Press Clippings August 26, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1939-The Reds participate in the first major league game to be televised. Playing the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, W2XBS, which later becomes WNBC-TV, broadcasts the game with Red Barber announcing for the 400 people or so who own a television in the New York area MLB.COM Reds ride Bob's arm, Scheb's bat past Bucs By Adam Berry and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 1:11 AM ET + 46 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Entering the home stretch of the season, the Reds will continue to look for positive signs from their young starting . Robert Stephenson gave them something to think about Friday night, striking a career-high 11 batters in 5 2/3 as the Reds beat the Pirates, 9-5, at .

Stephenson began the night by striking out the first six batters he faced, a modern club record for Cincinnati.

"That was pretty cool," he said.

The 24-year-old right-hander, going by "Bob" for Players Weekend, gave up two runs on seven hits and four walks but kept the Bucs off balance with stuff.

"That might have been as good of a as I've seen in a long time," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The slider played exceptionally well. Threw some good , too. We hadn't seen that from maybe anybody this year as far as the depth and tilt to the slider. It was an elite slider tonight."

Stephenson, who is trying to emerge among a group of young Reds starting pitchers that has struggled in 2017, has started to show signs of turning the corner. Over his last three starts and one relief appearance, he has a 1.96 ERA.

"I think a couple of mechanical tweaks in the and I've been a lot more consistent with my ," Stephenson said. "I feel like when I'm throwing more strikes with my fastball, it's a lot easier to get outs."

He had plenty of support on Friday, too. ("Scheb") homered, drove in three runs and reached base four times. also homered in the fifth off Pirates starter Ivan Nova, who allowed seven runs (five earned) in five innings and saw his second-half ERA climb to an even 6.00.

"Obviously I didn't do the job I was supposed to," Nova said. "The fastball was missing over the plate. … I think the only thing that was working the way it was supposed to was the . With one pitch, you cannot live. You have to have other pitches. They made me work really hard today."

First baseman Josh Bell ("JB") was a bright spot for the Pirates, ripping a three-run homer to left-center field to pull Pittsburgh to within two runs in the seventh inning. Reds pinch-hitter Patrick Kivlehan responded with a two-run , sending the Pirates to their 10th loss in 13 games.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

See Scott run: Schebler finished a double shy of the cycle and got the hardest part out of the way first. With Eugenio Suarez at second base, Schebler ripped a line drive into the right-field corner. chased the ball as it bounced around the , and Schebler wheeled around to third base. He rounded third, but coach held him up, short of the inside-the- park homer. Schebler then scored on 's .

Leave 'em loaded: Before Bell's seventh-inning homer, the Pirates threatened to rally in the sixth. The Bucs loaded the bases against Stephenson and sent up pinch-hitter Jose Osuna with two outs. The Reds summoned right-hander Tim Adleman from the bullpen, and Adleman defused the rally with six pitches. Osuna went down swinging at an 84.3-mph to end the inning.

QUOTABLE

"[Nova's] command, it's not where we've seen it in the past. … We need to peel back a couple more layers, talk about a couple things that you can do. He was able to pitch more effectively his last time out, not so much this time out."-- Hurdle

"[Stephenson] had a nice mix going. I think he was able to establish the fastball. They had to respect the usage and the velocity and that opened up a lot of things for the slider, curve and split. He really was able to go out there and make good pitches. He retired the first six via the strikeout against a good lineup. It's not easy to do. And he made a of really good pitches and was able to take that into the sixth." -- Reds manager Bryan Price

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Joey Votto led off the bottom of the eighth by drawing a walk against reliever Johnny Barbato, extending his season-high on-base streak to 29 games. That is the longest active on-base streak in the Majors.

WHAT'S NEXT

Pirates: Right-hander Gerrit Cole ("Cole Train") will look for his first win against the Reds in 10 starts at 6:40 p.m. ET Saturday at Great American Ball Park. Cole is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA against Cincinnati, though he recorded a quality start in a 4-3 loss earlier this season.

Reds: will make his first career start vs. the Pirates when the series continues Saturday. Castillo has notched quality starts in six of his last nine outings but is winless in his last four starts.

Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since 2015. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, read his blog and listen to his podcast. Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs.

Kivlehan honors injured friend with 'Believe' By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 25th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- When Reds players were tasked to decide what nickname they wanted on their jerseys for Players Weekend -- which began Friday -- /infielder Patrick Kivlehan came up with something less nickname and more in the way of a tribute to a friend and former teammate.

Kivlehan played college football for four seasons at Rutgers University and was teammates with Eric LeGrand, who was paralyzed while making a tackle in a 2010 game. LeGrand's well-known mantra since his injury has been "Believe," and that's the word that is above Kivlehan's No. 3 this weekend.

