Press Clippings September 22, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1996- becomes the first in major league history to join the 30-30 club. Since then, only Jimmy Rollins and Hanley Ramirez of the and Alex Rodriguez of the American League have matched this mark MLB.COM Reds ink Barnhart to 4-year, $16 million deal By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 9:10 AM ET + 3 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds did not wait until the offseason to secure for the long term. On Friday, Barnhart was signed to a four-year, $16 million contract with a $7.5 million club option for the 2022 season that has a $500,000 buyout. He also received a $1.75 million signing bonus.

A 2:30 p.m. ET press conference will be held with Barnhart and club executives at on Friday.

"Tucker has made us proud on the field with his play and off the field with his community involvement," Reds general Dick Williams said in a press release. "He worked his way up through our system, improving every step of the way, and has established himself as an elite defensive catcher and a productive offensive player. Switch-hitting who can impact the game defensively are tough to find."

Barnhart, 26, would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter. The deal covers all three of his arbitration years, and up to two more in which he could have become a free agent.

Barnhart was a 10th-round pick in the 2009 Draft. After a slow, steady rise through the organization, he established himself in the Majors when primary catcher was plagued by injuries.

Barnhart caught 73 games (67 starts) in 2015, and played 108 games (106 starts) behind the plate last season. Through 113 games this season, the switch-hitter is .272/.349/.399 with six home runs and 42 RBIs.

This year, Barnhart has excelled with defense and game-calling. He has thrown out 31 of 70 runners attempting to steal (44 percent) -- tops in the National League and second best in the Majors.

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.

Reds can't overpower Cardinals for Bailey By Mark Sheldon and Andy Call / MLB.com | 12:59 AM ET + 231 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Even given scant odds of making the postseason following a sweep by the first-place Cubs last weekend, the Cardinals did exactly what they needed to do in three games vs. the Reds -- win.

An 8-5 St. Louis victory over Cincinnati completed the series sweep at Great American Ball Park on Thursday night. It also put the Cards 1 1/2 games behind the Rockies for the second National League Wild Card spot. St. Louis remained five back in the NL Central race, but gained a game on Milwaukee, which sits 4 1/2 behind Chicago and one behind Colorado.

"These guys were coming off a tough weekend, and they did a nice job of clearing their minds of that," Cardinals manager said.

Carlos Martinez rebounded from allowing a career-high-tying seven runs at Chicago in his previous start and pitched 6 1/3 for the win, while and backed him up at the plate with two RBIs each.

"We didn't play very good baseball in Chicago, but our focus is game to game," said Molina, who raised his RBI total to a career- high 82.

Reds starting gave up some hard contact over his four innings while allowing four earned runs, seven hits and two walks with three . The first St. Louis came on Jose Martinez's two-out RBI single lined the opposite way to the right-field line. It was a 1-1 game when the Cardinals added three runs in the third on Fowler's two-run double and a sacrifice fly by Molina.

"The first two hitters were out in three pitches. After that, it was labor-intensive to get the outs," said Reds manager , who pulled Bailey for a pinch-hitter with runners on first and second base in the fourth. "They gave him some really good at-bats, laid off some borderline pitches and were able to put together some things."

The Cardinals' lead was 4-3 in the seventh when Molina ripped an RBI double to the wall in center field against reliever and went to third base on the throw to the plate. That enabled Molina to score on 's groundout to first base.

"When you're coming off a sweep, the best way to solve that is with a sweep in your favor," Cardinals Matt Carpenter said.

Carlos Martinez gave up four earned runs, nine hits and one intentional walk with six strikeouts. It wasn't the prettiest of outings as a wild pitch to Patrick Kivlehan scored in the second inning. a two-run homer in the fourth and added a solo homer in the seventh.

In the top of the ninth, the Cardinals pulled away with two runs against , with Greg Garcia's pinch-hit RBI double and an RBI single from Alex Mejia stretching the lead to 8-4. Schebler hit his second homer of the game while facing Zach Duke to the bottom of the ninth.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Fowler stays clutch: Fowler's torrid series continued in the finale, as he went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. With no outs in the third inning, he hit a double over the head of Ervin in center field that snapped a 1-1 tie. Fowler was 7-for-13 in the series with two home runs, three doubles, six RBIs and six runs scored.

Fed to the Lyons: Schebler's one-out monster homer in the seventh -- 432 feet and 110-mph exit velocity according to Statcast™ -- was followed by a Zack Cozart single to force Martinez out. Lefty reliever Tyler Lyons was summoned and he proved filthy. was in command with a 2-0 count before Lyons struck him out while he looked at three sliders. After a 1-0 count, Scooter Gennett missed badly while swinging at two sliders before he took a called third strike on a 91-mph fastball to end the inning.

"That was an amazing effort by Lyons," Matheny said. "For him to be able to work that deep into his pitch count (38 pitches) was a huge asset for us."

QUOTABLE

"They both have come up and have given us a shot of life when they've had an opportunity to play." -- Price, on Ervin and Winker. Ervin has hits in seven of his last eight games, while Winker has a five-game hit streak

"These were huge games, every single one of them. It's a great opportunity for us. We'll just have to see how it works out with the teams we don't have any control over." -- Matheny

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Molina's two RBIs were Nos. 21 and 22 in August, the most productive single month of his 14-year career.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cardinals: The Cardinals open a three-game series in Pittsburgh on Friday at 6:05 p.m. CT at PNC Park. Michael Wacha (12-8, 4.02 ERA) will start for St. Louis against Ivan Nova (11-14, 4.20). Wacha is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts against the Pirates this season.

Reds: The final homestand of the season begins vs. the Red Sox at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, the first game of a three-game series. Sal Romano will make the start and try to continue his hot stretch. Romano is 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA over his last six starts and pitched eight scoreless innings in a 2-1 win over the Pirates on Saturday.

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. Andy Call is a contributor to MLB.com based in Cincinnati and covered the Cardinals on Thursday. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Slumping Schebler turns it around with 2 HRs By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 21st, 2017 + 17 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Scott Schebler's second-half struggles haven't sat well with the Reds . Schebler has been streaky in his two seasons in Cincinnati, but his post-All-Star break results have been particularly dismal.

Schebler entered Thursday batting .193/.286/.393 with five home runs in the second half after he slugged 22 homers in the first half. There was only one homer in September. But in his final two at-bats in the Reds' 8-5 loss to the Cardinals, there was some big life with a pair of home runs.

A day earlier, Schebler was talking with hitting coaches Don Long and Tony Jaramillo about his hitting. What did they tell him?

"If you look at it as a positive, this could be the moment that propels me to be really, really good in the big leagues, going through a moment where you're really struggling," Schebler said. "If I look at it the right way, it can become a positive."

In his seventh-inning at-bat vs. Carlos Martinez in a 1-0 count, Schebler attacked a 93-mph fastball and crushed a solo homer to right field that landed in the last few rows of seats. According to Statcast™, it traveled 432 feet and had an exit velocity of 110 mph.

"The fourth time around, you've seen him enough and you're waiting for a certain pitch in a certain location, and he threw it there," Schebler said.

