Press Clippings August 24, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1990-The Reds release Ken Griffey, Sr. MLB.COM 'Tokki 2' belts 33rd homer as Reds fall to Cubs By Mark Sheldon and Andrew Call / MLB.com | 12:05 AM ET + 196 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Cubs are playing the right teams at the right time to enable them to pull away in the Central division race. A 9-3 victory over the Reds on Wednesday night -- aided by a three-run first inning and five-run fourth -- was their fifth win in a row.

"Collectively, we were all going through a down period [in the first half of the season]," infielder Tommy La Stella said. "The talent has always been there. It's starting to turn for us right now, and turn at the right time."

With the Brewers' 4-2 loss to the Giants, the Cubs opened a season-high 3 1/2-game lead in the division. In the midst of playing 13 straight games against last-place teams -- the Blue Jays, Reds and Phillies -- Chicago has won seven of the first nine games. For the season series, the Cubs have also won 10 of 15 games vs. the Reds.

"You can struggle in the second half or you can learn from your mistakes and get better," winning Mike Montgomery said after the Cubs moved 11 games over .500 for the first time this season. "Now it's all about getting into the playoffs. We're completely over last year."

Reds starter Asher Wojciechowski had a wobbly outing from the get-go as he faced eight batters -- and walked three -- in a 35-pitch first inning and allowed three runs. It was 4-0 after three innings when the Cubs pounced on Wojciechowski in the fourth. Following singles by Montgomery and Jon Jay, Kyle Schwarber (aka "Schwarbs" for Players Weekend) slugged a three-run homer. Alex Avila's two-out single prompted the Reds to go to their bullpen.

"I just didn't have command tonight," Wojciechowski said. "It came down to I didn't make pitches. It's extremely frustrating when I've got a job to do and I don't get it done."

La Stella, who drew a bases-loaded walk for the first run of the game, greeted Alejandro Chacin's Major League debut with a two- run homer to right field to cap the Cubs' five-run fourth.

The padding was plenty for Montgomery, who pitched six scoreless innings and allowed four hits and one walk to go with four . After the first inning -- when he faced five batters -- the left-hander never faced more than four batters in the remaining five innings. He retired 10 of the last 11 he faced.

Joey Votto (aka "Tokki 2" for Players Weekend) wrecked the shutout for the Cubs with one out in the ninth inning against Hector Rondon by hitting a solo homer to center field. It was Votto's team-leading 33rd . Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler added back-to-back homers with two out against Rondon.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Hey, Heyward: Following La Stella's bases-loaded walk in the first inning, Jason Heyward slashed a rolling RBI single through the left side that scored Ben Zobrist. Normally sure-handed left fielder Adam Duvall bobbled the ball for an error that allowed Anthony Rizzo to come home and make it 3-0. In the third inning, Heyward lined a two-out RBI single to right field that scored Rizzo.

Turned two: The Reds were threatening Montgomery in the third with runners on first and second with one out and Votto batting. Votto hit a hard grounder to the hole, where shortstop Javier Baez made a slick backhanded sliding stop of the ball before flipping to Zobrist, who turned the inning-ending double play.

"That was a big moment," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

QUOTABLES

"I think the first inning kind of set the tone. It's unusual for him to struggle with command. He was up a lot, missing up in the zone a lot to this lineup and pitching behind. They'll let you get behind. They swing at pitches early in the at-bat, but they have to be good pitches to hit." -- Reds manager Bryan Price, on Wojciechowski

"It helps when you get a three-run lead before you even go out there."-- Montgomery

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Cubs are 25-12 since the All-Star break, when they were 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers in the division standings.

