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Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings July 3, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1975-Giants rookie pitcher, John Montefusco, predicts he will shut out the Reds and strike out Johnny Bench four times. He gives up seven runs in 1.2 innings, three of them on a Bench home run. The Reds go on to win, 11-6 MLB.COM Cozart to start, Votto also gets All-Star nod By Jeremy Vernon / MLB.com | July 2nd, 2017 + 24 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Zack Cozart finally earned his donkey from Joey Votto on Sunday. The only question that remains is whether or not they choose to ride the burro together to Miami next week. Both Cozart and Votto are heading to South Beach for the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. The former will also start, after earning the most votes among National League shortstops in the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Ballot. "I didn't think that I would be nervous to find out if I'm starting or not," Cozart said. "I was hoping that I would make the team, but all of a sudden I was thinking, 'Man, I really want to start the game.' I'm just honored, man. It's a cool thing that you get recognized for the play you've had on the field." Cozart entered 2017 having missed significant time in each of the previous two seasons and batting .246 for his career, but he has blown that number out of the water so far this season. The first-time All-Star currently leads all Major League shortstops in batting average (.322) and OPS (.958), and he's on pace to post new career highs in runs, hits, home runs, RBIs, and on-base and slugging percentage. "He's been through a lot," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "His name has been out there as far as a trade candidate or free agency and all this other stuff, and he's handled it extremely well and just really focused, as he said, he's just here to play baseball. He's doing a heck of a job of that." This is Votto's fifth All-Star selection, but first since 2013. The Reds first baseman has had his share of misfortune as well over recent years, as he missed a large chunk of the 2014 season with a knee injury and was left off the last two All-Star rosters despite strong first-half performances. But 2017 has seen Votto return to a level of play reminiscent of his NL MVP season in 2010. Through 81 games in 2017, his slash line stands at .317/.429/.621 with 23 homers and 59 RBIs. "I missed representing Cincinnati, and I missed the opportunities in the past," Votto said of the All-Star Game. "But I'm very, very excited to be a part of this one. It's a really good feeling." Votto was also asked to participate in the 2017 T-Mobile Home Run Derby, but he passed on the offer. " It's a challenging event. It's something that I'd rather save for the field and during the games." The past month has been full of donkey-related chicanery, from a dozen burro-themed clubhouse T-shirts, to Votto crashing an Intentional Talk interview in a full donkey suit, to Cozart's wife, Chelsea, joining the fun with some social media campaigning. Now it's time for Votto to hold up his part of the deal. "I'm going to have to give [the donkey guy] a ring," he joked. "He doesn't have a phone. He only uses a pager. He's kind of in that black-market business. He'll see it's time to bring that donkey to Cincinnati." Cozart seemed ready for his new pet. "I got asked about it a lot earlier when I was out [on the field] taking some pictures," he said. "People were giving me suggestions for names and everything. I guess I might have to look for some land somewhere." Fans can cast ballots for the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote on MLB.com, Club sites and their mobile devices until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. The winners, as chosen exclusively by online fan voting totals, will then be announced during "MLB Tonight" live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. Extensive coverage throughout the Final Vote will be provided by MLB Network and MLB.com, including interviews with the candidates, frequent updates, heat maps indicating where votes are being cast for each candidate, news on player and club campaigns, and a running countdown clock leading up to the announcement. Now in its 16th season, with more than 680 million votes cast, the Final Vote again will include social votes on the last day of balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the final six hours of balloting will count toward their vote totals. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET on Thursday, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners. On Tuesday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. Jeremy Vernon is a reporter for MLB.com based in Cincinnati, and covered the Reds Sunday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Late rally not enough as Reds fall to Cubs By Carrie Muskat and Jeremy Vernon / MLB.com | July 2nd, 2017 + 232 COMMENTS CINCINNATI -- Ian Happ showed up in a big way, as the University of Cincinnati product hit a pair of home runs and added an RBI single to back Jake Arrieta and lead the Cubs in a 6-2 victory. Happ smacked a two-run homer in the second and added a solo shot in the fourth, both off Tim Adleman, for his second career multi-homer game. The rookie finished with four RBIs, tying his career high, which he's now accomplished three times. "He came home, his home away from home via Pittsburgh," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Happ. "Both balls were really well struck." Arrieta benefitted from an Anthony Rizzo solo home run with two outs in the seventh, his 19th. The right-hander has had success in Cincinnati, throwing his second no-hitter at Great American Ball Park in April 2016. On Sunday, he gave up a single to Joey Votto with two outs in the first, and that was it over seven innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked two. Votto's two-run single in the eighth off Koji Uehara accounted for the Reds' only runs. Adleman, who served up three homers in his last start against the Brewers, and gave up eight over 28 innings in five June starts, exited after five innings. "I felt pretty good about pitch execution, a lot better than I have been the last few starts," Adleman said. "It was just those two to Happ, really, and maybe one to [Javier] Baez where he hit the double. But when a guy is really tough on your lineup, especially a good lineup like ours, it makes it tough. It makes those mistakes that you make even a bigger deal than they are." "I mean that was seven innings of one-hit ball, didn't get in trouble with a lot of bad counts or walks, didn't give us much," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We only squared a couple, maybe two balls that we actually put on the barrel. So it's a testament to how good he was today. And we got something going a little bit against the bullpen, but too little, too late, they've extended the lead to 6- 0. So we fell short." Maddon said Arrieta's at-bats against Votto were key. "Jake was outstanding," Maddon said. "That was as good as we've seen Jake in a bit. You just go off Votto's at-bats. He did not have good at-bats today. That was my litmus test with him." "You put together a list of your best five hitters in baseball and he's at the top," Arrieta said of Votto. "He puts together a good at- bat regardless of the scenario. He makes it tough on you. You've got to mix it up. You can't be predictable because a guy like that will do some damage." The Reds were looking for their first three-game sweep of the Cubs in Cincinnati since September 1996. With the win, the Cubs ended a 20-game stretch in which they played 17 games on the road. "Before we left [on the trip] with an inexperienced group, to say we're going to [go .500] -- two thumbs up," Maddon said. "Our hitting has been fluctuating, starting pitching has been fluctuating.