Against left reliever Zach Duke in the ninth, Schebler made it a three-run game when he led off by hitting a 1-1 pitch into the right- field seats. The distance was 389 feet, but he zinged it at 109 mph.

It was Schebler's third career multi-homer game, and second this season. Overall, he has a career-high 29 homers and 63 RBIs while batting .236/.314/.497.

Schebler spent Aug. 1-17 on the disabled list with a left shoulder strain, but he had been laboring with the injury since June without telling anyone. Prospect Jesse Winker is challenging for playing time, and there could be a division of duty among Schebler, Winker and in the corner-outfield spots. Duvall has also dipped in the second half.

The last stretch of nine games could help Schebler go into the offseason on better footing.

"He hit two balls right on the screws. You couldn't hit them any harder," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "That's what he's capable of doing. He doesn't need to hit 30, 40 or 50 home runs to help us. But the quality of the at-bat and consistency, that would really put him on a trajectory to really be a big impact player for us."

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 to protect fans with added netting By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 21st, 2017 + 7 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds announced plans on Thursday to install expanded netting at Great American Ball Park ahead of the 2018 season. The new netting will stretch to the far ends of each dugout.

The current netting that covers the seats behind home plate meets Major League Baseball's recommended guideline, but the new setup will go beyond that standard. Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has advocated for the Reds to expand their netting, especially after he saw a girl struck by a ball the first week of the season.

"I don't think it will take away from the experience," Cozart said. "There is netting behind home plate and those are the best seats you can get. I think it should be a peace of mind thing for parents who don't have to hone in on their kids. They can do whatever they want and not worry about a line drive or chopped ground ball coming towards their son or daughter."

Cozart, who has a wife and a 3-year-old son, noted that he makes sure his family's tickets to games -- at home or on the road -- are either behind netting or in the upper deck. He would like to see all teams extend their netting to protect more fans from the potential of injury.

The Reds apparently had expanded netting in the works for a while. A Reds spokesperson said that Thursday's announcement was not in response to an incident at on Wednesday when Yankees third baseman -- a former Reds All- Star -- lined a foul ball into the third-base section of seats. The ball struck a young girl, who was assisted by medical personnel before being carried out and taken to the hospital.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be centered around our young fan and her family," the Yankees said in a statement on Thursday. "We remain in direct contact with her family and the hospital, and we will provide any and all assistance that may be necessary."

"As players, it's the last thing we want," Cozart said. "I'm sure Todd feels terrible about what happened yesterday at Yankee Stadium. Every player, you could see that it affected them.

"Even if I sat above the dugout with my glove -- and I play at the highest level -- if one of those lined shots came, I might not even be able to catch it. Even when they're paying attention, some of the balls come at them so hard. It's just not safe. I get frustrated every time this subject comes up."

Before the Reds' announcement, manager Bryan Price was also a proponent of expanded netting.

"I do know that I've had family members and friends that have been in the exposed seating close by," Price said. "I would much prefer to have them behind home plate with the protective netting, for all the obvious reasons."

Farrell hopes to pitch against dad's Red Sox

Reds long reliever Luke Farrell couldn't help anticipating the next series on the schedule. The Red Sox will be at Great American Ball Park for three games and are managed by his father, John.

"For me, my dad has never been able to me growing up or playing in high school," Farrell said. "To pitch against him from across the field while he's coaching and I'm playing, especially at this level, would be a really cool thing."

The Red Sox spent their Thursday off-day in Cincinnati, and the Farrells got to hang out.

"I think he probably has the best scouting report available," Farrell said of his father. "He probably is [sharing it]; they're trying to get into the playoffs. I know they clinched, but they're trying to get a division, too."

If Luke does get to pitch, it would be the first time a Major League player faced his manager father's club since 2004, when Moises Alou played against a Giants team skippered by Felipe Alou.

"Extremely unique," Price said. "I know John saw Luke pitch in Kansas City when he made his debut [for the Royals on July 1], which I thought was sensational."

Price hoped he could find a way to get Farrell into one of the three games.

"When you can provide those moments, it sure is a nice thing to do," 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.

Romano starts as Red Sox visit for family affair By Ian Browne / MLB.com | September 21st, 2017 + 114 COMMENTS

As the Red Sox head to their final road series of the regular season in hopes of getting to an American League East title, rookie gets to experience the thrill of playing at home for the first time on Friday night.

Benintendi, who grew up a Reds fan while living 12 miles from Great American Ball Park, will enjoy all the comforts of home this weekend.

"It's going to be fun to sleep in my own bed, to see my dog," said Benintendi. "There will probably be too many people to count that are going to be there [at the games]."

The house Benintendi will sleep in is the same one his family has lived in since 2001.

When the series opens on Friday, there will be a cheering section of close to 1,000 people from Benintendi's hometown of Madeira, Ohio.

Two of Benintendi's uncles on his paternal side -- Bobby and Brian -- orchestrated the legion of supporters by buying a large block of tickets for the game.

"Everybody lives close to the stadium -- pretty much -- in my family, so it will be convenient for all of them to get there," Benintendi said. "I watched games growing up there as a kid and so did everybody else in my family, so it will be kind of cool to play on that field."

Andrew's dad, Chris, and his mother, Jill, will be in a smaller cheering section with both sets of grandparents.

"Everybody is pretty excited," said Chris Benintendi. "We're probably more excited than Andrew is, but he'll be glad to be home and you can imagine the whole family is pretty much coming in and a ton of friends. All the siblings, really, and the whole town of Madeira, where he went to school."

Aside from the Benintendi reunion, there is another feel-good subplot. Red Sox manager 's son Luke is a September callup for the Reds. It will be the first time the manager has competed against his son. Farrell attended Luke's Major League debut in Kansas City as a spectator on July 1. Luke Farrell has made four relief appearances for Cincinnati since being called up.

"There might be a little trash talk, why not?" Luke Farrell joked on Thursday.

Reds manager Bryan Price hoped he would get Luke into a game, which would be the first time a Major League player has played against a team managed by his father since 2004. The Cubs' Moises Alou played a Giants club managed by Felipe Alou.

"We may not have the luxury to do that if you're in first place by a game," Price said. "When you're not, it does provide you with some opportunities to hopefully have some special moments for their families."

The Red Sox hold a three-game lead in the AL East and clinched a postseason berth by virtue of the Angels' 6-5 loss to the Indians. At a minimum, Boston will play in the AL Wild Card Game on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

Right-hander Rick Porcello gets the nod in Game 1 for the Red Sox. He will be opposed by righty Sal Romano. This is the first matchup between Boston and Cincinnati since 2014.

Three things to know about this game

• Rookie Rafael Devers got Wednesday's game off, and the Red Sox hope the rest will help him emerge from his recent defensive slump. Devers has made errors in five straight games.

• Reds Billy Hamilton could play in games this weekend after he took batting practice the last couple of days. Hamilton was activated from the disabled list Wednesday after coming back from a fractured left thumb he sustained on Sept. 6.

• This is just the third time the Red Sox have played in Cincinnati since the epic 1975 that the Reds won in seven games.

