just about any measure, the Reds’ defense has been outstanding early this season.

By fielding percentage (the most common, but one of the worst measures of team defense), the Reds have the third best defense in baseball (.993), making just five errors on the season heading into Monday’s game in Milwaukee.

Of those five errors, only two have been by one of the regular eight starting position players – shortstop Zack Cozart and second baseman Jose Peraza – have errors this season.

A better – and still simple – defensive metric is defensive efficiency. Defensive efficiency is simply the percentage of balls that are put in play (and aren’t home runs) are turned into outs. The Reds’ .737 percentage is the fifth-best in baseball and second-best in the National League.

Two advanced statistics are FanGraphs’ Defensive Runs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved. The Reds are second in baseball at 8.1 Defensive Runs Above Average (trailing the Royals at 10.1) and their 11 Defensive Runs Saved are second-best in baseball behind the Rangers (13).

“When your defense is solid all the way around, even if you’re losing and you’re making all the plays, it keeps the game together,” said Bronson Arroyo. “It makes the pitching staff – even if you’re down 3-0 – you’re still moving in the right direction. When you make errors, it feels like you pull the confidence out of everything.”

So far this season, the Reds defense has earned the utmost confidence from Arroyo and his fellow pitchers.

“If you can get soft contact, especially in that ballpark, to have that piece of mind that they’re going to make plays for me, it makes our life easier because you don’t have to go out and feel like you have to strike everyone out,” reliver Drew Storen said. “And if a guy gets on, we know if there’s a ground ball here, we can get out of it.”

Cozart and outfielder Billy Hamilton have the best defensive reputations, but they’re not alone in the team’s excellence. All eight of the team’s defensive regulars have shown off great defensive skill this season, but nobody has been more impressive than third baseman Eugenio Suarez.

Last year, Suarez was in his first season as a third baseman after coming up as a shortstop. While third base is supposed to be an easier position than shortstop, it’s still different.

Suarez had six errors by this time last year – more than the entire Reds team does this season.

Arroyo didn’t know much about Suarez when he signed with the Reds this season, but when informed Suarez struggled last season, Arroyo seemed surprised.

“He’s got a dynamite arm, it’s accurate. He’s picked up anything near him,” Arroyo said. “So far he looks like a Gold Glover.”

Suarez finished last season with 23 errors, the most by any third baseman in baseball.

“You can tell he’s figured out how to consistently get his footwork down,” said Cozart. “That’s the key to defense. Your feet and legs. He’s very consistent getting his feet under him. The guy I came up with was the best at that, Scott Rolen. If you watch him then and Geno now, Geno watches the ball, squares up and makes a strong throw every time. That’s the key.”

Last year also saw Adam Duvall making the transition to a full-time outfielder, Scott Schebler playing left field and Jose Peraza moving between second base, shortstop and center field, both in Triple-A and in the big leagues.

This year things are more settled, with a consistent everyday lineup and what appears to be an above-average fielder in each spot.

“I mean, I feel like most years I’ve been up, we’ve had really, really good defense,” Cozart said. “I look at last year as an anomaly. We just didn’t play good overall. If you pitch and play defense, you always have a chance. That’s why we’ve been in games this year.”

Rookie Davis returns to Reds' rotation; Cody Reed to the bullpen

C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] Published 6:11 p.m. ET April 24, 2017 | Updated 13 hours ago

MILWAUKEE — The Reds, manager Bryan Price hopes, have a set rotation.

After juggling much of the rotation because of a mixture of injuries and poor performances, Price said he has five pitchers he plans on keeping in the rotation for the near futures — Bronson Arroyo, Amir Garrett, Scott Feldman, Rookie Davis and Tim Adleman.

Davis will be activated from the disabled list to start on Wednesday and Tim Adleman will start the first game of the series in St. Louis, Price said before Monday’s game against the Brewers.

The Reds used eight different starters in the first 18 games of the season.

“What you’re looking at is our rotation now,” Price said. “We have some flexibility if necessary but the guys in there are capable of performing with enough consistency to keep it as it is.”

Neither Homer Bailey (elbow) nor Anthony DeSclafani (elbow) is expected to return in the next month.

Davis was hit by a pitch in his second start and is currently on the disabled list, but has thrown two bullpens.