"I talked to a couple of old roommates from college and they said, 'Why don't you throw 'Believe,' on there for Eric?' I thought that was a great idea," Kivlehan said. "I just wanted to make sure he was cool with it. He was cool with it. I told him I'd get him one."

LeGrand suffered his spinal cord injury Oct. 16, 2010, against Army at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey while tackling a player after a kickoff.

"We came in together," Kivlehan said. "We were in the same recruiting class and graduated at the same time. I was on the field with him when he got injured."

Kivlehan was a safety, and also played on special teams. He did not play baseball until his senior year, but still won the Big East conference crown and player of the year honors in 2012.

LeGrand's story became an inspiration for others with spinal cord injuries, as he has worked to gain more feeling in his body and efforts to try and walk again. Rutgers eventually started the Believe Foundation and LeGrand has written two books about his life with paralysis. In 2012, he received the Jimmy V. Award for Perseverance at ESPN's Espy Awards.

"He's honestly become the face of paralysis and the guy who everyone looks at," Kivlehan said. "He's taken that on and run with it. He's done some great things and has inspired a lot of people. He's only going to do more."

Kivlehan is cherishing the chance to wear "Believe" on his Reds jersey.

"It's something that sticks with the guys I played with at Rutgers, and kind of the whole Rutgers community," Kivlehan said. "It was too good of an opportunity to pass up to honor him and everything he's gone through and been through. I wanted to let him know I am thinking about him, and he's always with me."

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.

'Scheb' heating up at perfect time By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 12:43 AM ET + 3 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The last couple of months have not been kind to Reds right fielder Scott Schebler (known as "Scheb" for Players Weekend). His offensive numbers suffered and later, it was learned a sore left shoulder was partially to blame. While Schebler was away, prospect received ample opportunity in his place.

On Friday -- the same day Winker went on the disabled list with a left hip flexor strain -- Schebler erupted at the plate. While reaching base all four times in the Reds' 9-5 victory over the Pirates, he was a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

In the second inning with Eugenio Suarez on second base, Schebler a drive to right field that pinballed along the wall as John Jaso struggled to keep up. Schebler appeared on his way to an inside-the-park homer before he was given a late stop sign by third- base coach Billy Hatcher.

Schebler singled in the fourth inning and in the fifth, with Suarez on first base, Schebler tattooed Ivan Nova's first pitch for a two- run homer to center field, his 25th of the season. According to Statcast™, it left the bat at 107 mph and traveled 419 feet.

In the seventh with a chance to complete the cycle, Schebler was hit by a pitch. Overall, he's .236/.312/.496.

"I don't know if he could hit the ball any better than he did to center, right-center with the ," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Just really good, comfortable, compact under-control swings that put the barrel of the bat on the ball. Having a guy like that hitting seventh in your lineup speaks a lot about the depth we have going."

Entering the night, Schebler was slashing .159/.224/.336 in 32 games since July 1. He was batting .077 from the start of the second half until he was placed on the disabled list with a shoulder strain Aug. 1. Following his Aug. 18 return, he was 5-for-24 and 1 for his last 13. But during the most recent stretch, he was hitting the ball to the opposite field with power and his outs were seemingly getting louder.

"It felt like a matter of time before I would bust out. I felt like my swings were good and the sample size was small," Schebler said.

For Reds fans that clamored for Winker, it was hard to remember that Schebler slugged 22 home runs and had an .856 OPS in the first half. When Schebler struggled and went on the DL, Reds manager Bryan Price determined it was time to see more of Winker, who had two previous callups with little playing time.

Winker was batting .310 with four home runs in his last 21 games, including 15 starts, since he his recall from Triple-A Louisville.

"It's human nature to kind of worry about it. Winker obviously came up and played great," Schebler said. "You can't do anything but be happy, especially for a guy like Wink. He's a good teammate and a good guy to have around. The jealously part, you have to take that out. But you think about it, for sure. I'm not going to lie to you. But I felt like once I got healthy and able to play the way that I can, I would get back to where I was early on. I was confident in myself as well.

"Winker is not going anywhere. He's playing great. Who knows what's going to happen?"

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.

Top prospect Mahle to make MLB debut Sunday By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 1:06 AM ET + 3 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The most consistent starting in the Reds' organization this season is on his way to the big leagues for the first time. Right-hander was announced as Cincinnati's starter for Sunday's series finale vs. the Pirates.

Mahle, the Reds' No. 4 prospect according to MLBPipeline and currently at Triple-A Louisville, will replace after he was bumped back to start on Wednesday vs. the Mets. A roster move to add Mahle to the 25- and 40-man rosters is pending.