Ian Browne has covered the Red Sox for MLB.com since 2002. Follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne and Facebook. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds lock up Tucker Barnhart through 2021, with a club option for 2022 Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 8:59 a.m. ET Sept. 22, 2017 | Updated 9:24 a.m. ET Sept. 22, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds and catcher Tucker Barnhart have agreed to a four-year extension with a fifth-year option, the team announced Friday morning.

The deal guarantees Barnhart $16 million, according to a source. He'll receive a $1.75 million signing bonus, and will receive the following salaries throughout the course of the deal:

2018: $4 miliion 2019: $2.5 million 2020: $3.5 million 2021: $3.75 million 2022: Team option for $7.5 million with a buyout of $500,000

Per another source, the deal was front-loaded to give the Reds flexibility to make additions as they move into their contention window.

The deal is similar to the first extension signed by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina in 2008. Molina had not yet become the all-pro catcher he wound up being at that point -- in fact, his offensive numbers through three years of service time are similar to Barnhart's -- and signed for four years and a club option for a fifth year along with $15.5 million guaranteed. (Although inflation would make Molina's deal slightly richer in 2017 dollars.)

Barnhart will be 27 all of next season and will be coming off his best year as a big-leaguer. He’s a legitimate Gold Glove candidate this season and has hit .269 with a .348 on-base percentage and a .746 OPS.

He would have entered arbitration eligibility this offseason, so the deal covers the three remaining years of team control while buying out two would-be free agent years if the option is exercised. Barnhart can now be controlled through the 2022 season.

The Reds have some interesting catching prospects at the lower minors, but Barnhart represents the only reliable option at the position at or near the major-league level. Former All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco will finish his third straight year on the disabled list, this time with a broken toe. There is no clear heir apparent waiting in the upper minors.

Barnhart has been the Rock of Gibraltar for the Reds out of necessity. He started 67 games at catcher in 2015 when Mesoraco required hip surgery, and started another 108 there a year later when Mesoraco needed two more operations. He began both of those seasons as the second-string option at best. A switch-hitter, he hit .255/.323/.359 over those two campaigns.

This past spring, he’d at least earned co-starter status along with Mesoraco, although again wound up handling most of the catching duties. Barnhart has started 98 of the team’s 153 games behind the plate, and leads the National League in caught-stealing percentage and defensive Wins Above Replacement as calculated by Baseball-Reference.

“Tucker has made us proud on the field with his play and off the field with his community involvement," Reds general manager Dick Williams said in a team statement. “He worked his way up through our system, improving every step of the way, and has established himself as an elite defensive catcher and a productive offensive player. Switch hitting catchers who can impact the game defensively are tough to find.”

Barnhart has played so much because another catcher extension hasn't gone so well for them. Before the 2015 season, the Reds locked up Mesoraco with a four-year extension that guaranteed him $28 million. Because of injuries, Mesoraco has played in just 95 games since signing that deal.

The two extensions aren't very comparable, though. Mesoraco was a former first-round pick who was more of an offensive force and was coming off an All-Star season. The Reds drafted Barnhart out of an Indiana high school in the 10th round of the 2009 draft, and Barnhart's gradually added a solid offensive game on top of a strong defensive structure.

His extension is the first notable move the Reds have made to retain a player beyond his years of team control since the rebuild began. Previously, the Reds had been in the mode of trading players the closer they got to free agency, as in the cases of , , Todd Frazier and .

Barnhart will speak about the deal in a press conference set for 2:30 p.m. Friday.

BAR Mailbag: Does Eugenio Suarez hit cleanup in 2018? Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 6:56 a.m. ET Sept. 22, 2017

The Blog Above Replacement a daily look at the Cincinnati Reds, their minor leagues and whatever else is on the mind of Enquirer Reds beat writers, C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan. You can follow them on Twitter (@ctrent and @ZachENQ), Facebook (C. Trent Rosecrans and Zach Buchanan) and Instagram (ENQReds).

And a very merry Friday to you. Let's get to our penultimate mailbag of the season.

#HeyBARtender what are the chances Suarez opens up 2018 as ? Good eye (high OBP) behind Votto could be dynamic.

#HeyBARtender what's Wily Mo Pena up to?

Alex gets a two-fer here. To tackle his first question about Eugenio Suarez, the clean-up spot is one of two spots that make a lot of sense for him. Were it up to me, I would have Jesse Winker batting leadoff and Suarez and his .380-ish on-base percentage batting second, but that leaves you with a bit of a hole behind three-hole hitter Joey Votto.

Adam Duvall served there admirably the first half of the season, but has struggled in the second half and has been bumped down in the order. Scott Schebler or Scooter Gennett could be options, but you'd rather not have another left-handed hitter batting behind Votto. Perhaps the equation changes if plays any kind of meaningful role on next year's team, but that's a big if.

As for ol' Wily Mo Pena, he's currently playing for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. The most recent stats I could find show him hitting .252/.330/.515 with 13 home runs in 63 games.

Do the Reds fall into a false sense of security about the young pitching for 2018 based on the past couple weeks? My fear is they feel they don't need to add a pitcher or only a Feldman type and waste another year of great offense. -- Vin Lipinski

The Reds have talked before about adding a big-league pitcher or two in the offseason, and someone who is not just a stopgap type. At the very least, they need someone who can FOR SURE provide 200 innings. They did not have that this season.

The progress of the youngsters this year has been encouraging, but that's not enough to propel this team significantly forward like they're hoping for next year. I would expect them to add a .

#heyBARtender Are there any veteran starters who the Reds might pick up in the offseason? Seems like this is a need.

The upcoming free agent class is pretty thin, which means prices could be inflated. The bidding will center around and . The next tier lower includes names like , Jaime Garcia, Jeremy Hellickson, , and .

Some of those guys are no-brainers to receive qualifying offers. Some of them may accept those offers, taking them off the market. Those who don't will require the sacrifice of draft picks to sign. But I could see a scenario where one of those guys could be had at the right price. There are some other names among the impeding free agents who could be interesting as well.

ICYMI

- Yadier Molina had some nice things to say about -- and some tips for -- Tucker Barnhart.

- Reds reliever Luke Farrell could pitch against his dad, skipper John Farrell, this weekend.

- The Reds will expand netting along the dugouts for next season.

Cincinnati Reds recap: St. Louis Cardinals complete sweep C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 10:28 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017 | Updated 11:08 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017

The St. Louis Cardinals, clinging to fading playoff hopes, completed a sweep of the Reds on Thursday with a 8-5 victory at Great American Ball Park.

The loss dropped the Reds to 9-10 against the Cardinals this season. Cincinnati hasn’t beaten the St. Louis in a season series since 2011. It marked the Cardinals’ first sweep in Cincinnati since 2010.

Here are the main storylines from Thursday:

Bailey gone early: Reds manager Bryan Price lifted starter Homer Bailey after just four innings of work. Bailey gave up four runs on seven hits with two walks (one intentional) and three strikeouts.

The Cardinals scored three off of Bailey in the third. After back-to-back singles to start the inning, center fielder Dexter Fowler hit a two-run double to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Fowler then tagged up on a fantastic diving play by Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart in foul territory and scored on a sacrifice line out by Yadier Molina.