“The time I’ve been out, I’ve used it to really look at video and see if there is anything I can make better as far as mechanics or having a better feel for pitches,” Davis said. “I worked on that in my bullpens. I was really pleased with it. The command of that sinker has been huge in the two bullpens I’ve thrown. It’s just a matter of carrying that over into the game.”

Reed to the bullpen

Left-hander Cody Reed lasted just two innings on Saturday, his first start of the season. It may not be his last, Price said, but it’s his last for the time being. He will return to the bullpen, where he made four scoreless appearances before struggling against the Cubs in his start.

Reed was 0-7 with a 7.36 ERA in 10 starts last season.

“I think there is more comfort right now out of the bullpen,” Price said. “There’s not as much time to have to sit and think about preparation and game plans. Right now he’s being better served in these shorter stints where he can just come in and get after it.”

Reed, who just turned 24 last week, could still start in the future, and even possibly again this season, Price said.

“Right now he’s better served learning at this level, getting experience at this level,” Price said. “We may at some point in time decide to get him to start again. That would probably take some time at Triple-A just to get him stretched out again if too much time goes by.”

Mesoraco to return Friday

Unless there is an injury to one of the team’s two catchers during the Milwaukee series, Devin Mesoraco won’t be activated until Friday in St. Louis, Price said.

Mesoraco must be activated by then. He’s been on the disabled list since the start of the season after having surgeries on his hip and should last season.

Mesoraco has gotten 46 plate appearances in 11 games at Double-A Pensacola heading into Monday’s game.

“Unless there is a need here, I would really like him to get the at-bats that he’ll get the next couple of days in Pensacola,” Price said. “He had four at-bats yesterday … with a walk, a double and just getting comfortable at the plate. I think he’s done all the work necessary to feel comfortable behind the plate and have the stamina necessary to catch two or three days in a row. Now it’s a matter of getting comfortable at the plate. I think we’re headed in the right direction with that.”

USA TODAY Power Rankings: Reds move to No. 17

Dave Clark , [email protected] Published 3:27 p.m. ET April 24, 2017 | Updated 18 hours ago

Shed Long is a minor league player hoping to make his way to the big leagues. C. Trent Rosecrans invites listeners along his journey with a new podcast. Amanda Rossmann & Sam Greene

The Cincinnati Reds moved up three spots to No. 17 in USA TODAY Sports MLB Power Rankings, which doesn't quite reward them for being one of 13 teams with a record better than .500 so far but also doesn't place them among the worst teams in the league as they were ranked before the season.

The blurb to accompany the Reds' ranking:

Respected veteran infielder sits atop NL in hitting. Zack Cozart, not Joey Votto. Cincinnati Reds ✔ @Reds Zack Cozart leads all qualified shortstops in Major League Baseball with his .370 average, .630 slugging, .444 OBP and 1.074 OPS. #RedHots 3:20 PM - 24 Apr 2017

The Reds are in the middle of the pack as far as NL Central teams in the rankings. The Cubs (No. 2) and Cardinals (No. 15) are in front of them, and the Pirates (No. 18) and Brewers (No. 21) rank lower.

Cincinnati has a 10-9 record entering a three-game series in Milwaukee. The Reds have started 5-8 at home and 5-1 on the road.

Reds offer Top 6 Ballpark Pass for $29.99 per month

Dave Clark , [email protected] 11:53 a.m. ET April 24, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds are now offering a Ballpark Pass, a ticket subscription service similar to the one the St. Louis Cardinals began offering just before the start of the season - giving fans the opportunity to attend as many home games as they want each month, in standing room, for a monthly fee of $29.99.

But with the Reds' Top 6 Ballpark Pass, fans get a seat.

More from Reds.com about how the pass works:

In honor of the old "Top 6" rows at Riverfront Stadium, you can receive a ticket to the Top 6 at Great American Ball Park every home game (excluding postseason) for the 2017 season.

Benefits:

Your tickets and seat location will be delivered digitally to your mobile device in the MLB.com Ballpark app.

Auto-renews each month for convenience

How it works

Purchase up to six (6) passes. Be sure to purchase all your passes in one transaction to enjoy the game with family and friends!

Download the MLB.com Ballpark app. Log into your MLB.com account with the e-mail address used to purchase your Top 6 Ballpark Pass.

Your seat locations will be assigned two (2) hours before each game. You can view these in the MLB.com Ballpark app.