"[Mahle] commands his fastball, he commands his stuff, he throws a lot of strikes and competes well," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's athletic. He has a good feel for pitching. He's really dominated at the Double-A level and more than held his own in Triple-A."

Mahle, 22, was 7-3 with a 1.59 ERA in 14 starts for Double-A Pensacola, which included a on April 22. After his promotion to Louisville on June 22, he was 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts. In 144 1/3 innings at both levels, he has a 0.96 WHIP with 30 walks and 138 .

"He didn't skip a beat going from Double-A to Triple-A," Price said. "A lot of guys, when they make that advance, want to test the waters a little bit, but he went right after the hitters."

Bailey came out of Tuesday's start vs. the Cubs following three scoreless innings as a precaution because of an irritation in the back of his right shoulder. His injury history -- three elbow surgeries since Aug. 2014 -- has the club being extra deliberate.

"He does not feel that he needs to be bumped back. It was my decision to do that," Price said. "With a day off [Monday] and the chance to push him back a little bit, I think it serves everybody well considering what's been happening the last few years. I just didn't want to take any chances even though he feels great."

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.

'La Piedra' focused on pitch- management By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | August 25th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS

For his Players Weekend jersey, Reds rookie starting pitcher Luis Castillo will have the Spanish word "La Piedra" above No. 58 on his jersey. It means "the rock" in English and teammates say the right-hander is throwing really hard, or throwing rocks, to hitters.

Castillo will be facing Gerrit Cole (aka "Cole Train") and the Pirates on Saturday. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle hasn't seen Castillo in person yet, but is aware of the reputation.

"The fastball's real. The velocity's real," Hurdle said. "We've had some reports where it's been up to 100 [mph]. It's 96-98, firm. Four-seamer up with life. The two-seamer's got some arm-side tail; it'll sink a little bit. The changeup is more of a go-to pitch than a slider. He uses the slider more against right-handers. It's a three-pitch mix. It's 84-98, all of it packaged."

Castillo, 24, is 2-6 with a 3.45 ERA but is coming off of a lackluster outing. He lasted four innings and 90 pitches vs. the Braves in Sunday's 8-1 loss while allowing two earned runs and four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Cole is quite familiar with the Reds and his experiences haven't been very positive. He is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA in nine career starts against Cincinnati. However, he did well in his lone start vs. the Reds this season on May 1. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing three runs (two earned), one walk and seven strikeouts.

Home runs have been an issue for Cole this season, as he's allowed 27 in his 26 starts.

Three things to know about this game:

• Among the Reds who have given Cole the most trouble: Scooter Gennett (.400 average, .850 OPS), Billy Hamilton (.353, .921) and Eugenio Suarez (.429, 1.016). But he's held to a .235/.391/.235 slash line -- four hits and five walks with eight strikeouts in 23 plate appearances -- and Zack Cozart is 1-for-12 vs. Cole.

• Chad Wallach was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Friday when backup catcher Stuart Turner went on paternity leave. When Wallach appears in a game, he will be the 25th Reds player to make his big league debut in the last two seasons. That leads the Major Leagues.

• Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen is expected back in the lineup after a day off Friday. "Cutch" is batting .225 with a .586 OPS in 11 games since left knee discomfort forced him to exit an Aug. 11 game early in Toronto. He's hitting .200 with a .546 OPS over his last 14 games.

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.

'Big Sally' out to prove he belongs in rotation Romano throws second consecutive 7-inning gem Thursday vs. the Cubs By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | August 25th, 2017 + 5 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- All season as Reds rookie starters and prospects have come and gone from the rotation, it seemed that only Luis Castillo was a legitimate success story. Would anyone else be able to step up and prove they belong in the big leagues?

Sal Romano (aka "Big Sally" on his Players Weekend jersey) is progressing in an attempt to become one of those pitchers. For the second consecutive time on Thursday, Romano turned in a superb seven-inning start. It went for a no-decision, but the Reds emerged with a 4-2 win over the Cubs.

"You have to be consistent. That's what they're looking for going into the offseason and coming into ready to go," Romano said. "If I can do the best I can to stay consistent throughout the rest of the year, I think I'll have a pretty good shot at being in the rotation next year."

Romano gave up two earned runs and six hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. He gave up Ian Happ's solo home run in the second inning and a two-out RBI by Javier Baez in the sixth.

Of the 100 pitches Romano threw, 63 went for strikes. More importantly, the 23-year-old right-hander brought variety. While there were 60 four-seam that averaged 94.9 mph according to Statcast™, he worked in 29 sliders and 10 changeups.

"The last two starts now, we've really, really tried to use his changeup a lot more," Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart ("Barney") said. "We stuck with it tonight. I think we were 0-for-8 in the first eight that he threw as far as throwing strikes. But we were throwing it two times in a row, every other pitch a couple times. We've got to use it, and it's a pitch that really keeps guys off-balance, even if it's not in the ."