UNDER REVIEW

A crew-chief review occurred following Schwarber's homer as the ball bounced back into play after going just beyond the fence. The replay official confirmed the call and Schwarber had his 21st homer.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: Right-hander Jake Arrieta (13-8, 3.63 ERA) will bid for his eighth consecutive quality start in Thursday's series finale at 6:10 p.m. CT. The Cubs are 5-0 in Arrieta's last five starts at Great American Ball Park

Reds: To try and salvage a game from the series, the Reds will turn to rookie pitcher Sal Romano (3-5, 5.32) in Thursday's finale at 7:10 p.m. ET. Romano allowed one run and five hits over seven innings for a 5-3 win at Atlanta on Friday. This will be his 10th big league start and his first vs. the Cubs.

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

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.

Andrew Call is a contributor to MLB.com based in Cincinnati and covered the Cubs on Wednesday.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League or its clubs.

Chacin, Farrell debut for Reds; Wood DFA'd By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 23rd, 2017 + 30 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds made moves prior to Wednesday's game against the Cubs to fortify their bullpen, designating struggling reliever Blake Wood for assignment while selecting the contracts of right-handers Luke Farrell and Alejandro Chacin from Triple-A Louisville.

Outfielder Phillip Ervin was also optioned to Louisville.

Chacin and Farrell debuted for the Reds in their 9-3 loss. They were the 27th and 28th , respectively, used by the club this season -- four shy of last year's club record. Chacin entered with two out in the fourth inning and his first batter, Tommy La Stella, hit a two-run home run. Farrell followed with three scoreless innings.

Wood, 32, was 1-4 with a 5.65 ERA in 55 appearances, but his troubles really accelerated in recent weeks. Over his past seven games, he had a 34.36 ERA, allowing 14 earned runs, 12 hits, five walks and two home runs to go with four strikeouts over his last 28 batters faced in 3 2/3 innings.

During Tuesday night's 13-9 loss to the Cubs, Wood entered in the eighth inning and allowed the first six batters he faced to reach safely -- including three walks that loaded the bases with none out. Five runs scored to open up a wide margin.

"We needed two relievers after yesterday's game," manager Bryan Price said. "Unfortunately, in Blake's situation, he could probably use the repetitions in a different environment, but he doesn't have any options left."

In 2016 after he was signed as a free agent, Wood led the Reds' bullpen with 70 appearances and 76 2/3 innings.

"It's unfortunate, because he's been our most durable reliever over the last two years," Price said. "He's taken the ball every time I've handed it to him, quite often after throwing two innings the day before. And that has value in and of itself. His recent struggles kind of led to him being vulnerable to this situation."

Farrell, who is the son of Red Sox manager John Farrell, was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers on Aug. 9. He began this season in the Royals' organization with Triple-A Omaha, where he went 7-4 with a 4.07 ERA in 17 games, including 16 starts. The 26- year-old pitched 2 2/3 innings on July 1 for the Royals, allowing five runs in his lone big league game.

"Right now, there's been no unpacking," Farrell said. "It's been kind of a merry-go-round for a while. Honestly, I'm just going day- by-day. Whenever there's an opportunity, I'm going to do everything I can to take advantage of it."

The Royals designated Farrell for assignment on July 24 and traded him to the Dodgers on July 28. In two games for Louisville, he had a 19.06 ERA, with 12 earned runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Farrell was promoted over prospects on the 40-man roster like Amir Garrett, Rookie Davis or Cody Reed. "We felt they were better served continuing to pitch every fifth day and work on their game," Price said. "For this particular role, at this particular time of the season, it seemed like Luke was the best fit."

Chacin, 24, began with the Reds' organization in 2010 as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela. He had a 2.60 ERA in 44 appearances for Louisville. He became the 24th Reds player to make his big league debut in the last two years, which is the most in the Majors.

Bailey feels OK

Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey, who exited Tuesday's game after three scoreless innings with an irritation in the back of his right shoulder, reported no problems on Wednesday.

"I don't expect to miss a start or anything. It feels pretty good," Bailey 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 or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER BAR: What happens after the debut for Reds rookies? C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 9:43 a.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017

The Blog Above Replacement a daily look at the 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).

Alejandro Chacin on Wednesday became the 24th different player to make his big-league debut with the Reds in the last two years, the most in the big leagues over that time.