When you're ready to enter Great American Ball Park, access your tickets in the MLB.com Ballpark app 'Ticketing Tab', scan in with your barcode, and enjoy the game!

Please note: All of your tickets will be available via the MLB.com Ballpark app on your iPhone or Android phone. There are no refunds/exchanges

WCPO - Channel 9 Sports Vault: In 1994, 'Neon Deion' Sanders was atop the NFL world when he joined the Reds One of the greatest two-sports players of all time

Ryan Clark | WCPO contributor 5:00 AM, Apr 25, 2017 2 hours ago

"I never wanted to be mediocre at anything. I wanted to be the absolute best."

-- , on ESPN Classic's "SportsCentury" series

Deion was always good for a memorable quote, wasn't he?

How about this one: "How do you think defensive backs get attention?" Sanders asked. "They don't pay nobody to be humble."

Born Aug. 9, 1967, in Fort Myers, Florida, Sanders was playing organized baseball and football by age 8. An all-state performer in football, baseball and basketball at North Fort Myers High, he took his talents to Florida State, where he helped lead the baseball team to the College World Series and was a two-time All-American in football.

The Atlanta Falcons made him the fifth overall selection in the 1989 NFL Draft, and the selected him in the 30th round of the Major League Baseball draft in 1988.

Sanders never lacked confidence. And why should he have? In 2014, just before Sanders was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Gil Brandt of NFL.com relayed these superlatives:

Sanders is the only man to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. He is the only man to hit an MLB home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week. He is the only player to have both a reception and an interception in the Super Bowl. He is one of just two players to score an NFL touchdown six different ways. He even had two nicknames: "Primetime" and "Neon Deion."

And before all the accolades, way back on May 29, 1994, Sanders became a member of the Cincinnati Reds.

Wrote Claire Smith of The New York Times: "The Atlanta Braves traded Deion Sanders to the Cincinnati Reds for Roberto Kelly yesterday in what on the surface seemed a simple matter of right and left. The Braves, missing Ron Gant's right-handed power a great deal, acquired some pop in the form of Kelly, the Yankee prospect who had developed into an All-Star with Cincinnati. Sanders, another former Yankee prospect but a left-handed batter, nicely meets a Cincinnati need, the team being overloaded with right-handed hitters and in need of Sanders' type of speed."

But Smith also noted that Sanders may have worn out his welcome in Atlanta.

"There has been a perception that the Braves have wearied of Sanders, the multiple sports star who not only played brashly for them but also was an All-Pro defensive back for the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons, who last month made him an unrestricted free agent while expressing interest in retaining him."

The Reds, however, had high hopes for the deal. Manager Davey Johnson said, "Sanders was not the thumper I was looking for, but he's the next best thing."

Jim Bowden, the Reds' general manager, said, "He's a great athlete, probably the fastest runner in baseball today. He has the type of personality that can help us sell tickets. Deion Sanders is a better defensive player; he makes us a better defensive team. We were top-heavy with right-handed hitting. He gives us a pure left-handed leadoff man, which we didn't have."

The previous year, Sanders batted .276 with the Braves before going on the disabled list in August with a respiratory infection. That ended his baseball season, and he arrived late with the Falcons, but still went on to lead the NFC with seven interceptions in 11 games.

By 1994, the Reds were off to a hot start. Clay Marshall of RedlegNation.com reports that through the end of April, they'd won 15 games, lost just seven and held a 2.5-game lead over second-place Houston, then a member of the National League.

"In May (when Bowden sent Kelly to Atlanta for Deion Sanders) and June, the Reds went a combined 29-26 -- nothing special, but good enough to still enjoy a 1.5-game lead as of June 30," Marshall wrote. "The team padded that total by one additional game prior to the All-Star break, yet only Barry Larkin (who, after a slow start, sported a solid .286/.386/.409 line at the break en route to his first Gold Glove) and Jose Rijo (8-4, 3.06) earned invitations to Pittsburgh for the midsummer classic."

The Reds' lead slipped as the Astros surged, all under the dark cloud of a possible players' strike that could end the season. And when the strike began on Aug. 12, "the Reds led the NL Central with a record of 66-48," Marshall reported. "Just over a month later, acting commissioner Bud Selig formally canceled the remainder of the season. For the first time since 1904, there would be no World Series."

