Press Clippings July 4, 2015

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1969-The nickname, the Big Red Machine is used for the first time. Los Angeles Herald-Examiner reporter, Bob Hunter, invents the name during the Reds defeat of the Dodgers, and it sticks.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds get lit up by Brewers By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman

The came into town on a roll – and they proceeded to roll right over the Reds.

The Brewers beat the Reds 12-1 Friday night before a sellout crowd of 40,760 at Great American Ball Park. It was the sixth straight win for Milwaukee. The Brewers have scored 45 runs in the winning streak.

It was worst loss of the season for the Reds.

The game was the fifth sellout of the year for the Reds and 108th in the history over GABP. The big crowds haven't helped the Reds. They've lost the last four sellouts at home.

Rookie right-hander Michael Lorenzen had his shortest start of the year. He pitched four innings and allowed three runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three.

"A lot of hard stuff up in the zone," Reds Bryan Price said. "He was facing a team that's swinging the bat well. They didn't miss mistakes. A lot of times when you're a stuff , a velocity guy, you get away with balls that aren't well located.

"Tonight, they squared them up."

Lorenzen struggled with putting hitters away all night. He needed 90 (56 strikes) to get the 12 outs.

"They're a really good team," Lorenzen said. "They had a couple really good series coming in here. They're hitting the ball really well."

The Reds, meanwhile, got nothing going against right-hander Mike Fiers. They managed three singles off him and did not advance a runner to second until the seventh inning.

The first inning was bad for Lorenzen, but it could have been much worse.

Gerardo Parra led off with his sixth home of the year. Lorenzen got up 0-2 in the count, threw two borderline pitches, then left one a 96 mph fastball up that Parra out to right-center.

Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun followed with back-to-back singles — Braun took third on Lucroy's. Adam Lind got Lucroy in and Braun to third with a 6-3 groundout.

The key play of the inning followed. Carlos Gomez hit a ground ball to Todd Frazier, who was playing even with the bag. When Braun saw Frazier get ready to throw to first, he broke off the bag. Frazier held up on the throw. As Braun broke back to the bag, Frazier made a diving tag.

Umpire James Hoye called him safe. The Reds asked for review. The call was overturned. So the Brewers went from first and third, one out to runner at first, two outs.

Gomez was caught stealing on a pitch out on the very next pitch.

The Brewers added a run on the first pitch of the second inning. Aramis Ramirez went down and got a 93 mph fastball and hit it out to left-center for his 10th of the year. It was Ramirez's third of the year against the Reds and his 18th at Great American. That put him alone in third place among visitors, behind Lance Berkman (23) Albert Pujols (20).

"I definitely could have done better with pitch selection," Lorenzen said. "My arm felt good. Everything felt really good. Sometimes you second guess yourself."

"You throw some pitches with no conviction behind them. Just learn from it. ... The true character comes out when you don't even go five (innings) and given up three (runs), and don't put your team in the best possible position to win."

It was still 3-0 when Lorenzen left, but the , so good of late, was not Friday night.

"Things got a bit ugly," Price said. "... They kind of took it to our bullpen."

Nate Adcock took over for Lorenzen and gave up a pair of run in the fifth to make it 5-0.

Gomez delivered the TKO blow. He hit his first career grand slam to make it 9-0. It came off Carlos Contreras in the seventh.

Trade rumors never had Todd Frazier concerned By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman

Todd Frazier has made it clear he wants to remain a Red. But it came as no relief to him that general manager Walt Jocketty told The Enquirer that Frazier will not be traded.

"I wasn't even thinking about it to be honest with you," he said. "Until my agent says something or Walt says something, I'll start thinking about it.

"It wasn't really a relief. It was a lot hearsay. It was all pretty much nothing. I wasn't worried or relieved at all."

Frazier, of course, is from New Jersey. The are looking for offense. Frazier met with the New York/New Jersey media when the Reds played the Mets last week.

And the rumors were born.

Frazier's friends got caught up in it a bit.

"You know those people over there – those New Jersey, New Yorkers – they hear something and they maximize it 100 percent," he said. "It's just the way it is. They listen to the radio. They read the newspapers, whether it's New York Post or Asbury Park Press. They ask about this stuff.