So, of all these players to debut, what are they doing now? Let’s look:

2016 (12)

RHP Robert Stephenson: On Saturday, Stephenson picked up his first win since last April. He’s currently getting another shot at pitching in the Reds’ rotation.

RHP Tim Melville: The Twins designated Melville for assignment on Tuesday. He pitched well in Triple-A but gave up five earned runs in 3 1/3 innings for the Twins in a loss on Monday.

RHP Drew Hayes: Hayes is currently pitching for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League.

RHP Tim Adleman: Adleman is in the Reds’ bullpen.

RHP Layne Somsen: The Yankees selected Somsen off of waivers in May of last year and then the Dodgers selected him off of waivers in June. He’s 7-0 with a 2.04 ERA in 36 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in the Dodgers’ organization.

OF Steve Selksy: The Red Sox designated Selsky for assignment on Wednesday. He was hitting .215/.270/.360 with 11 home runs in 79 games at Triple-A.

RHP Dayan Diaz: The right-hander appeared in 10 games for the Astros this year and has appeared in 33 games for Triple-A Fresno.

RHP Daniel Wright: The right-hander, claimed off of waivers by the Angels last season, has appeared in five games for Anaheim and made 17 starts for Triple-A Salt Lake, where he has a 7.44 ERA.

RHP A.J. Morris: Morris pitched in the for Italy, but nobody else this season.

LHP Cody Reed: Reed is currently 4-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 19 games and 18 starts for Louisville.

IF/OF Tony Renda: Currently on the 7-day DL in the minors, he’s hitting .250/.293/.317 between Triple-A Louisville and Triple-A Reno. The Reds traded him to the Diamondbacks in July.

LHP Wandy Peralta: Peralta currently leads Reds pitchers in appearances (58) and has a 3.49 ERA.

2017 (12)

RHP Barrett Astin: Astin is 2-4 with a 6.85 ERA in 22 appearances with Louisville.

RHP Rookie Davis: Davis is 3-2 with a 5.31 ERA in eight starts with Louisville.

C Stuart Turner: The Rule 5 pick has nine hits in 55 at-bats (.164).

LHP Amir Garrett: After a hot start for the Reds, Garrett’s 1-3 with a 5.96 ERA at Triple-A.

OF Jesse Winker: Winker is hitting .306/.405/.516 in 84 plate appearances with the Reds.

RHP Sal Romano: Tonight’s starter is 3-5 with a 5.32 ERA in nine starts.

OF Phillip Ervin: Sent back to Triple-A on Wednesday, Ervin will be back in September. He has five hits in 10 at-bats, including two homers.

RHP Ariel Hernandez: In 13 appearances in Triple-A, the hard-throwing Hernandez has a 4.60 ERA and a 1-2 record.

RHP Luis Castillo: The right-hander is 2-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 12 starts.

RHP Kevin Shackelford: The right-hander has an 8.04 ERA in 11 appearances for the Reds.

RHP Jackson Stephens: He is currently 7-8 with a 4.92 ERA in Louisville.

RHP Alejandro Chacin: He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced in the big leagues on Wednesday, but retired the next four, including two by .

#HeyBartender

Friday is mailbag day, and Zach will be handling it this week. Feel free to email Zach, tweet at Zach with #HeyBARtender or message on Facebook your questions, Reds or otherwise.

ICYMI

• Jesse Winker will start today, but Reds manager Bryan Price said it is difficult to find him playing time because he doesn’t consider any of his outfielders — Adam Duvall, Billy Hamilton or Scott Schebler to be platoon players.

• Blake Wood was designated for assignment on Wednesday.

• The Reds recently released former prospect Ian Kahaloa, who was suspended 50 games after failing a test for recreational drugs in April and, at the same time, videos surfaced appearing to show Kahaloa using marijuana and cocaine.