Through the first three innings, Romano retired nine of 11 batters. He needed just nine pitches in the first inning and struck out the side in the fifth using 13 pitches.

"It's a great sign. It's a great sign to pound the strike zone with confidence," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He got to the changeup, he got to the , but he really made some good pitches with that hard sinker and put himself in a position to throw seven innings because his and his effectiveness allowed him to do so."

During a 5-3 win over the Braves on Aug. 18, Romano gave up one earned run and five hits. It snapped a three-start and a four-game winless stretch.

"I'm working really, really hard with the coaching staff in between my starts," Romano said. "It's not just learning something the day I pitch. It's something I'm learning every single day throughout my and I throw two a week.

"My delivery feels really comfortable being able to repeat. Things feel pretty good right now but this game can be very humbling. I'll enjoy it tonight, but after that it's back to work."

Romano is 3-5 in 10 big league starts with a 4.96 ERA. His last two outings marked the first times he had pitched beyond six innings.

"It's an inning-to-inning thing, I think, even more than game-to-game. It's something that he sees himself have confidence, and it continues to kind of snowball in a good way," Barnhart said. "In Atlanta, he threw the crap out of the ball and tonight it just carried over. He's evolving as a pitcher, he's learning how to command his pitches better, which is the biggest thing for him."

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.

Winker goes on DL, Turner to paternity leave Outfielder Ervin, catcher Wallach up from Triple-A Louisville By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 25th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds had hoped to give outfield prospect Jesse Winker an opportunity to get at-bats to keep proving he belongs in the Major Leagues, but a road block came on Friday. Winker was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hip flexor.

Outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Louisville. Ervin was sent down on Wednesday, but the 10-day rule of waiting in the Minors after a demotion was waived because of Winker's injury. This is Ervin's fourth big league stint this season.

"With a four-man bench, there's just no way to sit on our hands and wait 96-plus hours to find out if there's going to be a window where he'll be ready to play," Reds manager Bryan Price said, of the decision on Winker. "I do think he's going to be limited in any baseball activity for the first several days of this DL. Then we'll see how he responds to treatment."

Winker was first injured, he said, during last weekend's series at Atlanta. He didn't think it was a big deal and spent extra time having his hip stretched out to play. He exited Thursday's 4-2 win over the Cubs in the eighth inning in a , but was removed specifically for the injury.

"It was one of those things I was trying to kind of push through," Winker said. "Yesterday, it just got to the point in that last at-bat running down the line, I felt some pain and decided I should probably come out."

In Winker's last 21 games, including 15 starts, he was batting .310 with four home runs. In 30 games overall, the 24-year-old is slashing .297/.402/.500 with 10 RBIs.

"He's a nice-looking player, and it's always fun to put his name in the lineup when I can," Price said. "He always finds a way to get on base and do something positive for us. Hopefully, it's just a 10-day setback and by the time we get to September, he's back and capable of playing with some regularity."

Wallach gets called up

In another transaction, backup catcher Stuart Turner was placed on a three-day paternity leave. Catcher Chad Wallach's contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville. Wallach is the son of former Major Leaguer and current Marlins bench coach .

This is Wallach's first big league callup.

"The timing was perfect. It couldn't have worked out any better," Wallach said. "It's an honor to be up here and I'm excited to learn some stuff."

Wallach's fiancée took a redeye flight from California to be at Friday's game, and his mother, two brothers and best friend will arrive Saturday.

In 64 games for Louisville, Wallach hit .226 with nine homers and 18 RBIs. He could be needed again as primary catcher Tucker Barnhart and his wife, Sierra, are also expecting their first child at any time.

"For those of us who have worked with Chad in Spring Training the last few years, he's just a very mature kid," Price said. "I think our player development felt he was the most prepared to do this. There are so many guys on this team that he's already caught in Triple- or in Double-A. That familiarity certainly helped his cause to get an opportunity."

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Stephenson takes a step forward in win over Pirates C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 12:30 a.m. ET Aug. 26, 2017

Robert Stephenson’s third pitch of his warmups for Friday night’s game against the Pirates was a split-fingered fastball that barely made it to the dirt in front of home plate.

That’s when Tucker Barnhart knew.

“I thought, 'oh boy, it's going to be a long night,’ ” Barnhart said afterward.

It was a long night for the Pirates hitters against Stephenson, who went on to strike out the first six batters he faced in the game, a new modern-day franchise record according to Elias Sports Bureau.

“It was pretty cool,” Stephenson noted about his start.

He set a career-high with his 10th strikeout of the game to end the fifth inning and finished with 11 in 5 ⅔ innings, as the Reds beat the Pirates 9-5 on Friday.