Bailey loaded the bases on a double, an intentional walk and an infield single in the fourth, but got Fowler to fly out to end the inning.

The Reds got back to within a run in the bottom of the inning and with two on and one out, Bryan Price elected to go to his bench to try to take the lead. Adam Duvall lined out to the track in right and then Scott Schebler grounded out to end the inning.

Price said he thought Bailey wasn't as sharp as he'd been in more recent starts, and also liked the matchup of Duvall against Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez.

"It was not an easy decision to make to take Homer out of that game," Price said. "I like the way he's competing. He has some things to accomplish before the season's out, too. He's down to one more start. So that was tough."

Added Bailey: "I think that Bryan's the manager, and it's his decision to make and not mine to question."

It was Bailey’s shortest start since leaving after three innings with back discomfort on Aug. 22.

Schebled: Scott Schebler led off the seventh and ninth innings with solo homers. He now has 29 home runs on the season.

It was Schebler’s third career multi-homer game and second this season.

Entering Thursday, Schebler had hit just .193 in the second half -- although for the first month of that, he was playing with an injured shoulder -- but thinks the experience will make him better in the long run.

"This could be the moment that propels me to be really, really good in the big leagues," Schebler said. "Going through a moment like that where you're really struggling. If I look at it the right way, I think it can become a positive."

The kids are alright: Rookie Jesse Winker and Phillip Ervin combined for three hits and three runs in the game.

Winker doubled in the second and then scored on a wild pitch. He singled in the fourth and scored on Ervin’s third of the season.

Ervin, who started in center, also walked, finishing 1 for 3. In eight starts this season, Ervin is hitting .321/.406/.607.

Winker, starting in left for the first time, was 2 for 5. In his 26 starts for the Reds this season, he’s hitting .286/.358/.480.

"They've both come up and given us a shot of life," Price said.

Lefties looking: Cardinals manager Mike Matheny brought in lefty Tyler Lyons with one out in the ninth and the tying run coming to the plate in the form of Joey Votto.

It turned out to be the right decision. Lyons not only got Votto to strike out looking, but then also got Scooter Gennett looking to end the threat.

Lyons got into a bit of trouble in the eighth after walking Ervin and Patrick Kivlehan, but he was able to strike out pinch-hitter Zach Vincej looking to end the threat.

Martinez was good enough against the Reds, allowing four runs on nine hits, including two home runs. He improved to 12-11 on the season.

Tucker Barnhart has Yadier Molina’s stamp of catcher approval Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 7:44 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017 | Updated 8:18 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017

Tucker Barnhart has idolized Yadier Molina since he was in high school. When Barnhart made his major-league debut with the Cincinnati Reds back in 2014, the storied St. Louis Cardinals catcher made a point to wish him a long and successful career. Barnhart calls it his “Welcome to the Majors” moment.

So when the Reds visited St. Louis last week, Barnhart reached out to ask for an expert’s audit of his catching skill set. Molina obliged this week with his Cardinals in Cincinnati, spending several minutes chatting with Barnhart before Wednesday’s game.

“He’s arguably the best catcher of all time,” Barnhart said Thursday. “Why wouldn’t I reach out to him?”

The 35-year-old Molina had noticed a small tweak that could be made in how Barnhart prepares to throw down to second, but in general doesn’t find much wanting in the 26-year-old Reds backstop. He’s been a fan of Barnhart’s since first watching him four seasons ago.

By many metrics – including caught-stealing percentage and some calculations of Wins Above Replacement – Barnhart is enjoying his best season yet behind the plate. Molina has enjoyed watching him blossom.

“He’s got a pretty good shot to win a Gold Glove,” Molina said. “I like the way he catches.”

Gold Glove ballots already have been submitted, but Barnhart’s resume has a lot going for it. He leads the National League in throwing out would-be stealers, both in raw numbers (31) and rate (46 percent). No NL player – at any position – has a higher defensive WAR as calculated by Baseball-Reference, and no NL catcher has a better Defensive Rating or has more Defensive Runs Saved as compiled by FanGraphs.

Barnhart also has held his own when holding a bat, but defense will always be his calling card. He knows he’ll never be the type of offensive threat that garners MVP votes, and he won't waste time dreaming of it. A Gold Glove, though…

“For me,” Barnhart said, “there’d be no bigger honor.”

Barnhart made it to the big leagues on the back of his catching talents, but his improvement even from a year ago has been notable. Last year, baserunners tried to swipe bags on him more frequently and with more success. He nailed a third of them, but was by no means the best in the league at doing so.

He didn’t settle for the status quo, though. This past winter, he worked with catching coach Mike Stefanski on both throwing and blocking balls. To improve the latter, Barnhart transitioned from falling forward onto his knees to kicking his feet out from under him so his knees drop straight to the ground. The idea is that instead of meeting the ball’s force with his own momentum – thereby sending the carom off his body farther from the plate – he can steal some of the ball’s force from it and keep it closer.

As for his throwing, Barnhart completely retooled his footwork in order to help his accuracy. The next mission is something Barnhart’s tried to improve for a long time, and something Molina identified as well – shortening the distance his glove has to go to meet his throwing hand, to gain just a millisecond more time to nab a runner.

Barnhart is already pretty good at controlling the running game – especially considering the relative inexperience of the he’s worked with – but catching baserunners is a top priority for him.

“That’s the one time that it’s me against another guy and that’s it,” Barnhart said. ‘When I was young, I took a ton of pride in that. Obviously, it’s part of the game, and it’s not like they’re trying to rub it in my face that they can steal on me. But I used to take it like that when I was a lot younger.”

If there’s a hole in his Gold Glove resume, it’s pitch-framing. The Reds don’t value it as highly as other organizations, or as much as many in the sabermetric community. But they still think it’s a piece of the puzzle, and it’s one at which Barnhart and other Reds catchers rarely have excelled. Depending on the metric, Barnhart is either the fifth- or sixth-worst framer in the majors this year.

He thinks he’s improved at getting the low strike, although heat maps of his called strikes from this year and last year seem to say the opposite. Barnhart also thinks his smaller build – he’s quite generously listed at 5-foot-11 – costs him the high strike. He’s confident that his overall numbers will improve the more he works at it, and once he’s not handling an endless stream of rookie pitchers with whom he has to build familiarity and rapport.

Of course, pitch-framing stats aren’t really the bread-and-butter for the coaches and managers who vote to determine Gold Glove winners. And there are worse endorsements to get than one from Molina, who has won eight of them.

“We’ve played him many times in this division and we’ve faced him a long time,” Molina said. “He’s a good catcher. He likes to block the ball, that’s what I like. He’s in good position. I admire that with him.”

Reds' Luke Farrell looking forward to playing against his dad, Red Sox C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 6:09 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017

If Reds right-hander Luke Farrell pitches in any of the three games this weekend against Boston, the Red Sox will probably have a good idea of what to expect.

“I think he probably has the best scouting report available,” Farrell said of the Red Sox manager, his father John Farrell. “He probably is (sharing it with his team). They’re trying to get into the playoffs. I know they clinched but they’re trying to get a division too.”