Minor League Roundup

Triple-A: Indianapolis 10, Louisville 2: With Wednesday’s scheduled starter called up to the big leagues, the Bats turned to reliever Barrett Astin to start. He gave up six runs on eight hits over 2 1/3 innings. The Bats used six pitchers, with Hernan Iribarren pitching the final inning. It was Iribarren’s ninth appearance of the season and he lowered his ERA to 2.06 with a scoreless inning. LF Adam Brett Walker was 3 for 4 and 2B Darnell Sweeney hit his sixth homer of the season. [Box]

Double-A: Pensacola 9, Jackson 3: 1B Gavin LaValley was 3 for 4 with four RBI and 3B Nick Senzel was 3 for 4. Senzel is now hitting .337/.410/.558 in 56 games since being promoted to Pensacola. [Box]

High-A: Bradenton 9, Daytona 6, 13 innings: CF Mitch Piatnik had a double and a home run, while 1B James Vazquez had a pair of doubles. [Box]

Low-A: Dayton 11, Bowling Green 1: CF Jose led the Bowling Green Massacre with two hits, his 22nd home run of the season and three RBI. LF Randy Ventura also had a pair of hits and three RBI, while RF Michael Beltre was 3 for 3 with one driven in. [Box]

Rookie: Great Falls 4, Billings 3: CF Miles Gordon was 2 for 4 with a double and C Morgan Lofstrom was 2 for 3. [Box]

The Rotation

1. Huge news from our business, as Ken Rosenthal has joined The Athletic. I’m really impressed with what they’ve done so far and adding Rosenthal? Fantastic.

2. Bad news for the Cardinals, as Trevor Rosenthal will have Tommy John surgery. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

3. Boog Powell met Boog Powell at Boog’s BBQ. [Baltimore Sun]

4. The fine folks at Big League Stew rank the Players Weekend uniforms and there seems to be a pretty big split when it comes to the Reds. Two of the four voters had them top nine and the other two had them in the bottom six. I’m not a big fan, but I think it’s because I just don’t like the template with the different color sleeves. These jerseys aren’t for me because they’re not for me.

5. Wood-fired pizza is coming to Northside. [Cincinnati.com]

Cincinnati Reds recap: clobber Reds again Zach Buchanan and C. Trent Rosecrans, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 10:09 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017 | Updated 10:44 p.m. ET Aug.

Asher Wojciechowski lasted just 3 ⅔ innings, giving up eight runs, seven of which were earned. He walked three and struck out six. The Enquirer/Zach Buchanan

The Cincinnati Reds took another demoralizing loss to the Chicago Cubs, falling 9-3 on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park. Here are the main storylines.

Box score: Cubs 9, Reds 3

Asher Wojciechowski wore it. With veteran Scott Feldman out for the year, Wojciechowski remained in the rotation even with younger, higher-profile pitchers in Triple-A. Wednesday’s outing won’t boost his resume for further starts. Wojciechowski lasted just 3 ⅔ innings, giving up eight runs, seven of which were earned. He walked three and struck out six.

His issues came in the first and the fourth. Wojciechowski loaded the bases with one out in the first, then walked in a run to open the scoring. Another run scored on a single to left, and left fielder Adam Duvall allowed a third run to score when he bobbled the ball. Wojciechowski also gave up a single run in the third.

"I think the first inning kind of set the tone. It’s unusual for him to struggle with command," Reds manager Bryan Price. "He was up a lot, missing up in the zone a lot to this lineup and pitching behind. They’ll let you get behind. They swing at pitches early in the at-bat but they have to be good pitches to hit. He walked three, gave up two hits and three runs, threw 35 pitches. That kind of got the ball rolling."

The fourth was the last straw. Wojciechowski surrendered two hits to start the inning, then a three-run homer by Kyle Schwarber. He rebounded for two outs, but was pulled after allowing an Alex Avila single.

"I just didn’t have command tonight. It came down to I didn’t make pitches," Wojciechowski said. "It’s extremely frustrating when I’ve got a job to do and I don’t get it done.”