“He had a nice mix going. I think he was able to establish the fastball. They had to respect the usage and the velocity and that opened up a lot of things for the slider, curve and split,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He really was able to go out there and make good pitches. He retired the first six via the strikeout against a good lineup. It’s not easy to do.”

As impressive as those first six outs were, it was a walk that was most impressive to Barnhart. Not the walk itself, but the fact that Barnhart felt confident they could walk Jordy Mercer with two outs in the fourth to load the bases to face the pitcher.

For much of this season, the young Reds starters have struggled to throw enough consistent strikes for Barnhart or any Reds catcher to feel comfortable even with pitchers at the plate that they can load the bases. That was different on Friday.

“It’s something that as guys continue to grow and as they get older and get more experienced, you can walk guys on purpose and pick your spots as to how you attack guys,” Barnhart said. “That just goes back to being able to locate your secondary stuff. If I know I've got a guy who can locate his secondary stuff, I know I can expand with it too because I know I don't have to give in to certain guys.

"If you're in position – that's what the Cardinals do so well and they've done forever, is they don't give in. They don't give in. If they want to walk the bases loaded because they like the matchup with two outs and they like the guy that's going to be up, they do it.”

The pitcher, Ivan Nova, bounced into a fielder’s choice, ending the inning.

The Pirates had tied the game at two in the fourth after Billy Hamilton stumbled trying to up to a John Jaso drive to left-center. That scored a run and catcher Chris Stewart hit an single to put two for Mercer.

“The flood gates could have opened,” Barnhart said. “We were able to pitch around Mercer because the pitcher was up and even though the bases were loaded we like our chances against the pitcher.”

It was Stephenson’s second win in as many starts. He allowed just three hits in five innings in a win over the Braves on Saturday for his first win in 17 months. That was coupled with back-to-back quality starts from Sal Romano, including a no-decision in Thursday’s win against the Cubs.

That’s just four starts, but they are moves in the right direction. Those two progressing along with Luis Castillo’s impressive rookie season are a glimmer of hope in what has been a dismal season for Reds staters.

“I think, it's obviously been a rough year – that's not ground-breaking,” Barnhart said. “I legitimately mean this, almost every outing from all of our young guys, there's something positive you can take from it. It's good to see, it's nice to see. And I think it's rewarding for those guys on the mound to see as well.

"Although, when it's going on and you're getting hit around a little bit, it's tough to see, but when you look at it the next day you can see the positives that come from it. But especially the last two nights with Robert and with Sal.”

Stephenson threw 107 pitches, 71 for strikes. He allowed two runs on seven hits and four walks, including the intentional unintentional walk to Mercer.

“We're obviously a young group and I think moving forward we want to just keep moving forward as a group together and, you know, down the road we definitely want to win a championship together,” Stephenson said. “I think that some of the guys we've got in the clubhouse right now are very talented and we can definitely put something together.”

Tyler Mahle to start for Reds on Sunday C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 11:45 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017

Right-hander Tyler Mahle will start Sunday’s game for the Reds, manager Bryan Price said following Friday’s victory against the Pirates.

Mahle, who turns 23 on Tuesday, will be making his big-league debut. A seventh-round pick out of a California high school in 2013, Mahle has been the Reds’ best pitcher in the minor leagues this season, going 10-7 with a 2.06 ERA between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville. He will be the ninth different rookie starter for the Reds this season 16th rookie pitcher overall.

“He commands his fastball, he commands his stuff, he throws a lot of strikes and competes well,” Price said. “He’s athletic. He has a good feel for pitching. He’s really dominated at the Double-A level and more than held his own in Triple-A. He’s been, I think, our most consistent starter.”

Homer Bailey, who left Tuesday’s game after three innings with irritation in his shoulder, was scheduled to start Sunday but was pushed back. Price said Bailey is OK to pitch, but he wanted to be cautious.

“He feels great. He does not feel that he needs to be bumped back. It was my decision to do that,” Price said. “We took him out for precautionary reasons. With a day off (Monday) and the chance to push him back a little bit, I think it serves everybody well considering what’s been happening the last few years. I just didn’t want to take any chances, even though he feels great. I felt like a couple of extra days would certainly benefit him moving forward.”

Mahle was promoted to Triple-A on June 22 and has gone 3-4 with a 2.73 ERA in 10 starts. In 59 innings, he’s struck out 51 batters and walked 13. He last pitched Monday in Indianapolis where he was the loser despite giving up just three runs in seven innings.