John Farrell left the Red Sox for a day earlier this season to see his son’s Major League debut when he was pitching for the Royals. The Reds claimed him on waivers in August and this weekend the elder Farrell could see his son pitch again, but this time from the dugout.

“It’d be really cool. I don’t know how many times something like that has happened in baseball history,” said Luke Farrell, who spent some time with his dad on Thursday. “For me, my Dad has never been able to coach me growing up or playing in high school. To pitch against him from across the field while he’s coaching and I’m playing, especially at this level, would be a really cool thing.”

Reds manager Bryan Price said he’d like to find a chance to get Luke Farrell into one of the three games against the Red Sox. Farrell has appeared in five games for the Reds this season, including one inning in Wednesday’s loss to the Cardinals.

“Sometimes the opportunity doesn't present itself,” Price said. “The priority is to going out there and winning the ball game, but when you can provide those moments, it sure is a nice thing to do.”

Price said he’s tried to make room for some of those special types of moments this year – giving New Jersey native Patrick Kivlehan starts in Philadelphia and New York and starting Zach Vincej on the last day his family was in town. Chad Wallach’s dad, Tim, was able to make it to Cincinnati to see his son’s first start. Tim Wallach is currently the Marlins’ bench coach.

“You don't have the luxury to do that if you're in first place by a game,” Price said. “But when you're not, that does provide you with some opportunities to get these guys in for some special moments here in front of their families.”

Reds to extend netting at Great American Ball Park C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 5:27 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017 | Updated 5:39 p.m. ET Sept. 21, 2017

The Reds will expand the netting at Great American Ball Park to the end of the each dugout for the 2018 season, the team announced on Thursday.

Wednesday, a young girl was hospitalized in New York after being hit by a foul ball off the bat of former Reds third baseman Todd Frazier. The incident reinvigorated calls for expanded netting at ballparks across baseball.

“It's about time,” said Reds shortstop Zack Cozart. “It makes me mad because that's a very avoidable thing. The netting, if you go sit behind home plate and you watch the game, you don't know the netting's there. I don't think that's going to be an issue at all.”

The Reds said the netting will exceed the standards set by Major League Baseball. The current netting behind home plate at Great American Ball Park goes only to where the camera wells start on the home-plate side of the dugouts.

The Reds said further details of the dimensions of the netting will be available after the installation. The Reds open the 2018 season on March 29 against the at Great American Ball Park.

The team had been planning on expanding the netting, but Wednesday’s incident in New York brought it to the forefront again.

Major League Baseball recommended netting in front of field-level seats between the dugouts to 70 feet within home plate in 2015. At the time, the Reds said their netting exceeded the recommendation.

Before the 2017 season, the Reds’ low- team in Dayton extended netting to the entire length of the seating area at Fifth Third Field.

Cozart said his family sits behind the netting at Great American Ball Park and if the players’ family seats aren’t behind netting or in the upper deck, his wife and 3-year-old son don’t go to the game.

“Even if I'm sitting there with my glove, sitting right above the dugout – and I play shortstop in the big leagues – Frazier hits that ball 105 right at me, there's no guarantee I'm going to catch it, much less someone who doesn't play baseball,” Cozart said. “Why not take that out of it? Just extend the nets to the end of the dugout, make that mandatory at every ballpark.”

Cozart noted that both MLB and mandated helmets for coaches on the field after minor-league coach Mike Coolbaugh died after being hit in the head by a line drive in 2007.

The National Hockey League extended netting in all of its arenas after the death of 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil in Columbus in 2002.

“I don't know the whole story of what happened in Columbus, I don't want us to wait until someone dies,” Cozart said. “That's what hockey went through – why do we have to wait? Let's be proactive.”

Major League Baseball continues to encourage its fans to look down at their phones, from in-seat food ordering to interactive quizzes on the scoreboard and even old-fashioned scorekeeping.

New ballparks also tout closer seating to the action, often bring more risk.

“I know that I have had family members and friends that have been in the exposed seating close by and I would much prefer to have them behind home plate behind the protective netting for all the obvious reasons,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “There's not something I know more than other people, the one thing I do know is that the balls and bats can get into the stands in short order." WCPO - Channel 9 Will it take a fan's death for MLB to get safer? John Fay 7:25 PM, Sep 21, 2017

CINCINNATI -- Reds shortstop Zack Cozart was never concerned about getting his wife good seats for a road game. The priority was getting safe ones.

"I find out where the seating is for the families," he said. "If the seating's not behind the net or in the upper deck, then my family doesn't go."

Cozart was impassioned about the need for more protection for the fans even before Todd Frazier's line drive foul ball struck a 3- year-old in the face Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

"I'm frustrated with MLB over this," Cozart said Thursday. "I specifically went to the Reds because a girl was hit earlier in the year and had a bad injury. I witnessed it. I went to the Reds and said something about it. Obviously, they didn't take my word. There's no netting up."

A hour or so after Cozart spoke, the Reds announced that additional netting would be added for the 2018 season.

Major League Baseball sets guidelines for nets, but leaves the actually installation up to individual teams. The Reds meet the current guidelines, but in the wake of the happened in New York issued this statement:

The Cincinnati Reds plan to install additional netting at Great American Ball Park for the 2018 season, extending new netting to the end of each dugout and replacing the existing netting behind home plate.

The Reds' ongoing commitment to providing the best ballpark experience includes maintaining the safety and security of our fans.

The expanded netting will be installed during the offseason and will be in place by 2018, when the Reds take on the Washington Nationals at 4:10 p.m. ET.

Wednesday's incident was frightening, horrible and completely avoidable.

If Major League Baseball mandated that the netting extend from the backstop to at least the end of the dugouts, incidents like Wednesday's would not happen.

The girl struck reportedly was OK and recovering in New York hospital. But, again, she shouldn't have ended up in the hospital at all.

In a former life, I covered 130 to 135 games a year. I can't count the times when everyone in the park held their breath after a line shot went into the stands and struck a fan.

It's a matter of time before an incident like this ends with a fatality. It's simple physics. Fans are sitting closer than ever to the action. The pitchers are throwing with more velocity. The ball is harder. It's leaving the bat at incredible speeds -- 100-plus on the regular basis.

When a projectile comes into the stands at that speed, even those with the quickest reflexes cannot avoid it.

"I like it," Reds manager Bryan Price said, "for all the obvious reasons. There's not something I know more of than other people. The one thing I know is that balls and bats get into the stands in short order. There's no fault for anyone."

Frazier's drive had some bend to it and left the bat at 105 mph.

"If I'm sitting there in the stands with a glove, I probably can't catch that ball," Cozart said.

And he's factoring in that he's a major league shortstop and he's paying attention. In the smart-phone era, fans in the first couple of rows might not even be looking at the field.

"In today's age with phones, even my wife's not going to pay attention the whole time," Cozart said. "It's a three-hour game. It's inevitable that people aren't going to be paying attention the whole time.

"I'll go out there tonight and you'll see 10 kids above the dugout. It's impossible for these parents to pay 100 percent attention to that. At any moment, it can happen with that line drive that Todd hit.