Alejandro Chacin and Luke Farrell made their debuts. Chacin and Farrell both were called up before Wednesday’s game, the former looking to make his major-league debut and the latter seeking his first appearance since the Reds claimed him off waivers earlier in the month. Thanks to Wojciechowski’s short start, both got in the game.

Chacin had a rude welcome. Entering the fourth with two outs and a runner aboard, the 24-year-old gave up a three-run homer to Tommy La Stella that made it 9-0. He froze Jason Heyward for strike three to get out of the inning, and followed that with another scoreless frame.

Farrell had a much better outing. He’d made only two starts in the minors since joining the organization, and neither went well. But Wednesday, he held the Cubs to just one hit over three scoreless innings, walking two and striking out three.

"We were fortunate to be able to get Chacin and Farrell here from Triple-A and they gave us the lift that we needed and now we need a good start," Price said. "One day off doesn't reset your bullpen for the guys that didn't pitch today that have been pitched a lot or thrown a lot of pitches."

Joey Votto broke the shutout. With two outs left for the Cubs to record, Votto clubbed a solo home run to straightaway center. It was his 33rd of the season, and he needs just four more to match his career high set in 2010. He is on pace for 42.

Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler followed with consecutive two-out solo shots. For each it was his 24th homer of the year.

Reds designate RHP Blake Wood for assignment C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 3:43 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017 | Updated 6:31 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017

Blake Wood’s 125th appearance over the last two years with the Reds was his last. Wood gave up five runs in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 13-9 loss to the Cubs and was designated for assignment on Wednesday afternoon.

Wood, 32, appeared in 55 games for the Reds this year, putting up a 5.65 ERA. He gave up four runs without retiring a batter on Saturday in a victory in Atlanta. Last season he appeared in a team-high 70 games with a 3.99 ERA. Only lefty Wandy Peralta has appeared in more games (58) for the Reds than Wood this season.

“It’s unfortunate because he’s been our most durable reliever over the last two years,” Reds manager Bryan Price said before Wednesday’s game against the Cubs. “He’s taken the ball every time I’ve handed it to him, quite often after throwing two innings the day before. And that has value in and of itself. His recent struggles kind of led to him being vulnerable to this situation. The bulk of his work in his 2016 and ’17 was pretty positive, so I was really disappointed that this had to happen. He’s a great guy.”

Wood allowed four runs or more in three of his last seven appearances, including Tuesday. After using five relievers in Tuesday’s loss, the Reds had a mini makeover of the bullpen. Jettisoning Wood and bringing in right-handers Alejandro Chacin and Luke Farrell. The team also optioned outfielder Phillip Ervin to Triple-A.

Farrell will be used in long relief, while Chacin will be used in shorter spurts. Chacin has appeared in 44 games for Louisville, putting up a 2.60 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 27 walks in 69 ⅓ innings. Since June 1, he’s put up a 0.91 ERA in 25 appearances.

“He’s been the guy that starts in somebody’s bullpen as a middle guy, and he ends up pitching late-inning, high-leverage situations as a closer, as a set-up guy. He’s been a multi-inning reliever,” Price said. “He’s got the repertoire to allow him to face left-handed hitting, which there’s a lot of in their lineup today. And he’s earned it. He’s earned everything he’s got. Every promotion he’s received because he’s performed at the previous level. It’s a good message.”

Chacin was signed by the Reds as an amateur in Venezuela when he was 16. He’s progressed up the Reds’ organization since 2010 and last year had 30 saves for Double-A Pensacola, earning an invitation to big-league camp this spring.

“I feel so excited to be here,” Chacin said on Wednesday. “It’s my first time coming up after being with the organization for eight years. I spent a lot of years in the minors but I’m still young at 24. It doesn’t matter how many years it’s been, I’m here and I’m excited.”

Farrell, the son of manager John Farrell, is with his third organization of the season. A sixth-round pick out of Northwestern in 2013 by the Royals, Farrell made his big-league debut for Kansas City earlier this year. He was then claimed off waivers by the Dodgers. He made one start for the Dodgers’ Triple-A team in Oklahoma City before being claimed off of waivers by the Reds on Aug. 6.