"They're like, 'man, this is true. Where you going to live?' It all just people making rumors."

Frazier is a little anxious about something else being talked about these days in baseball. He is in the thick of race to win the starting spot at third base on the National League All-Star team.

Frazier trailed St. Louis' Matt Carpenter by 62,940 votes in the last update. Each had over 6 million votes. The starters will be announced Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

"Sunday can't come any quicker," Frazier said. "Either way, it's going to be exciting."

Frazier will likely know before the Reds depart for Washington.

"I have a little bigger smile, you'll know," he said.

Frazier is nearly a lock to make it as a reserve. The reserves and pitching staffs will be announced Monday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Closer Aroldis Chapman and Johnny Cueto are other strong candidates.

TINSLEY ON LEAVE: Assistant hitting coach Lee Tinsley was placed on administrative leave Friday.

Tinsley was arrested in Carroll County, Kentucky for driving while impaired. Tinsley, 46, is in his second season with the Reds.

"We're still gathering information," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "With the holiday weekend, the police report is not going to be out until next week. Lee is on administrative leave. That's as much as we're going to say about that. It's kind of fact finding at this point in time."

The Reds did not add a coach to fill in in Tinsley's absence.

WELCOME BREAK: The Reds enjoyed Thursday's off day – only their second in 32 days.

"It was great," Price said. "It was kind of a long challenging run with extra innings and rain delays. The bullpen certainly has been highly taxed. It was a good time for us to have a little time away and kind of get rested."

Top Reds prospect Robert Stephenson makes AAA debut By C. Trent Rosecrans / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @ctrent

Reds top prospect Robert Stephenson made his debut at -A Louisville on Friday. He went five innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked three.

Stephens, 22, was 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 14 starts at -A Pensacola this season. He's rated the team's top prospect by both and MLB Pipeline. MLB Pipeline has Stephenson ranked the No. 18 overall prospect in baseball.

"Organizationally, we feel Robert is ready for the next challenge," said Jeff Graupe, the Reds director of player development.

The Bats completed Thursday's suspended game Friday. Left-hander Tony Cingrani made his first rehab appearance for the Bats since going on the disabled list last month with a left shoulder injury. Cingrani went two innings. He did not allow a hit. He walked one and struck out three.

The Bats and played three innings before suspension of play on Thursday. Stephenson started Friday's regularly scheduled game.

"He got off to a slower start," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He kind of found himself at that Double-A level. It was a real challenge for him last year and to start the 2015 season. We're excited that he's throwing the ball consistently. He's getting his over, which was something he was challenged to do earlier in the year. He's got kind of split- that he's incorporated into his mix. It gives him a quality third pitch."

Stephenson joined Kyle Waldrop, who was also recently promoted from Double-A to Triple-A.

Waldrop will be in Cincinnati next weekend for the Futures game, along with left-hander Amir Garrett and Louisville teammate Yorman Rodriguez.

Waldrop hit .277/.313/.430 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 67 games in Pensacola.

"I found my swing and I'm sticking to it, keeping it simple," Waldrop said recently. "It's been working the last couple of years, so I'm going to stick to it now that I'm in Triple-A, not change a thing. Keep it simple."

The Reds have also recently promoted right-hander Barrett Astin from high-A Daytona to Double-A Pensacola. Astin was 4-3 with a 2.29 ERA in 16 games and 11 starts for the Tortugas. He received a no-decision in his Double-A debut on Monday in Pensacola, allowing two runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. Astin, 23, was acquired from the Brewers last season in the trade that sent Jonathan Broxton to Milwaukee.

Outfielder Brian O'Grady was promoted from low-A Dayton to high-A Daytona at the same time. After hitting .271/.385/.450 with six home runs and 36 RBI in 71 games for the Dragons, he was moved up to Daytona, where he's played four games through Thursday.

In other minor-league moves, outfielder Juan Duran has returned to Double-A Pensacola after missing the first half of the season with a left wrist injury. He has had hits in each of his first two games back with the Blue Wahoos.

Also making his way back from injury is right-hander Jonathon Crawford, who was sidelined with a right shoulder injury for most of the season. Crawford pitched one inning for the Arizona Reds team on Monday and the Reds hope to get him to a full-season affiliate soon. Players coming off of injury often rehab at the team's complex in Arizona and play games in the Arizona League before moving on to full-season leagues. Crawford, a former first-round pick by the Tigers, was acquired in the deal that sent Alfredo Simon to Detroit.