Sanders was hitting .283 with 38 steals at that point. Of course, his football season was just beginning. He signed a one-year deal with San Francisco, where he tied the 49ers' single-season record with three interception returns for touchdowns and became the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. His four tackles and an interception helped the 49ers beat San Diego 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX.

But do you remember when he got arrested?

In Mike Shannon's book, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," he chronicles when Sanders was arrested on Aug. 8, 1994 "in an incident that was as silly as it was criminal."

"When Sanders tried to drive his motor scooter out of Riverfront Stadium through a pedestrian exit, a police officer ordered him to stop and leave by a different exit," Shannon wrote. Sanders ignored the officer, who then grabbed the ballplayer and was dragged about 20 feet. Sanders was charged with resisting arrest, failure to comply and leaving the scene of an accident.

He was exonerated on all counts.

Three years ago, Cory Collins wrote this for FanSided: "In 1995, Sanders wrote a second verse, same as the first. Only, in true Neon Deion style, it might have been a little louder."

In football, Sanders became a Dallas Cowboy. Less than a year later, they won Super Bowl XXX over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And Sanders' time with the Reds was relatively short.

Outfielder Deion Sanders of the Cincinnati Reds in action during spring training in Plant City, Florida, on April 8, 1995. "After struggling through the early months of the '95 season (hitting .240/.296/.326), Cincinnati shipped Sanders back to the Golden Gate in exchange for Dave Burba and change," Collins wrote. "Sanders surged the rest of the way, hitting .285/.346/.444 for the Giants."

The Reds flamed out in the playoffs.

"In some ways, though, the fate of the Reds and Deion Sanders remained intertwined," Collins wrote. "1995 became their respective beacons of glory. Sanders never returned to football's biggest game, or its biggest stage. Other defensive backs took the helm, other returners found the end zone more frequently. He faded into a shadow of his former greatness."

But Sanders' time with the Reds wasn't done. He spent 1997 with the Reds after sitting out a year, and in 2000, he signed a non- guaranteed minor league contract with the team. At that point he had a .266 lifetime average and 183 stolen bases in 609 major league games.

USA Today wondered if Sanders would be effective at all. In a fan poll, 77.9 percent said he would be a good addition.

"At the very least, the Cincinnati Reds are adding the best pinch-runner in baseball," Stephen Borelli wrote.

"The problem with Deion is: he's not much of a baseball player, despite his lofty .459 April batting average in Triple-A," Steve Gardner countered.

During the 2001 season, Sanders played in just 32 games. He hit .173 and stole three bases for the parent club before being released.

The Cincinnati Reds' Deion Sanders watches action during a game against the on May 23, 2001 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs defeated the Reds 4-2. Of course, he didn't go quietly. Sanders became a popular broadcaster for NFL games, and he dropped a bombshell in 2012 when he told radio host Dan Patrick that he had once tried to commit suicide while in Cincinnati. He said that due to his failing marriage, dying father and inability to see his children, he tried to drive his car off of a Cincinnati highway.

"I was in the midst of my first divorce," he said. "The only (people) I thought loved me were my kids. And they were stripped away from me."

An Associated Press report from Sept. 28, 1998, further described the incident.

"I attempted suicide, but God had his hands on me," Sanders said in the report. "I ran the car off the cliff, and it was like a 40- … 30-foot drop. The car went down and hit and there wasn't a scratch on me or on the car."

It was another amazing story from a larger-than-life personality. Complex.com would go on to rank Sanders as the fifth greatest two-sport athlete.

"You would think that after playing in a game of baseball, people would be tired," Rafael Canton wrote for the website. "But not for Deion Sanders. Right after that game ended, Primetime hopped on a flight to Florida to join his Atlanta Falcons as they took on the Miami Dolphins on a Sunday afternoon. Truly a badass dude with a track record to prove it." (Note: Sanders didn't play in that NFL game, but he was suited up and ready to go if called upon.)

Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, 2011.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Here’s how $30 a month will get you into every Reds game for the rest of the season

Marcus Hartman 5:35 p.m Monday, April 24, 2017 Sports

The Cincinnati Reds are offering a new way for fans to get tickets to home games this season.

The team announced Monday the “Top 6 Ball Park Pass,” a feature that will allow fans to attend as many games as they want and sit in the top six rows of Great American Ball Park for a flat fee of $29.99 per month.