“He didn’t skip a beat going from Double-A to Triple-A. A lot of guys when they make that advance want to test the waters a little bit but he went right after the hitters,” Price said. “I am grateful for the fact that (general manager) Dick (Williams) and (director of player development) Jeff Graupe and our front office staff felt like it was a good idea to get him up here for whatever it is. I don’t know how many starts he’s going to make while he’s here. But it’s a chance to get his feet wet at the big league level and a chance for us to see him here with our own eyes leading into spring training next season.”

Cincinnati Reds recap: Robert Stephenson shines in win over C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 10:48 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017

Robert Stephenson struck out a career-high 11 batters as the Reds beat the Pirates 9-5 on Friday at Great American Ball Park.

Here are the main storylines from Friday’s game:

Bob dazzles: Wearing “Bob” on the back of his jersey as part of Major League Baseball’s Players’ Weekend, Robert Stephenson turned in perhaps the best start of his young career.

Stephenson struck out the first six batters he faced, allowing two runs on seven hits in 5 ⅔ innings.

The right-hander didn’t allow a runner until the third when Francisco Cervelli led off the inning with a walk. He retired the next two batters he faced before leadoff man singled and then Adam Frazier hit a liner to center. Billy Hamilton came up firing to the plate, but Joey Votto cut the throw off and caught Marte in a for the third out, but not before Cervelli scored.

John Jaso doubled in a run in the fourth before Stephenson got out of a bases-loaded jam to end the inning. He left the bases loaded in the sixth on two hits and a walk, but Tim Adleman struck out pinch-hitter Jose Osuna to end the inning.

Stephenson’s six strikeouts to start a game was a new modern-day club record according to Elias Sports Bureau. It was two shy of baseball’s modern-day record, achieved by Jacob deGrom in 2014 and Jim Deshaies in 1986.

Schebler a double shy of the cycle: Reds right fielder Scott Schebler just missed the Reds’ first cycle since 1989 falling a double shy of the cycle.

Schebler hit an RBI triple in the second, singled in the fourth and hit his 25th home run of the season in the fifth. He batted in the seventh, but was hit by Pirates reliever Daniel Hudson.

Schebler was left on deck in the eighth when Eugenio Suarez struck out with a runner on second to end the inning.

Votto extends his streak in the eighth: Joey Votto walked to start the eighth inning, extending his streak of reaching base to 29 consecutive appearances, the longest active streak in the big leagues.

Votto entered the eighth 0 for 3, but walked against Pirates right-hander Johnny Barbato.

Votto’s streak is the second-longest by a Red this season after Zack Cozart’s 32-game streak from May 2 to June 10. Cozart’s streak is one behind the longest this season (33 by San Francisco’s Eduardo Nunez). Votto’s career-best is 48, set in 2015. He holds the club record along with (1978).

Reds notes: Winker hoping for short DL stint Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 5:40 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017 | Updated 5:50 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017

Last weekend against the , outfielder Jesse Winker felt something in his left hip as he went back on a ball hit his way. It didn’t feel very serious at the time, and he continued playing.

Thursday against the Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds rookie felt it again as he sprinted out of the box to first base. He was later pulled from the game, although it seemed to be a simple double-switch at the time.

But a day later, the Reds placed Winker on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hip flexor. Winker spent most of his time pregame doing flexibility and strength exercises with the training staff.

“Yesterday it just got to the point in that last at-bat running down the line, I felt some pain and decided I should probably come out,” Winker said.

Winker’s hip injury is similar to the one left-hander sustained earlier in the year, but not quite as serious. Garrett’s injury involved the hip joint, while Winker’s involves only the muscle. The Reds are hoping Winker will be able to return after 10 days, but recognized Thursday night that a DL stint likely would be needed.

Reds manager Bryan Price had been searching for ways to work Winker into the outfield mix since Scott Schebler returned from his own DL stint a week ago, and the 24-year-old rookie certainly had been living up to his prospect status. In 87 big-league plate appearances this season, Winker has batted .297/.402/.500 with four home runs, more than he’d hit all year in Triple-A.

“He’s a nice-looking player, and it’s always fun to put his name in the lineup when I can,” Price said. “He always finds a way to get on base and do something positive for us.”

Fellow rookie outfielder Phillip Ervin was recalled from Triple-A to take Winker’s place.

Wallach called up

With catcher Stuart Turner taking three-day paternity leave beginning Friday, the Reds selected the contract of catcher Chad Wallach from Triple-A Louisville. The son of former big-leaguer and current bench coach Tim Wallach, the 25- year-old catcher will play against the Pirates this weekend and is likely to remain in the majors once starter Tucker Barnhart takes his own paternity leave at some point next week.

Wallach earned the nod in part because of his familiarity with the team’s young pitchers. He’s also been in big-league spring training each of the last two years.

“He’s just a very mature kid,” Price said. “I think our player development felt he was the most prepared to do this.”