MLB.COM Lorenzen struggles in loss to Brewers By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

CINCINNATI -- From the first batter of his start vs. the Brewers on Friday night, Reds rookie pitcher Michael Lorenzen appeared to have trouble. Lorenzen had a 0-2 count on Gerardo Parra before he hit a foul ball and stayed alive.

Three pitches later and with a 2-2 count, Parra hit a rising 96-mph fastball over the right-field fence for a leadoff home run. Milwaukee didn't stop rolling from there as it handed the Reds a 12-1 defeat.

"I definitely could have done better with that, and pitch selection," Lorenzen said after the shortest start of his brief career. "I felt good, everything felt really good. I think sometimes you second-guess yourself and throw some pitches and there's no conviction behind them. That's what happens sometimes. You just learn from it."

Lorenzen lasted only four innings, but threw 90 pitches in that short period. He allowed three earned runs and five hits with two walks and three . Aramis Ramirez led off the top of the second inning by hitting a first-pitch fastball to left field for a homer.

Entering the night, Lorenzen was 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA over his previous three starts following a rough June 11 outing at the Cubs where he gave up six runs over 4 1/3 innings.

"It's easy to stand here with a smile on my face when I'm throwing seven [innings] with one run," Lorenzen said. "But that true character comes out when you don't even go five innings and give up three and don't put your team in the best position possible. I talked to [Brayan] Pena, and we talked about tempo and speeding it up. Just improving. I have to take that into my next start and go into it with confidence."

Lorenzen, 23, is 3-3 with 3.58 ERA in 13 games, including 11 starts this season.

Reds manager Bryan Price felt the Brewers, who have scored 40 runs over their last five games, took advantage of all of Lorenzen's mistakes in the strike zone.

"A lot of hard stuff up in the zone, facing a team that's been swinging the bat well," Price said. "So they didn't miss mistakes. A lot of times when you're a stuff pitcher, velocity guy, you can get away with some balls being fouled off that aren't well located.

"Tonight, they squared up and put the barrel on the ball -- especially those first couple of innings. They did some damage, got his pitch count up subsequently and he was out after four [innings] in a 3-0 game."

Reds fall in opener to Brewers By Mark Sheldon and Robert Bondy / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

CINCINNATI -- The Brewers continued a recent trend of beating up opposing pitching when they roughed up the Reds on Friday night at Great American Ball Park. A 12-1 victory extended Milwaukee's season-high winning streak to six games.

On the heels of scoring 28 runs during a four-game sweep at Philadelphia, the Brewers jumped on Reds rookie starter Michael Lorenzen quickly. Gerardo Parra led off the top of the first inning with a home run to right field. Following two more hits in the first, Adam Lind's RBI groundout made it 2-0. Aramis Ramirez led off the second inning with a first-pitch homer to left and Milwaukee added two more runs in the fifth off of reliever Nate Adcock. The rout was on when Carlos Gomez added a grand slam in the seventh against Carlos Contreras.

"It was a good night and it's been contagious," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "Guys have gotten going, bunch of guys have gotten going so it's good to see. It's fun to watch."

Lorenzen was done after giving up three earned runs and five hits over four innings and 90 pitches with two walks and three strikeouts. Brewers starter Mike Fiers complemented his offense by working his third-straight quality start, going seven scoreless innings and giving up just three hits -- all singles -- with two walks and two strikeouts. Only one Reds batter reached second base against him -- Marlon Byrd on Fiers' own throwing error in the seventh. Byrd was later thrown out in a double play.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Gomez hits grand slam: Gomez put an exclamation mark on Friday's blowout victory with his first career grand slam in the seventh inning. The homer came on a 94-mph fastball from Contreras and pushed the Brewers lead to 9-0.

"I wanted just to drive the ball and bring in more runs," Gomez said. "The at-bat before that I hit it good, line drive to the middle, so I wanted to continue to follow that approach so he threw me some changeup, left it right there on the plate and I can pull it. I [didn't] hit it that good, but I pull it perfectly to left field." More >

Tuckered out: The Brewers' first-inning rally was cut short, thanks to good plays by Reds third baseman Todd Frazier (see below) and catcher Tucker Barnhart. Before Gomez tried to steal second base, Barnhart called for a pitch out and made a perfect strike to nail him for the third out that held Milwaukee to two runs, temporarily.