Fans who join the program will have digital tickets assigned to their MLB.com Ballpark app two hours before each game.

The Reds have 14 home games in May, the first month of the promotion, and another 14 in June.

They only have 12 in July and September but 16 in August.

This looks like an upgrade from a similar idea announced earlier this spring by the St. Louis Cardinals, who are offering unlimited standing room only tickets for the same monthly rate.

3 stats that explain the Cincinnati Reds first 3 weeks

Marcus Hartman 5:10 p.m Monday, April 24, 2017 Sports

CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 8: Billy Hamilton #6 of the Cincinnati Reds makes a diving catch of a line drive from Matt Adams #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Great American Ball Park on June 8, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. St. Louis defeated Cincinnati 12-7. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Three weeks into the regular season, the Cincinnati Reds are squarely… involved in the regular season.

A hot start followed by a 3-7 homestand will do that, right?

Anyway, they are a half-game out of first place by only 1.5 games ahead of last-place Milwaukee and Pittsburgh.

Here are three stats that show why the Reds are just above .500 after 21 days of baseball:

The team ERA of 3.85 is just above the league average of 3.90, but it breaks down in an interesting way.

Reds starters have the fourth-worst ERA in the majors while the team’s relievers are the ninth-best in the game so far.

How did they get to this point? Reds pitchers (all of them) are No. 1 in the National League in opponents’ batting average (.218) and fourth in home runs allowed, but only one team has walked more batters (73).

Three of the team’s young pitchers – Brandon Finnegan, Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed – have combined to account for 27 of the team’s 73 free passes despite throwing only 26 2/3 innings.

The defense behind the pitchers has been pretty good.

No team in the NL has made fewer errors than the Reds’ five, a marked improvement from last season when they were 10th in the NL with 102.

The only team in the majors with a better fielding percentage than their .933 so far this season is Kansas City (.996).

Only two teams in MLB have scored more than the Reds’ 92 runs.

They haven’t walked much, but they are striking out at a rate below the league average, too.

With a batting average near the middle of the pack in the National League, the Reds have used speed (No. 1 in stolen bases) and power (third in homers) to generate offense so far.

So.... what does it all mean?

No one ever accused baseball of being predictable, but if the pitching staff can start limiting free passes while the fielders continue to avoid giving away extra outs, the Reds’ formula for success could be replicable over the long haul.

(At least if we are going to call “success” finishing slightly above .500 after three straight losing seasons.)

There is good reason to think those stolen base and home run totals are going to remain steady, but the rest is far less predictable.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Thames hits 9th, 10th HRs as Brewers beat Reds 11-7

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bryan Price knew exactly what Eric Thames did to carry the past the Cincinnati Reds.

Thames homered twice to raise his major league-leading total to 10, Hernan Perez added a three-run shot, Matt Garza pitched for the first time this season and the Brewers beat the Reds 11-7 on Monday night.

"He's not missing," Price said of Thames. "As the saying goes, you may get one good pitch to hit in your at-bat, you don't want to miss it. He's not missing it."

The left-handed batting Thames got just enough muscle on an 0-2 pitch from Amir Garrett (2-2) to slice an opposite-field, two-run homer in the second. Thames extended his home run streak against the Reds this season to five consecutive games with a solo shot on a 3-2 pitch to right in the first. Perez's three-run homer capped that inning.

"It's not that every pitch he's hit against us has been a terrible pitch," the Reds manager said. "He's hit some good pitches, too, but he doesn't miss a mistake. That's where we've gotten into a lot of trouble with him."

Brewers manager Craig Counsell was equally impressed.

"The first at-bat, he (Garrett) threw him some good sliders," Counsell said of Thames. "He wasn't on the slider, and then 3-2, he was on the slider. I give Eric a lot of credit there."

Seven of Thames' 10 major league-leading home runs have come off the Reds' hurlers, including five in the four-game series in mid-April at Cincinnati.

"You are facing good pitchers and good catchers that are smart and they study you and your holes," Thames said. "You have to be that smart to be able to hit here."

Garza, who strained his right groin at the end of spring training, was activated from the disabled list before the game. He threw 93 pitches — 57 for strikes — and was pulled after four innings. He allowed one earned run and four hits, walked three, struck out four and handed a 10-4 lead over to the bullpen.

Five relievers followed and Carlos Torres (1-2) picked up the win.