"It's frustrating for me because I think this issue is pretty simple to fix by mandating every place has it. They can figure it with the engineering."

The argument against netting is it detracts from the fans' experience, but the most expensive seats at every ball park are behind home plate -- and those are behind netting.

"For me as a parent, to 100 percent enjoy the game I want to know I'm safe," Cozart said, "rather than worry about protecting your kid, knowing a line drive might come."

Cozart doesn't think nets will kill fan interaction.

"We'll still find ways to give balls away," he said. "That's not an issue."

Again, Cozart hopes all of baseball takes some action.

"I guess it's going to have to be like hockey where somebody dies," Cozart said. "But there's hopefully enough guys around the league to talk about this. The Yankees and Twins talked about it.

"It just has to be done."

Reds will extend safety netting for 2018 following latest ballpark injury Jay Warren, WCPO Staff 4:37 PM, Sep 21, 2017

CINCINNATI - The Reds have announced plans to extend safety netting to the end of the dugouts for the 2018 season following the gruesome injury to a child at Yankee Stadium this week.

Thursday's announcement came after a 3-year-old girl was hit in the face by a 105-mph foul ball by former Red Todd Frazier Wednesday afternoon.

Most fans arriving for the Reds-Cardinals game Thursday night liked the idea of expanding the netting at Great American Ball Park.

James Cheadle, Cincinnati: "Should there be more netting? Yes. I would say require more netting for the safety of children and the safety of everybody."

Katelyn Schaeper, Reading, Ohio: "You picked your seats. You sat there. You know what - I don't want to say consequences - but you know what is coming. I mean, you know why you're at a ballgame and a foul ball is always a possibility."

Nathan Garbig, Covington, Kentucky: "You can always say you want the experience, but it's all fun and games until someone gets hit in the eye."

Darnell Raglin, Cincinnati: "The nets should be expanded because the nets protect the children."

Dave Pascual: "Being an ex-baseball player myself, I've seen many injuries occur with foul balls, bats being thrown out of hands, so yes, definitely, the net should be extended.”

The Reds also said they would replace the current netting behind home plate.

Here is the statement from the Reds:

"The Cincinnati Reds plan to install additional netting at Great American Ball Park for the 2018 season, extending new netting to the end of each dugout and replacing the existing netting behind home plate.

"The Reds’ ongoing commitment to providing the best ballpark experience includes maintaining the safety and security of our fans.

"The expanded netting will be installed during the offseason and will be in place by Opening Day 2018, when the Reds take on the Washington Nationals at 4:10 p.m. ET.

"The existing netting meets Major League Baseball’s recommended guidelines, and the new netting will go beyond the standards established by the Commissioner’s Office.

"Further information will be available upon installation."

The and also announced they would extend the netting at their ballparks.

As of Opening Day, only five ballparks out of 30 had netting all the way to the end of the dugouts, according to the New York Daily News.

In 2015, MLB recommended - but did not mandate - that netting extend to the near end of both dugouts or 70 feet from home plate.

"It remains an ongoing discussion in the industry," Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday night. "We gave some guidelines two years ago, and what we have done since then is that we have encouraged the individual clubs to engage in a localized process, look at their own stadiums - every stadium's different - and to try to make a good decision about how far the netting should go in order to promote fan safety."

Frazier, Yankee teammates and Twins players said Baseball needs to take more measures to keep fans safe.

Twins Brian Dozier said he doesn't care if more netting obstructs views from the expensive seats behind the dugouts.

"I don't care about the damn view of a fan or what,'' Dozier said after Wednesday's game. "It's all about safety. I still have a knot in my stomach."

The girl's father told reporters outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital that "it's too early to tell" if the girl would need surgery, The New York Times reported.

Frazier, who has two kids under 3, was distraught. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Hal McCoy: Reds rookie pitcher still intrigues despite struggles By Hal McCoy - Contributing Writer Posted: 10:14 a.m. Friday, September 22, 2017

Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about our nation’s pastime. Tap into that knowledge with an email to [email protected].

Q: If stealing signs has forever been part of the game then why did the Red Sox need an Apple Watch to do so? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek.

A: They started stealing signs about the same time the telephone was invented in 1876. They did it with the naked eye from dugouts with sign language, they did it with binoculars from scoreboards, they did it with TVs in the clubhouse. If there is technology, like the Apple Watch, somebody is going to find a way to use it. Everybody does it and the trick is not to get caught, just like grand larceny.

Q Is there any hope for Reds pitcher after he looked so promising and now he has two good pitches and can’t throw any others for strikes? — JIMMY, Cincinnati.

A: There is always hope for a 6-foot-6 left-hander who can throw hard. I’m convinced his confidence was shattered when he was doing well early in the season and the Reds sent him back to the minors to save some service time. He hasn’t been the same since and had to wonder, “Why was I sent back?” All he needs to do is learn to repeat his delivery so that he throws quality strikes. He’ll be fine. If not, there is always European basketball for the former St. John’s player.

Q: Do umpires rub mud on the before games at Dayton’s Fifth Third Field the way umpires do in the majors? — DAN, Vandalia.

A: Yes, and they use the same mud dug out of the banks of the Delaware River. It is the duty of the umpires but they like to farm it out to a clubhouse attendant and they give him an extra tip. I’d like to help the umpires out before a game at Great American Ball Park but mud on my laptop keys is not a good thing.

Q: If you were coming to bat, what would be your walk-up song? — RON, Vandalia.

A: First of all I wouldn’t walk up there without wearing a full set of armor and the fans could call me Sir Whiffalot. My walk-up songs would be Coward of the County by Kenny Rogers (the singer, not the pitcher) and Paperback Writer by the Beatles.

Q: Do you see MLB switching to electronic umpiring any time soon? I hope they do because the would be far more consistent and fair, right? — STEVE, Vandalia.

A: Unfortunately, yes. And it will happen as soon as the equipment is perfected and debugged. My guess is that the machines won’t be infallible (they make mistakes, too) and fans will be clamoring for the human touch again. Even if machines begin calling strikes, they’ll still need an at home plate to make safe and out calls and balk calls and hurry up conferences on the mound. So why do it? Let’s go all the way and invent robots to play the game and be done with it.

Q: A few years ago there was talk about the Reds not having leadership in the clubhouse and then Todd Frazier emerged. Now that Todd is no longer with the Reds, has any one player emerged to fill that role? — NANCY, Springfield.

A: The better the team the more you hear about leadership and the worse the team the less you hear. There is clubhouse leadership, led by Zack Cozart and Scooter Gennett. But it isn’t likely either will be with the Reds next year so two more leaders bite the dust. Joey Votto is an introvert, but he does lead by example and does answer questions when asked. Just remember, though, leaders can’t be picked. They earn that respect from their teammates.

Q: In the first 40 games since they acquired Jay Bruce in August the were 34-6. Was he the Tribe’s missing piece? — LARRY, Springfield.