“Right now, there’s been no unpacking,” Farrell said of his crazy 2017 journey. “But you’re right, it’s been kind of a merry-go- round for a while.”

Ferrell allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings in his big-league debut on July 1 against the Twins. He made two starts for the Bats, giving up 12 runs in 5 2/3 innings.

“We kind of felt like he was the right guy for this particular spot as opposed to taking (Cody) Reed or Rookie (Davis) or (Jackson) Stephens or Amir (Garrett) and putting them in the bullpen,” Price said. “We felt they were better served to continuing to pitch every fifth day and work on their game. I’m sure some of those guys will be here in September to continue to work. For this particular role, at this particular time of the season, it seemed like Luke was the best fit.”

Reds notes: Outfield logjam tricky for Bryan Price Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 6:04 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017 | Updated 6:23 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017

On Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds sent down young outfielder Phillip Ervin to Triple-A so that he could receive regular playing time. Manager Bryan Price is already having enough trouble trying to get another outfield prospect on the field with as much regularity as he feels is appropriate.

Price likes his starting outfield of Adam Duvall in left, Billy Hamilton in center and the now-healthy Scott Schebler in right. But that leaves a puzzle of how to work in prospect Jesse Winker, who was not in the lineup either of the first two games against the Chicago Cubs this week.

“There's three really good players there,” Price said. “In Wink's case, I think he's better than Triple-A. He should be here getting some experience, even if it's off the bench. It's a short period. It's a two-month stretch. I plan on him being on there tomorrow, potentially the next day.”

Price is adamant that his three starters are his three starters. There is no platoon situation in the outfield, he said. But once September hits and rosters expand, some of those starters could start to get more frequent rests in favor of Winker and Ervin, who is likely to return once the minor-league season ends.

“That's just an obligation to the organization to see these guys play,” Price said. “So right now the onus is just trying to do my best to get Wink in there as frequently as I can without completely disrupting the playing time of the other guys on the team.”

Bailey feels fine

A day after leaving his start with a shoulder injury following only three innings of work, veteran right-hander Homer Bailey said he felt fine.

“I don’t expect to miss a start or anything,” he said. “I feel pretty good.”

Bailey said there’s a small spot of soreness, “but that could be from just throwing three innings.”

Reds “didn’t see what we needed to see” from Ian Kahaloa Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 5:49 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017 | Updated 6:02 p.m. ET Aug. 23, 2017

At the beginning of April, Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Ian Kahaloa was suspended 50 games after failing a test for recreational drugs. At the same time, videos surfaced appearing to show Kahaloa using marijuana and cocaine.

Kahaloa entered a treatment program, and his suspension began in June at the start of the season for Rookie-Advanced Billings. The suspension lapsed last week, and Reds released him almost immediately. Reds farm director Jeff Graupe said the team did not see enough progress from Kahaloa in addressing his substance abuse issues.

“I don’t want to get into the specifics of what our requests were and how the program went, but in the end we just didn’t see what we needed to see,” Graupe said.

Kahaloa was a fifth-round draft pick out of a Hawaii high school in 2015, and appeared on some top prospect lists this winter. He has a career 2.35 ERA in 76 ⅔ innings between two levels of rookie ball before this season, and might have been in the rotation at Low-A Dayton this year without his off-the-field issues.

Kahaloa’s agent, Dave Matranga of PSI Sports, declined to comment on the Reds’ assessment of the 19-year-old’s progress in battling his drug issues, but sent The Enquirer a brief statement via text message.

“While Ian is disappointed to have been released by the Reds, he is determined to get his life back in order and do whatever is necessary to get back on the field doing what he loves to do,” the statement said.

Matranga said several teams have already reached out about Kahaloa’s availability. Graupe wishes the right-hander well in the future.