One up, one gone: Parra started the game off on the right foot for the Brewers, sending a 2-2 pitch from Lorenzen into the right-field seats. It was the seventh time in Parra's career he led the game off with a home run, and second time this season. The leadoff home run was the first of two runs scored in the first inning by the Brewers.

Lorenzen getting his hits: Lorenzen fared a little better at the plate than he did on the mound. His to right field to lead off the bottom of the third inning was the Reds' first hit of the game. Lorenzen is 6-for-21 (.287) as a hitter this season. More >

QUOTABLE

"It was just a game where they took advantage of the early mistakes, got themselves up, got [Lorenzen] out of the game after four [innings] due to pitch count and kind of took it to our bullpen a little bit." -- Reds manager Bryan Price, on Lorenzen's performance.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Friday marked the Reds' fifth sellout of the season, and 108th in the history of Great American Ball Park, when 40,760 fans were in attendance. The club is 1-4 before a sellout crowd in 2015, and 55-53 overall.

REPLAY REVIEW:

Ryan Braun was on third base with one out in the first inning and Milwaukee had a prime chance to build on a 2-0 lead when a play was reviewed. On Gomez's grounder to third base, Frazier lunged to tag Braun after he drifted from the bag. Braun was ruled safe by third-base umpire James Hoye. The Reds challenged and the replay official overturned the call when it was determined that Frazier tagged Braun on the backside before he touched third base.

WHAT'S NEXT

Brewers: Right-hander Jimmy Nelson will take the mound against the Reds at 6:15 p.m. CT on Independence Day, looking for his third straight win. Nelson is 5-8 with a 4.48 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 16 starts this season.

Reds: During the 7:15 p.m. ET game on Saturday, the Reds will send out rookie Josh Smith to make his third big league start. Smith has yet to gain traction in throwing strikes, as he has 10 walks over eight innings in his first two outings.

All-Star starters unveiled Sunday, full rosters Monday Watch selection shows on ESPN; Final Vote to get underway Monday By Mark Newman / MLB.com

It was historic because it happened exclusively online. It was personal because it decided the fate of your favorite players. It was intense because you argued a lot. And it was teamwork because you helped shatter a record.

After 65 consecutive days of relentless fan voting to determine starting positions players for the 86th All-Star Game on July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, the largest All-Star balloting program in sports closed at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday.

Now it is time to kick back, partake in Fourth of July fireworks and fun, and finally see the people's choices. Starting position players will be unveiled in a new manner at 7:30 p.m. Sunday on the "Esurance All-Star Starters Selection Show" on ESPN, prior to the "Sunday Night Baseball" matchup between San Francisco and Washington at Nationals Park.

It is a departure from previous years, when starters and reserves were announced on the same show. After all the voting for starters, winners will have more priority recognition this time. Then at 7 p.m. on Monday, All-Star reserves, and Final Vote candidates for each league will be announced on the "Esurance All-Star Selection Show" on ESPN.

As a paperless voting era began, you responded in style with more than 500 million votes already cast as of Monday. The record was 391 million votes in 2012.

"Baseball fans represent the heart of our game," Commissioner Rob Manfred said at the start of voting in April, "and through All- Star balloting, I am proud to bring the best that our sport has to offer to the great fans and community of Cincinnati this summer."

Will Cincinnati fans see a hometown starter? Todd Frazier of the Reds was gaining fast on Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals at third base on the National League side entering the last few days of voting.

Will Jose Altuve of the Astros or Omar Infante of the Royals get the nod at American League second base? And how many Kansas City players made it after all? It's a far cry from just three years ago, when we asked at this time whether Jose Bautista might crack an exclusively Yankees-Red Sox rivalry lineup.

Nelson Cruz of the Mariners took the lead at AL designated hitter when the last ballot update was announced by MLB on Monday. But did he keep it?

The AL will have nine elected starters via the fan balloting program, while the NL roster will have eight fan-elected starters.