A: The Cleveland Indians are a puzzle with no missing pieces. They made the World Series without him last year. While Jay Bruce is one of my all-time favorite Reds, it is likely the Indians would be doing what they are doing without him. He was just an extremely valuable addition to a roster already stuffed with talent. He is hitting .261 with five homers and 20 RBIs in 126 plate appearances with Cleveland. That’s OK, but certainly not eye-popping. One thing is certain — the players in the Indians clubhouse love him.

Q: How do you feel the Reds minor league affiliates did in producing players this year? — JAY, Englewood.

A: Bleacher Report rated the Reds minor league system eighth best in the majors right after this year’s draft. It lists and Nick Senzel as the top two prospects. It listed , and Jesse Winker in the Reds’ top 10 and all three are now on the roster. During a rebuild you better have a strong feeder system and the Reds appear to be on the straight-and-narrow highway, especially with the pitching.

Q: I realize the Reds’ record is not Bryan Price’s fault, but maybe he should be a pitching coach which is his expertise, then he could concentrate on the pitching staff and they could name a new manager? Do you think that may be a way to go? — RICK, Vandalia.

A: You said it with your first words. The plight of the Reds is not Price’s fault. So why do away with him? Fans who believe a different manager could have won with this team probably believe the Tooth Fairy will make them rich with only the loss of all their teeth. As manager he remains hands-on with the pitchers as well as all the position players. And in case you didn’t notice, the Reds already have picked up his option for 2018. And I maintain that the Price is right.

Reds sign catcher Tucker Barnhart to contract extension By News Staff Updated: 9:36 a.m. Friday, September 22, 2017 | Posted: 9:34 a.m. Friday, September 22, 2017

The Reds and catcher Tucker Barnhart have agreed on a four-year contract extension, the team announced Friday.

Barnhart, 26, would have been eligible for arbitration following the season.

“Tucker has made us proud on the field with his play and off the field with his community involvement,” Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Dick Williams said. “He worked his way up through our system, improving every step of the way, and has established himself as an elite defensive catcher and a productive offensive player. Switch hitting catchers who can impact the game defensively are tough to find.”

Barnhart, a native of Brownsburg, Ind., leads Major League catchers in fielding percentage (one error), caught stealings and assists and his 2.9 Defensive WAR leads all National League players. He is hitting .272 with six home runs and 42 RBIs in 113 games this season.

A 10th-round pick of the Reds in the 2009 draft, Barnhart has been the Reds starting catcher since May 2016, when Devin Mesoraco suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Reds notes: Yankee fan Romano to face Red Sox By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Posted: 5:02 p.m. Thursday, September 21, 2017

CINCINNATI — The Reds open their final home series Friday with the first of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

Rookie right-hander Sal Romano (5-6, 4.07 earned-run average), a Long Island, N.Y., native and Southington, Connecticut resident, will make his first appearance against the Red Sox in his 15th career overall start. Romano is 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA in three September starts.

Romano, who lives halfway between Boston and the Bronx, admits he’s extra pumped to face the Red Sox — because he hates them.

“I’m a big Yankees fan,” he said. “I’ve been to a lot of Yankees-Red Sox games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. I wish we were playing in Fenway Park. I know the Yankees are three games behind them. It’ll be pretty cool to face them.”

Romano will be opposed by a right-hander struggling through an unusual season. Rick Porcello (10-17, 4.46) won the American League Cy Young Award and Comeback Player of the Year Award last season after leading the league in wins while going 22-7 for East Division-champion Boston, a vast turnaround from his 9-15 2015 season.

Porcello has slid backward in 2017, leading the league in losses and threatening to become the first pitcher to lead the league in losses one season after leading in wins since White Sox right-hander LaMarr Hoyt led the AL with 18 losses in 1984, one season after piling up 24 wins and winning the Cy Young.

Porcello is a combined 6-3 in August and September for the first-place Red Sox, who are 88-64.

The Reds are 1-9 against the Reds Sox, 1-4 in Cincinnati. Boston won all four games the teams played in 2014.

Cincinnati is 39-38 at home, already surpassing by one last season’s home win total.

Devin done: Hopes that catcher Devin Mesoraco might squeeze in some at-bats before the end of the regular season appear to be dashed, Price said.

Mesoraco has been on the disabled list after suffering a broken left foot when he was hit by a pitch from Jose Quintana on Aug. 14.

“His foot hasn’t progressed as rapidly as it would have needed to get to the point where he could play before the season is out, and it’s not because he’s behind schedule,” Price said. “Everything had to go right.”

Price expects that Mesoraco and pitcher Homer Bailey will be able to go through normal off-seasons.

Workload upgrade: Price reported that “everything went well” when right-hander Anthony DeSclafani threw a 42-pitch side session in Arizona on Wednesday.

DeSclafani threw a three-inning simulated game on Monday and is pitching in games every five days. He was scheduled to throw 65 pitches in Arizona on Saturday.

ESPN.COM Reds, catcher Tucker Barnhart reach 4-year extension ESPN.com 9:42 AM ET

Catcher Tucker Barnhart and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a four-year extension through the 2021 season, the team announced Friday.

The deal includes a team option for the 2022 season. Terms were not disclosed.

"Tucker has made us proud on the field with his play and off the field with his community involvement," Reds general manager Dick Williams said in a statement.

The switch-hitting Barnhart, who would have been eligible for salary arbitration after this season, is hitting .272 with six home runs and 42 RBIs. Defensively, he only has one error this season and leads all National League catchers by throwing out 44 percent of baserunners attempting to steal.

"He worked his way up through our system, improving every step of the way, and has established himself as an elite defensive catcher and a productive offensive player," Williams said. "Switch hitting catchers who can impact the game defensively are tough to find."

Reds among three teams planning to extend safety netting before 2018 season ESPN.com news services 3:45 AM ET

A day after a rocket-like foul ball hit a young girl at a game, the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners all committed to extend the amount of netting in their ballparks.

Reds officials announced Thursday they plan to install additional protective netting that spans the length of the dugouts on each side of Great American Ball Park. Their plan is to have the new netting installed during the offseason and in place by Opening Day next spring. They also said they will replace the existing netting behind home plate.

The Padres and Mariners have also promised to extend the netting at their respective stadiums by next season's Opening Day.

The line drive off the bat of Yankees slugger Todd Frazier on Wednesday hit the girl in the face in less than a second, and the game came to a halt as she was treated in the stands. Frazier and other players from the Yankees and knelt in prayer, and many fans were in stunned silence or in tears.

The toddler remained hospitalized Thursday. Her father said soon after she was hit, "She's doing all right. Just keep her in your thoughts.''

In a statement Thursday, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred called the events "extremely upsetting.''

"Over the past few seasons MLB has worked with our clubs to expand the amount of netting in our ballparks,'' Manfred said. "In light of yesterday's event, we will redouble our efforts on this important issue.''

Before Thursday, only about a third of the 30 major league teams, the Yankees not among them, have at the commissioner's urging extended the netting to at least the far end of the dugout. The teams include the , who extended netting beyond the outfield ends of the dugouts this season after the All-Star break, and the Minnesota Twins, who extended their nets to the far ends of the dugouts before the 2016 season.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, told Manfred in a letter to push to extend safety netting at all 30 ballparks.