Wallach has struggled at the plate against Triple-A pitching this year, batting just .226/.280/.398.

DeSclafani update

Rehabbing right-hander Anthony DeSclafani threw his first flat-ground session Thursday since his elbow setback earlier in the month, and the Reds still are preparing him as if he’ll return later this season

But Price acknowledged that there’s not much room for . Many of the team’s minor-league affiliates will wrap their seasons soon, and if DeSclafani has any more hiccups there may not be enough calendar left on the big-league season either.

“We really need things to go flawlessly through the remainder of this rehab,” Price said.

Cincinnati Reds place outfielder Jesse Winker on disabled list with hip injury C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 4:16 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2017

Reds rookie outfielder Jesse Winker was put on the 10-day disabled list before Friday’s game with a left hip flexor strain. The team also put catcher Stuart Turner on the three-day paternity list.

To replace the pair, the Reds recalled outfielder Phillip Ervin from Triple-A and selected the contract of catcher Chad Wallach.

Winker was hitting .297/.402/.500 in 87 plate appearances over 30 games for the Reds this season. Ervin has five hits in 10 at-bats over seven games for the Reds this season, including two home runs. He was hitting .256/.328/.380 in Triple-A. He was just optioned on Wednesday.

Wallach, 25, has never played in the big leagues. He was acquired along with Anthony DeSclafani in the December 2014, trade of to the Marlins. The son of former big leaguer Tim Wallach, he was hitting .226/.280/.398 with nine home runs and 18 RBI for the Bats this season.

With Turner on the paternity list, there was only one catcher on the roster, starter Tucker Barnhart. Turner’s wife was scheduled to be induced on Friday and Barnhart’s wife is due with their first child next week.

BAR: Where does Joey Votto fit in the MVP discussion? Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 11:15 a.m. ET Aug. 25, 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).

Shall we mailbag? Let's shall.

Could/should Votto be in NL MVP discussion?

I do not vote on this award this year -- I have a Cy Young ballot -- so it's easier for me to talk about. And the answer is yes. Joey Votto certainly will be in the discussion, and will likely finish in the top 10 of voting for the third year in a row. I doubt he wins it.

Going by bWAR from Baseball-Reference, Votto leads the NL in value with 6.1 WAR. But four other players -- (5.9), Giancarlo Stanton (5.6), Paul Goldschmidt (5.5) and Anthony Rendon (5.3) are within striking distance. On top of that, pitchers Gio Gonzalez (6.4) and Max Scherzer (6.2) have higher marks.

Using fWAR from FanGraphs, Votto has 5.1 WAR and trails Goldschmidt, Rendon and . Scherzer is also on his heels. Votto's got as good a case as any of them, but that's a lot of similar resumes to stand out against, and the Reds' poor fortunes won't help. Although that shouldn't matter, it will.

Do you think DeSclafani and Finnegan are written in ink in the rotation for next year or could someone squeeze them out?

I'd have a hard time writing any pitcher into any slot in ink at this point, and the injuries Anthony DeSclafani and Brandon Finnegan make it tougher. But there's a difference between feeling like you can count on 200 innings from a pitcher and feeling like he's in your rotation if healthy.

If DeSclafani is healthy, he's starting for this team. His success has been notable enough that the Reds can lean on his performance track record. I'd think the same happens for Finnegan, but it's not as sure a case. Finnegan had a nice 2016 season, but had further to go to be polished like DeSclafani is. I could see the Reds using Finnegan in the bullpen if they feel they have better starting options.

Would a Billy Hamilton who squared to on every pitch, taking every breaking ball and only bunting/swinging at FB, be more valuable?

No. First of all, if he bunted only at fastballs, why would anyone ever throw him one? They'd pump breaking pitches in the zone all day. Secondly, if all Billy Hamilton did was bunt, teams would sell out to defend it.

Also, bunting is really, really hard. There's a reason players do not do it much, and that's because vastly more often than not it results in an out. Hamilton's speed is a game-changer for sure, but there's no way he gets to an acceptable on-base percentage by only bunting.

ICYMI

- Sal Romano had his second strong start in a row.

- Catcher Baby No. 2 is on the way.

- Eugenio Suarez is living up to his potential.

Minor-league roundup

Triple-A: Indianapolis 10, Louisville 0. LHP Amir Garrett got shellacked, giving up nine runs (seven earned) in 4 1/3 innings. 1B Brandon Dixon doubled.

Double-A: Jackson 2, Pensacola 1. RHP Jesus Reyes allowed two runs in six innings and has an ERA of 3.19. was 1 for 1 but was pulled from the game. It wasn't injury-related, according to the Reds.

High-A: Daytona 7, Bradenton 5. LHP Ty Boyles went eight innings and allowed four runs. 1B James Vasquez and LF Malik Collymore each hit a homer.