Pitchers and reserves for both squads -- totaling 25 for the NL and 24 for the AL -- will be determined through a combination of Player Ballot choices and selections made by the two All-Star managers, Bruce Bochy from the Giants and Ned Yost from the Royals.

Immediately following Monday's announcement, you can resume voting by selecting the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote. You can cast your votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period, which concludes at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 10.

This will be the 14th season of the Final Vote, with more than 480 million votes cast to date. Last year's choices were White Sox left-hander Chris Sale and Cubs . Once again, you will be able to vote on MLB.com, club sites and mobile phones.

During the All-Star Game, watch live on FOX and visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2015 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. That is the last step on your long journey of All-Star balloting that started in April. Angels center fielder Mike Trout was your choice last year at Minnesota.

MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage of All-Star Week festivities.

The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

Jocketty considering plans for Trade Deadline By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

CINCINNATI -- Speculation has often centered that the Reds could become sellers and make trades as soon as they are done hosting the All-Star Game on July 14. General manager Walt Jocketty did not tip his hand on Friday, but indicated it was under consideration.

Cincinnati entered Friday 5 1/2 games back in the National League Wild Card standings. Could the outcome of final three series in the first half vs. the Brewers, Nationals and Marlins determine the decision?

"I think we'll see how it plays out. We're prepared to go either way," Jocketty told MLB.com. "We're certainly not throwing in the towel. If people are interested in our guys, we'll certainly listen and see if there's something that makes sense to make us better in the long run."

The non-waiver Trade Deadline is July 31 and the Reds will certainly be in focus because they have several players clubs might be interested in. Ace Johnny Cueto, a free agent at season's end, tops the list. Veteran starter can also be a free agent after the season. Aroldis Chapman and Jay Bruce have guaranteed deals through 2016 and veterans Marlon Byrd or could be attractive to clubs needing a complementary piece.

Jocketty has fielded inquiries, but didn't feel his phone was burning up yet with offers.

"I've had some calls for a while. Nothing out of the ordinary," Jocketty said.

Some rumors have also centered on third baseman Todd Frazier being a trade target. Jocketty made it clear that Frazier would not be moved.

"He's too valuable to our club," Jocketty said. "I think all that came from when we were in New York. It made sense. The Mets need a third baseman. He's from that area."

A Toms River, N.J. native, Frazier heard some of the rumors but paid little attention to them.

"I wasn't even thinking about it, to be honest with you," Frazier said. "Until my agent says something or Walt comes up to me and says something, then I will think about it. It wasn't relief. It was a lot of hearsay. It was all pretty much nothing. I wasn't worried or relieved at all."

Last year when the Reds had the chance to be sellers on July 31, the club made no moves. At the time, Jocketty cited CEO Bob Castellini's competitiveness saying: "You know who I work for, right?"

Could Castellini again be a factor in the club not having a large selloff?

"Certainly he wants to win and wants to be competitive," Jocketty said. "That would be a goal he would have. Even if we do make some deals, or if we don't, we will try to keep this club as competitive as possible for the remainder of the year."

Jocketty did note that it's been hard for the team to recover from the losses of No. 2 starting pitcher Homer Bailey, Zack Cozart and catcher Devin Mesoraco -- all of whom are out for the season with injuries.

"We've been hit extremely hard with injuries again," he said. "Those are three key starters lost that are hard to replace."

Top prospect Stephenson promoted to Triple-A By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com / [email protected] / @m_sheldon

CINCINNATI -- The top prospect of the Reds organization, right-handed starting pitcher Robert Stephenson, was promoted and is now one step away from the Major Leagues.

Stephenson, 22, was summoned to make his debut on Friday for Triple-A Louisville. He pitched five innings vs. Columbus and allowed two earned runs and four hits with three walks and six strikeouts while throwing 94 pitches, 59 for strikes.

"For him, I'm sure a year-and-a-half at the same level, he's champing at the bit to get to that Triple-A level," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Listed by MLBPipeline.com as the Reds' No. 1 prospect and No. 18 in the Top 100, Stephenson was 4-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 14 starts for Double-A Pensacola. Over 78 1/3 innings, he walked 43 and struck out 89 while averaging 10.2 strikeouts per-nine- innings.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty watched Stephenson pitch a few times, including earlier this season.