“When Ian was able to be on the field, he was highly productive,” Graupe said. “It’s very sad, because he’s very young. I hope he can get it on track somewhere. It just wasn’t going to happen here, right now.” DAYTON DAILY NEWS VIDEO: Eugenio Suarez blasts 24th HR of season Gabriel Burns 10:53 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017 Sports SPORTS

Cincinnati Reds' Eugenio Suarez celebrates after hitting a solo home run off relief pitcher Brad Hand in the seventh inning Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, in Cincinnati.

Trailing 9-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Eugenio Suarez had a little something left in him.

Suarez extended his career-best homer mark to 24 with a shot to left field on Wednesday.

Cincinnati Reds ✔ @Reds Geno adds to his career-high roundtripper total with his 24th blast of the season Wednesday. #Reds 10:36 AM - Aug 24, 2017

It was his seventh homer this month. Suarez is hitting .333 with 17 RBIs in August.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Schwarber homers, Cubs stay hot with 9-3 win over Reds 12:13 AM ET Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- The wins are adding up, the lead over the rest of the division is growing. And the defending champions are feeling a little stronger every day.

Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer in the ballpark near his home, Tommy La Stella added a two-run shot while subbing for , and the Chicago Cubs kept their second-half surge going with a 9-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

The Cubs opened the season still celebrating their long-awaited championship and floundered for most of the first half, with injuries playing a role. They're much healthier now and starting to get their groove back.

Their eighth victory in 10 games moved them 11 games over .500 for the first time this season. They've also opened their biggest lead in the NL Central, 3 1/2 games ahead of Milwaukee.

Chicago trailed the Brewers by 5 1/2 games at the All-Star break.

"The first half of the year, maybe we had some of that residual effect," left-hander Mike Montgomery said. "Now it's about getting to the playoffs. I think we're completely over last year. Now we're in a good place. We're having fun."

Montgomery (4-6) allowed four hits in six shutout innings, filling in for Jon Lester in the rotation. Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler homered in the ninth for the Reds.

Chicago got a little bit of everything -- solid pitching, another big offensive showing, and some spectacular defense -- while putting it away early.

"We played more of a formulaic kind of game," manager Joe Maddon said. "That's what we're trying to do."

The Cubs didn't need a homer during their 13-9 victory in the series opener on Tuesday. Schwarber provided an opposite-field shot in the fourth inning off Asher Wojciechowski (3-3), his ninth since he returned from a stint in the minors to get his swing straightened out.

"That first half is a complete wash for me," said Schwarber, who grew up in nearby Middletown and attended Reds games as a youth. "I've felt a lot better at the plate recently, hitting the ball hard the last couple of days. Got to take those."

Bryant, the National League's MVP, sat out a day after getting hit on the side of the left hand by a pitch. He was much better and isn't expected to miss much time. La Stella took his place at third base and had a two-run homer.

Anthony Rizzo was back at his usual spot -- first base instead of third, where he spent an uneventful inning on Tuesday night. He doubled and scored twice as the Cubs quickly got ahead 9-0.

DREAM ON

Rizzo played the ninth inning at third base on Tuesday night, becoming only the Cubs' third left-hander to play the hot corner. He'd like to play other positions, including the outfield. He'd also like to pitch, but he knows that won't happen.

"I think it would have to be the perfect storm," Rizzo said pregame . "It would have to be a playoff game, we're out of pitchers and I'm the absolute last resort in the 27th inning. That's the only way I could get it."

SWEET PLAY BY THE SHORTSTOP

Javier Baez went toward the hole at short to get Votto's grounder in the third inning, sliding on his knees. He did a 180-degree spin and, still on his knees, threw to second to start a double play.

"Unbelievable," Montgomery said. "That's such a boost."