Garza singled in a run in the third after Perez's RBI double. Jesus Aguilar grounded out with the bases loaded in the eighth for the final run.

The Brewers chased Garrett in the fourth on Ryan Braun's run-scoring double and Manny Piña's RBI single. The rookie left-hander allowed nine earned runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out one.

Scott Schebler hit a two-out, three-run homer off Garza in the third. His fifth home run of the season followed shortstop Orlando Arcia's fielding error on a routine groundball. Schebler doubled in a run in the ninth. Stuart Turner doubled in a run in the second and sixth for his first career multi-hit game. Jose Peraza added a two-out RBI single off Corey Knebel in the eighth.

TRAINER'S ROOM:

Reds: RHP Rookie Davis (bruised right forearm) is scheduled to come off the 10-day disabled list and start Wednesday in place of RHP Tim Adelman, who will be bumped to start Friday in the opener of the weekend series at St. Louis. LHP Cody Reed moves to the bullpen.

Brewers: Braun fouled three pitches off his left foot in his first at bat, but stayed in the game until the bottom of the sixth. X-rays were negative. He is day-to-day. . LHP Brent Suter (0-0, 4.91 ERA) in five games was optioned to Triple-A in order to activate Garza.

BREWERS MR. APRIL

Thames became the first Brewers player to hit 10 home runs in the team's first 21 games. He tied Carlos Lee (2006) for the most home runs (10) in franchise history for the month of April. Thames also matched the April club mark of 23 runs scored set by Paul Molitor (1987) and duplicated by Rickie Weeks (2008).

MESORACO ON THE MEND

Reds C Devin Mesoraco, on the 10-day DL after right hip surgery, is 18 days into a rehab assignment with Double-A Pensacola. Mesoraco likely would be activated for the weekend series in St. Louis.

UP NEXT:

Reds: RHP Scott Feldman (1-1, 2.38 ERA) makes his fifth start and second against the Brewers this season. He turned a 3-2 lead over to the bullpen on April 14, but Milwaukee scored four runs in the sixth off Blake Wood and Wandy Peralta and won 10-4.

Brewers: RHP Zach Davies (1-2, 8.24) makes his fifth start and second against the Reds this season. He is 2-1 with a 4.28 ERA in six career starts against them. He took a no-decision at Cincinnati on April 15.

Arroyo stops Cubs 7-5 on 3-hitter as Reds avoid series sweep Joe Kay, AP Sports Writer Monday, April 24, 2017 3:00 PM

CINCINNATI — With his high leg kick and below-the-radar breaking balls, Bronson Arroyo showed the Cubs a little old-style pitching. Who needs to throw 90 mph to beat the World Series champions?

The 40-year-old righty gave his best performance yet in his long comeback from elbow problems, pitching three-hit ball over six innings on Sunday, and the Cincinnati Reds salvaged a 7-5 victory. Arroyo worked fast, varied the angles of his deliveries, and kept ‘em guessing with his minimalist pitches.

“I’m happy for him, to see him back up,” Chicago catcher Miguel Montero said. “He’s a tough pitcher to face. Obviously he’s throwing below hitting speed right now.”

Arroyo (2-2) needed more than two years to recover from Tommy John surgery. The Reds gave him what amounted to a final chance this spring, and he’s back to fooling ‘em with his unusual repertoire. Jon Jay saw pitches of 67, 74, 83, 75 and 70 mph during one at-bat.

“I don’t want to say I had pinpoint control, but I was throwing the breaking ball down and out where it was almost impossible to hit,” Arroyo said. “They knew where I was going, but I still had enough late movement to surprise them.”

Arroyo allowed Anthony Rizzo’s two-run homer — his third of the series — and struck out seven batters for the first time since May 13, 2014.

“This was the first time he looked like the Bronson of his first time through here,” manager Bryan Price said, referring to Arroyo’s 2006-13 stay in Cincinnati.

Raisesl Iglesias gave up a pair of runs in the ninth before finishing off the Reds’ 3-7 homestand.

Patrick Kivlehan’s bases-loaded double highlighted a four-run sixth inning off John Lackey (1-3) and decided a matchup of up-in- years starters. The 38-year-old Lackey and Arroyo have combined for 793 starts in the majors.