"He's been much more consistent," Jocketty said. "He got in trouble, I've seen several times, early and then settled in and was unhittable the rest of the game. He finally got over that hump where he was able to get off to a better start initially in the game. That was one thing we were trying to get him past. He's been very successful at that the past several starts."

Stephenson, the Reds' first-round pick in the 2011 Draft, had a 2.53 ERA in his five June starts after a slow start to this season.

With the possibility of the Reds being sellers before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, there could be rotation vacancies if starters Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake are dealt. That could open a spot for Stephenson, potentially.

"We'll see how he does," Jocketty said. "I'm anxious to see how he does at Triple-A. Hopefully, we can put him on a faster track where he could certainly be in the mix for next year, if not later this year."

Price liked the reports of how Stephenson has developed his secondary pitches to go with a fastball that can reach the high 90's mph.

"We're excited he's throwing the ball consistently, getting his curveball over, which was something he was challenged to do earlier in the year and he's had kind of a split-changeup that he's incorporated into his mix," Price said. "It gives him a real quality third pitch."

Worth noting:

• Lefty reliever Tony Cingrani, who has been on the disabled list since June 15 with a left shoulder strain, worked two scoreless innings with one walk and three strikeouts in his rehab assignment appearance for Louisville on Friday. Cingrani, who threw 35 pitches, began the completion of a suspended game for Louisville vs. Columbus before Stephenson was to take the mound in the regularly scheduled game.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Pena: More Cubans await their chances By Hal McCoy / Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI — When and if the Cuban embargo is lifted, the U.S. will be deluged with more than fine cigars. Major League baseball teams probably will charter airplanes to haul the talent out of Cuba and back to the United States. The only question is if teams will have enough money to sign all the talent in Cuba that is already fairly close to being major league ready.

President Barach Obama already has started the process and Cuban-born Cincinnati Reds catcher Brayan Pena prays it moves forward.

“I’m a U.S. citizen now and my home is here in the United States, but I’d like to visit my country, see the Cuban beaches, see my relatives. I have cousins I haven’t seen since I left the country 17 years ago. I have cousins I’ve never seen.”

THERE ARE MORE than 30 Cuban-born defectors on major league roster and the Reds have three in Pena, Aroldis Chapman and Raisel Iglesias.

And there are more ready to take the plunge of dangerous defection, players who can’t wait for an embargo lift. And there are some who want to come but fear for themselves and their families if they try it.

“I do see a lot of Cuban players coming,” said Pena. “Remember, back in the day, before the Castro regime closed the borders. There were a lot of Cuban players here. They were a great influence for a lot of us.

“We all know there is great talent down in Cuba and those people want to play at this level. It is exciting because there is a lot of talent to be discovered. Baseball is our No. 1 sports. What else can we do? There is boxing and soccer, but when it is about baseball everything changes.

PENA SAYS HE can’t wait for the day when all the Cuban players can be together, either on the homeland or in the U.S.

“There are a lot of Cuban players down there who are afraid to leave the country, afraid to leave their families. But they all know it is the chance they have to take right now. You have to defect, take a raft, a very difficult thing to do when you think about your family.

“But at the same time our commitment to the game in the States is the reason we did it, it is a dream that can come true for all of us,” he added. “Our Cuban baseball population here continues to grow because every time somebody defects and makes it, they have a good chance of playing in th big leagues.”

PENA KNOWS THE embargo lift isn’t a sure thing and adds, “There is a lot of speculation and it takes time. It won’t happen overnight. Until then, we keep learning to adjust. It will be a brand new process because we grew up with the Castro government. So for now for things to be loosened up and communications open is good. At the end of the day, I never lose hope and want to go back to my country to visit. I’ll never leave America. This is my home and I am super proud to be here.”

DESPITE A 4-and-7 record at Class AA Pensacola, Robert Stephenson, the Reds No. 1 pitching prospect, was promoted to Class AAA Louisville.

While he was 4-and-7 with a 3.68 ERA this year in his first 14 starts, during five June starts he had a 2.53 ERA. And for the season he has averaged 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

“He got off to a slow start, but has found himself at the Double-A level, which was a real challenge for him,” manager Bryan Price said of the 22-year-old right hander drafted No. 1 in 2011. “He is getting his curve ball over consistently, something he was challenged with earlier in the year to do. He has a split-changeup that he has incorporated into his mix, giving him a quality third pitch.”