Major League Baseball issued recommendations for protective netting or screens in December 2015, encouraging teams to have it in place between the ends of the dugouts closest to home plate.

"It remains an ongoing discussion in the industry,'' Manfred said at Seattle's Safeco Field, before Wednesday night's game between the Mariners and Rangers. "We gave some guidelines two years ago, and what we have done since then is that we have encouraged the individual clubs to engage in a localized process, look at their own stadiums -- every stadium's different -- and to try to make a good decision about how far the netting should go in order to promote fan safety.''

On a visit to the Padres on Thursday, Manfred said he was encouraged by the number of conversations MLB had with clubs that day about adding additional netting for 2018.

Among them were the Padres, who said they will extend netting to the end of each dugout by Opening Day.

"I think by redoubling I mean continuing to focus and conversations with the clubs to get them to make decisions that make sense in their local markets and given the configurations of their ballparks,'' Manfred said. "I think probably the best concrete evidence of redoubling is the number of conversations that took place between my office and individual clubs on this topic.''

The Mariners said options are still being considered, but the dugout changes could be in place by the start of the 2018 season.

"This is an issue that we've been concerned about for some time," Mariners president Kevin Mather said. "We still have some details to work out, but the bottom line is, expanded netting at Safeco Field is going to happen."

The Yankees said in an August statement posted on the team's website that they "are seriously exploring extending the netting prior to the 2018 season.''

They also have been directly informing their season-ticket holders for well over a month that they are "seriously" considering extending the protective netting around the stadium. The wording of the emails, which are also on the team's website, is slightly stronger than what team executives have said to the media.

Meanwhile, the said Thursday they have been in discussions to expand netting at for the 2018 season and will make a final determination on what they will do this offseason.

Most of the fans struck by balls and bats at games each year suffer minor injuries, but a few have been critically injured or killed. The more tragic results include a 14-year-old boy who died four days after he was hit on the left side of his head at Dodger Stadium in May 1970 and a 39-year-old woman who died a day after she was struck in the temple by a foul ball at a San Angelo Colts game in 2010.

But fans might be unaware of the stark legal reality of baseball: Successfully suing teams over such cases is nearly impossible. The fine print on every baseball ticket comes with a disclaimer that the bearer "assumes all risk and danger incidental to the game.''

For the last century or so, baseball has been virtually immune from such lawsuits because of what has become known as the Baseball Rule.

Ed Edmonds, a retired professor of law at Notre Dame Law School who co-authored "Baseball Meets the Law,'' said at least two states, Idaho and Indiana, have turned away from automatic application of the Baseball Rule. But four other states -- Arizona, Colorado, Illinois and New Jersey -- passed legislation protecting teams from lawsuits. ASSOCIATED PRESS Fowler delivers again as Martinez, Cardinals beat Reds 8-5 Today

CINCINNATI (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals rinsed the bad taste of being swept by the the best way they could — sweeping the Cincinnati Reds.

Dexter Fowler delivered again, hitting two doubles and a single as St. Louis overcame Scott Schebler’s two home runs to beat the Reds 8-5 Thursday night.

The Cardinals began the day 2 ½ games behind Colorado for the second NL wild-card spot and five games behind the Central- leading Cubs.

Fowler drove in two runs. He went 7 for 13 with two home runs and six RBIs in the three-game series.

Yadier Molina drove in two runs as the Cardinals completed their first sweep in Cincinnati since 2010.

“We didn’t play good games in Chicago,” said Molina, who reached a new career high with a team-leading 82 RBIs. “We got good hitting, good pitching and good defense here. Everybody took good at bats. That’s what we need to do.”

Five different Cardinals finished with two or more hits as St. Louis scored at least eight runs for the third consecutive game.

“There were a lot of good things,” manager Mike Matheny said. “We had a big day. Yadi coming up with big hits. I saw some good things all day long across the board.”

“It’s a huge game every night. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. We were coming off a tough weekend, and the guys did a real nice job clearing their minds and getting back to doing what they need to do to be successful.”

Carlos Martinez (12-11), celebrating his 26th birthday, lasted 6 1/3 innings on a muggy night with a gametime temperature of 85 degrees, allowing four runs and nine hits.

“Carlos was OK,” Molina said. “His location was up sometimes, and they took advantage, but all in all, he was OK.”

Martinez improved to 3-1 in his last four starts. He gave up Phillip Ervin’s two-run homer in the fourth and a drive by Schebler in the seventh.

Schebler led off the ninth with a homer, his 29th of the season.

“I got that first one pretty good,” Schebler said. “Martinez got a couple pitches in on me. The last at-bat, he just threw me a pitch where I was expecting it.”

Homer Bailey (5-9) became the third consecutive Reds starter to be lifted without getting through five innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings. Manager Bryan Price pinch-hit for him with two runners on and two outs in the fourth.

“Homer got the first two outs on three pitches,” Price said. “It was labor-intensive after that. I don’t think he threw the ball bad. It was tough to take Homer out. He had pitches left on the table. In that situation, I had to take a shot.”

“It was Bryan’s decision and it’s not mine to question,” Bailey said. “I was battling, for sure. I didn’t get any breaks, a double play or a borderline pitch, but that’s not an excuse. Sometimes you can get through if you get a break here or there.”

Fowler doubled and scored on Jose Martinez’s single in the first, then hit a two-run double over Ervin’s head in center in the third and later scored on Molina’s sacrifice fly.

Molina added an RBI double in the seventh.

SCOTTY SPARKPLUG

Schebler batted leadoff for the Reds for the first time this season and fifth time in his career. He was 0 for 3 before his two homers, his third career multihomer game and second of the season.

DEEP BENCH

The Cardinals recalled switch-hitting Breyvic Valera from -A Memphis before the game. That lifted to 11 the number of extra position players available to Matheny.

POOCH PARADE

The announced attendance of 14,903 didn’t include the dogs who accompanied their owners as part of the Reds’ fourth “Bark in the Park” Night of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 1B Jose Martinez returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game while nursing a sore left thumb.

Reds: Hopes that C Devin Mesoraco might be able to squeeze in some pinch-hit at-bats before the end of the season were dashed as his fractured left foot hasn’t healed quickly enough.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (12-8) allowed five hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over eight innings in his last start against Pittsburgh, a 7-0 win on Sept. 10. He starts when St. Louis visits the Pirates on Friday night.

Reds: RHP Sal Romano (5-6) allowed five hits with no walks and six strikeouts over eight shutout innings in his last start, a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on last Saturday. He’ll pitch against the visiting Red Sox on Friday night. TRANSACTIONS 09/21/17 sent SS Danny Espinosa outright to . sent 3B Yadiel Rivera outright to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Tampa Bay Rays recalled RHP Chih-Wei Hu from Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays recalled 3B Daniel Robertson from Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays designated SS Danny Espinosa for assignment. San Diego Padres sent SS Dusty Coleman outright to . San Diego Padres sent RHP Jose Valdez outright to El Paso Chihuahuas. St. Louis Cardinals recalled 2B Breyvic Valera from . Tampa Bay Rays activated LHP Xavier Cedeno from the 60-day disabled list.