Despite the loss, the defending champs took two of three in the series and moved back into first place in the NL Central. No surprise that it happened in Cincinnati — the Cubs have won 17 of their last 22 at Great American Ball Park. They’ve taken 20 of their last 25 overall against the Reds.

“I have nothing to complain about,” manager Joe Maddon said.

Rizzo extended his hitting streak to 12 games — matching his career high — with his two-run homer in the fourth inning. His three- run shot with two outs in the ninth helped the Cubs rally for a 6-5, 11-inning victory in the series opener. He had another three-run homer during a 12-8 win on Saturday.

The Cubs have homered in their last 15 games at Great American. They hit seven in all during the series.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Ben Zobrist started at second base and batted cleanup. He’d missed the last two games because of tightness in his back. Zobrist singled and doubled in four at-bats.

Reds: SS Zack Cozart was a late scratch from the lineup because of a sore left wrist. Kivlehan, who wasn’t in the original lineup, made his first start at shortstop and hit his first double in the majors.

REDS MOVES

RH Ariel Hernandez was recalled from Double-A Pensacola and RH Lisalverto Bonilla was optioned to Triple-A Louisville, giving the Reds a fresh arm in the bullpen.

HOMER STREAKS

Rizzo also homered in three consecutive games last April 20-22, the last two of them at Great American Ball Park. In 2015, he homered in four straight from July 29-Aug. 1.

LACKEY’S LAST TWO

Lackey allowed seven runs — five earned — in six innings, throwing 104 pitches. A pair of errors set up Cincinnati’s decisive four- run sixth.

“I felt I definitely pitched better than the numbers are going to show,” Lackey said. “I didn’t give up a whole lot of hard contact. What are you going to do?”

Lackey has given up 11 runs — nine earned — in his last two starts.

“Any little mistake is getting hit and hit hard,” Montero said.

UP NEXT

Red lefty Amir Garrett (2-1) makes his first start in Milwaukee, facing Matt Garza (0-0) today (TV: Live on FS Ohio at 7:30 p.m.). The rookie stuck out a career-high 12 Orioles in seven innings during a 2-0 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday.

TRANSACTIONS optioned RHP Vicente Campos to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels sent 3B Luis Valbuena on a rehab assignment to . recalled CF Brett Eibner from . Atlanta Braves traded RHP David Hernandez to Los Angeles Angels. Los Angeles Angels optioned RHP Daniel Wright to Salt Lake Bees. placed 3B Aaron Hill on the 10-day disabled list. Right forearm strain. San Francisco Giants designated 1B Chris Marrero for assignment. San Francisco Giants selected the contract of CF Drew Stubbs from Sacramento River Cats. San Francisco Giants selected the contract of SS Christian Arroyo from Sacramento River Cats. placed LF on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 23, 2017. Left hamstring strain. Pittsburgh Pirates recalled RHP Dovydas Neverauskas from Indianapolis Indians. placed CF Travis Jankowski on the 10-day disabled list. Right foot bone bruise. San Diego Padres recalled RF Jabari Blash from El Paso Chihuahuas. St. Louis Cardinals sent LF Anthony Garcia outright to Memphis Redbirds. Milwaukee Brewers activated RHP Matt Garza from the 10-day disabled list. Milwaukee Brewers optioned LHP Brent Suter to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Los Angeles Dodgers placed CF Joc Pederson on the 10-day disabled list. Right groin strain. optioned 2B to Tacoma Rainiers. Arizona Diamondbacks placed RHP Shelby Miller on the 10-day disabled list. Right elbow inflammation. Arizona Diamondbacks recalled RHP Silvino Bracho from Reno Aces. Washington Nationals placed RHP Stephen Strasburg on the paternity list. Washington Nationals recalled RHP Jacob Turner from Syracuse Chiefs. sent C Brett Nicholas on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express. Texas Rangers sent RHP Sam Dyson on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express. optioned Ryan LaMarre to Nashville Sounds. transferred LHP Ryan O'Rourke from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Left elbow injury. Minnesota Twins selected the contract of RHP Nick Tepesch from . Minnesota Twins optioned LHP Buddy Boshers to Rochester Red Wings. sent OF Joey Rickard on a rehab assignment to Delmarva Shorebirds. sent 3B Josh Rutledge on a rehab assignment to Portland Sea Dogs. Philadelphia Phillies placed RHP Aaron Nola on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 21, 2017. Lower back strain.