Stephenson spent a year-and-a-half in Double-A and Price said, “I’m sure he is chomping at the bit to get to the Triple-A level.”

ASSISTANT BATTING instructor Lee Tinsley has been put on administrative leave after he was arrested in Carrollton, Ky. Thursday and charged with driving under the influence.

“We’re still gathering information,” said manager Bryan Price. “With the holiday weekend the police report won’t be out until next week. He is on administrative leave and that’s all we’ll say about that. It’s fact-finding at this point in time and that might take a little time.”

BECAUSE OF BRANDON Phillips’ success, manager Bryan Price continues to use him in the leadoff spot and Billy Hamilton in the nine-hole.

“We’re always a better team when Brandon Phillips is in the lineup and he has been good in that leadoff spot,” said Price. “That’s big for us because it allows me to keep Hamilton down in the lineup as a speed guy who can set the table as we get back to the top of the lineup.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY: After an off day Thursday, manager Bryan Price said, “It has been a long challenging run with long rain delays and extra innings and the bullpen has been highly taxed. It was a good time for us to have a little time to get rested and recollected.”

JOKE OF THE DAY: From Scouts Corner in the Great American Ball Park, one scout said to another, “I hear the Cardinals are letting go most of their scouts and telling them, ‘We don’t need scouts any more. We get all our information off the internet and it’s free.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS Lorenzen doesn't last long in Reds' 12-1 loss to Brewers By The Associated Press

CINCINNATI —

Reds rookie Michael Lorenzen did not last very long against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Carlos Gomez hit his first career grand slam and tied his career high with five RBIs, leading Milwaukee over Cincinnati 12-1 Friday night and extending the Brewers' winning streak to six.

Lorenzen (3-3) threw 90 pitches while giving up three runs and five hits in four innings.

"That's a really good team," Lorenzen said. "They had a couple of good series coming in. I could have done better with my pitch selection. You second-guess yourself sometimes. When you don't throw with conviction, this happens. You learn from it."

Gerardo Parra and Aramis Ramirez added solo shots for the Brewers, on their longest winning streak since taking nine in a row in April 2014. Gomez, Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun had three hits each as Milwaukee matched its season high for runs and victory margin.

"We know we can hit," Gomez said. "It just seems like, this whole year, we were never able to put it together. When we get five or six guys extremely hot, we know we can make some runs."

Mike Fiers (4-7) allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings to win for the first time in four starts since June 12. He didn't allow a runner past first base until Marlon Byrd reached second on Fiers' throwing error in the seventh.

"We're locked in right now," said Fiers, who did not get a decision in his previous two starts while allowing three runs in 13 innings. "This is what we envisioned the whole season."

Gomez homered into the left-field seats in the seventh against Carlos Contreras, Gomez's sixth homer this season and first since May 29.

"He started out 0 for 2, then he hits three line drives," Brewers' manager Craig Counsell said.

Milwaukee, which totaled 28 runs while sweeping a four-game series at Philadelphia, sent the Reds to their largest margin of defeat this season.

Fans in the sellout crowd of 40,760 had barely settled in when Parra opened the game with his sixth homer of the season and seventh leadoff homer of his career, including two this season. Milwaukee's first three batters had hits, and Lucroy scored on Adam Lind's groundout for a 2-0 lead.

Ramirez hit Lorenzen's first pitch of the second inning for his 10th homer of the season.

"Michael got a lot of his hard stuff up against a hot-hitting team," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "They got his pitch count up and took advantage of our bullpen."

HEADS UP

Reds 3B Todd Frazier looked Ryan Braun back on a routine first-inning grounder, turned to throw to first as Braun took a couple of steps toward the plate, then whirled and made a diving tag as Braun lunged for the bag. The original safe call was overturned and Braun was out, helping the Reds limit Milwaukee to two runs in the inning.

HOLE IN THE LINEUP

While every other Brewers starting position player had least one hit, Adam Lind went 0 for 4. He entered with an 11-game hitting streak, Milwaukee' longest this season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: What Counsell described as an overworked bullpen prompted Milwaukee to recall rookie RHP Tyler Cravy and David Goforth from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Rookie RHP Corey Knebel and IF/OF Jason Rogers were optioned to the Sky Sox, leaving Counsell with an eight-man bullpen.