REDS CHANGE BULLPEN

Cincinnati overhauled its overworked bullpen, calling up RHP Luke Farrell and RHP Alejandro Chacin from Triple-A Louisville. OF Phillip Ervin was optioned to Louisville, and RHP Blake Wood was designated for assignment. Wood gave up five runs on Tuesday night. Chacin gave up the homer by La Stella, the first batter he faced in the majors.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: Lester threw in the outfield pregame and felt good. Maddon said he will throw in the bullpen on Friday and if that goes well, he'll throw to some Cubs hitters and then could be activated. He's been on the DL since Aug. 18 with tightness in his back.

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey took batting practice without a problem a day after he lasted only three innings because of irritation behind his pitching shoulder.

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Cubs: Jake Arrieta (13-8) has made seven straight quality starts, allowing two or fewer earned runs each game. He's gone 5-1 with a 2.00 ERA during that stretch. He allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings on July 2 at Great American Ball Park during a 6-2 win.

Reds: Sal Romano (3-5) makes his eighth start since joining the rotation after the All-Star break. He's never faced the Cubs. TRANSACTIONS 08/24/17 activated RHP Alex Cobb from the 10-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays optioned Chase Whitley to Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays recalled Chih-Wei Hu from Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays optioned Andrew Kittredge to Durham Bulls. 08/23/17 Boston Red Sox designated 3B Steve Selsky for assignment. traded CF Rajai Davis to Boston Red Sox for RF Rafael Rincones. recalled C Kyle Farmer from Oklahoma City Dodgers. Los Angeles Dodgers optioned RHP Brock Stewart to Oklahoma City Dodgers. sent 2B Joe Panik on a rehab assignment to San Jose Giants. optioned LHP Max Fried to Gwinnett Braves. optioned RHP Nick Pivetta to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. optioned RHP Aaron Brooks to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers designated RHP Paolo Espino for assignment. Milwaukee Brewers claimed RHP Aaron Brooks off waivers from Chicago Cubs. Atlanta Braves selected the contract of LHP A.J. Minter from Gwinnett Braves. Tampa Bay Rays designated 3B Trevor Plouffe for assignment. Tampa Bay Rays recalled RHP Andrew Kittredge from Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays sent RHP Matt Andriese on a rehab assignment to Durham Bulls. placed 2B Jason Kipnis on the 10-day disabled list. Right hamstring strain. Cleveland Indians recalled SS Erik Gonzalez from . Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Drew Anderson from Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Philadelphia Phillies optioned CF Cameron Perkins to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Cincinnati Reds designated RHP Blake Wood for assignment. Cincinnati Reds recalled RHP Luke Farrell from . Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of RHP Alejandro Chacin from Louisville Bats. Cincinnati Reds optioned LF Phillip Ervin to Louisville Bats. St. Louis Cardinals transferred RHP Trevor Rosenthal from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right posterior elbow irritation. St. Louis Cardinals optioned RHP Josh Lucas to Memphis Redbirds. St. Louis Cardinals selected the contract of LHP Ryan Sherriff from Memphis Redbirds. selected the contract of RHP Angel Sanchez from . Pittsburgh Pirates optioned RHP Edgar Santana to Indianapolis Indians. optioned RHP Severino Gonzalez to New Orleans Baby Cakes. Miami Marlins sent RHP Javy Guerra outright to New Orleans Baby Cakes. sent 3B Matt Davidson on a rehab assignment to Charlotte Knights. Boston Red Sox placed CF Jackie Bradley Jr. on the 10-day disabled list. Sprained left thumb. Boston Red Sox recalled 2B Deven Marrero from Pawtucket Red Sox. sent LHP Vidal Nuno outright to Norfolk Tides. designated CF Leonys Martin for assignment. Seattle Mariners activated RHP David Phelps from the 10-day disabled list. Baltimore Orioles activated RHP Miguel Castro from the bereavement list. selected the contract of RHP from . Minnesota Twins designated RHP Tim Melville for assignment. Oakland Athletics optioned RHP Michael Brady to Nashville Sounds. Oakland Athletics recalled RHP Daniel Gossett from Nashville Sounds. Baltimore Orioles optioned RHP Alec Asher to Norfolk Tides. traded CF Pedro Gonzalez to .