Reds: LHP Tony Cingrani (shoulder) turned in two hitless, shutout innings for Triple-A Louisville in the first appearance of his rehab assignment on Friday. He allowed one walk with three strikeouts while throwing 23 of 35 pitches for strikes.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-8) is 0-1 with a 6.97 ERA in two starts against Cincinnati this year.

Reds: RHP Josh Smith (0-1, 5.63) makes his first career start at Great American Ball Park on Saturday. Smith was promoted from Triple-A Louisville on June 23 and made two starts on the Reds' last trip.

TRANSACTIONS Date Transaction 07/04/15 activated RHP Ervin Santana from the restricted list. activated LHP Matt Harrison from the 60-day disabled list. Texas Rangers designated RHP Neftali Feliz for assignment. optioned Donn Roach to . Minnesota Twins optioned Alex Meyer to . Chicago Cubs selected the contract of Clayton Richard from Iowa Cubs. 07/03/15 activated RHP Jake Peavy from the 15-day disabled list. San Francisco Giants placed RHP Tim Hudson on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 27, 2015. Right shoulder strain placed RF Carlos Beltran on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 1, 2015. Left oblique strain activated RF Shane Victorino from the 15-day disabled list. activated C Alex Avila from the 15-day disabled list. transferred LF Collin Cowgill from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Sprained right wrist Boston Red Sox placed C Blake Swihart on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to July 1, 2015. Sprained left foot. activated 1B James Loney from the 15-day disabled list. LF Shane Robinson roster status changed by Minnesota Twins. Minnesota Twins activated CF from the 15-day disabled list. sent 1B Michael Morse on a rehab assignment to Jupiter Hammerheads. Cincinnati Reds sent LHP Tony Cingrani on a rehab assignment to Louisville Bats. Detroit Tigers designated LHP Tom Gorzelanny for assignment. Detroit Tigers designated RHP Joba Chamberlain for assignment. San Francisco Giants designated 1B for assignment. designated RHP Todd Redmond for assignment. designated RHP Brandon League for assignment. Boston Red Sox designated RHP Zeke Spruill for assignment. San Francisco Giants designated RHP Brett Bochy for assignment. optioned Christian Colon to . Detroit Tigers optioned Bryan Holaday to . Boston Red Sox optioned Jackie Bradley Jr. to Pawtucket Red Sox. St. Louis Cardinals optioned Tim Cooney to . San Francisco Giants optioned to . Los Angeles Angels optioned RHP Cory Rasmus to . New York Yankees optioned Taylor Dugas to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Tampa Bay Rays optioned Preston Guilmet to . Milwaukee Brewers optioned RHP Corey Knebel to . Toronto Blue Jays optioned Matt Boyd to . Milwaukee Brewers optioned 1B Jason Rogers to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. traded LHP Clayton Richard to Chicago Cubs for cash. Chicago White Sox signed RHP Carson Fulmer. signed RHP Boomer Biegalski. Cincinnati Reds signed RHP Connor Bennett. Detroit Tigers signed free agent LHP Melvin Morel to a minor league contract. San Francisco Giants signed free agent LF Xavier Avery to a minor league contract. Boston Red Sox selected the contract of Noe Ramirez from Pawtucket Red Sox. Detroit Tigers selected the contract of RHP Jeff Ferrell from Toledo Mud Hens. Toronto Blue Jays selected the contract of Felix Doubront from Buffalo Bisons. San Francisco Giants selected the contract of Josh Osich from Sacramento River Cats. Kansas City Royals selected the contract of Dusty Coleman from Omaha Storm Chasers. San Francisco Giants selected the contract of RF from Sacramento River Cats. New York Yankees recalled Gregorio Petit from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees recalled RF Ramon Flores from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Toronto Blue Jays recalled Ryan Tepera from Buffalo Bisons. recalled from . Milwaukee Brewers recalled Tyler Cravy from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers recalled David Goforth from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Detroit Tigers recalled Drew VerHagen from Erie SeaWolves. St. Louis Cardinals recalled Tommy Pham from Memphis Redbirds.