Low-A: Dayton 4, Bowling Green 1. RHP Matt Blandino tossed seven innings and allowed one run. Home runs were hit by 1B Bruce Yari, LF Taylor Trammell and CF Jose Siri.

Rookie-Advanced: Great Falls 4, Billings 0. RHP Luis Alecis surrendered four runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings. 3B Alejo Lopez and 1B Montrell Marshall collected the only two hits for the Mustangs. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Former top pick Stephenson strikes out 11 to lead Reds past Pirates By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Posted: 11:01 p.m. Friday, August 25, 2017

Going into his start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, rookie right-hander Robert Stephenson was starting to show signs of being the kind of pitcher the Reds were looking for when they made him their No. 1 pick and the 27th overall selection in the June 2011 draft.

Over his previous two starts, sandwiched around time on the disabled list and a two-inning relief appearance, he’d allowed totals of five hits and three runs – two earned – with seven strikeouts in 10 2/3 innings.

Sure, he’d walked five batters, but his earned-run average was 1.78 and a blown save cost him a 2-0 record in that span.

The 24-year-old Stephenson seemed to take another step forward in the opener of a three-game series. He struck out the first six batters he faced – a franchise record for consecutive strikeouts to start a game, according to Elias Sports Bureau – and had a career- high 10 through five innings.

Stephenson finished with 11 – one short of matching the team’s season-high, set by left-hander Amir Garrett on April 19 against Baltimore – as the Reds maintained their Pittsburgh dominance with a 9-5 win.

Right fielder Scott Schebler drove in three runs while falling a double short of the cycle. Schebler followed Adam Duvall’s 30th homer in the fifth with a two-run shot for his 25th and a 7-2 lead over Ivan Nova (11-10).

Schebler was hit by a pitch during his final shot at the cycle in the seventh.

Catcher Tucker Barnhart drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly in the second and a bases-loaded single in the fourth and as Cincinnati improved to 9-2 this season against Pittsburgh overall and 4-1 at Great American Ball Park.

The Pirates have lost four of their last five games and 10 of 13, including a six-game losing streak.

Eugenio Suarez scored three runs and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with a one-out double. He scored on Schebler’s first triple of the season.

Stephenson (2-4), who also won his last start on Saturday in Atlanta, lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs with four walks. He left with the bases loaded in the sixth, but former starter Tim Adleman struck out pinch-hitter Jose Osuna.

Pittsburgh scored its first run against Stephenson when center fielder Billy Hamilton stumbled just as he was camping under Starling Marte’s two-out drive to deep left-center field, which went for an RBI double.

Schebler’s homer proved crucial when Josh Bell banged a three-run shot into the tunnel next to the Reds’ left-center field bullpen off of Adleman in the seventh. The Red got two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning as Daniel Hudson walked one batter and hit two more, setting up Patrick Kivlehan’s bases-loaded, two-run double.

Kivlehan leads the Reds with seven pinch-hits and is tied with Scooter Gennett for the team lead with five pinch-hit RBIs.

Wallach gets the call as Reds experience baby boom By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Updated: 5:02 p.m. Friday, August 25, 2017 | Posted: 4:42 p.m. Friday, August 25, 2017

CINCINNATI — Chad Wallach and his fellow with Triple-A Louisville were almost as interested in the pending parenthoods of major leaguers , Tucker Barnhart and Stuart Turner as the future fathers themselves.

The Bats backstops all knew that, with the three Reds expecting to become parents in a relatively short amount of time, at least one of the minor-league catchers could get a ticket to the big leagues.

When Turner went on paternity leave Friday with Mesoraco on the disabled list, the Reds promoted Wallach.

“It’s awesome,” said Wallach, who drove from Indianapolis to Cincinnati after getting the news. “I’m excited to be up here. The timing is perfect. It couldn’t have worked out any better.”

The 25-year-old son of former major league third baseman Tim Wallach was acquired by the Reds with right-hander Anthony DeSclafani on Dec. 11, 2014, from the Marlins in exchange for right-handed pitcher Mat Latos.

He has spent the last few spring trainings with the Reds, which gave him an edge over his teammates.

“I’ve caught a lot of bullpens with these guys, so that should make it easier,” he said.

“It was an organizational discussion,” manager Bryan Price said of the choice. “He’s very mature, and the player development guys felt like he was the most prepared. He’s got familiarity with a lot of these guys. He’s caught so many of them in Double-A and Triple-A.”

Wallach, who batted .226 with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 18 RBIs over 64 games with the Bats, will become the 13th player and second catcher to make his major league debut with the Reds this season.

Adding Wallach bumps the 40-man roster to its limit.

Ervin back: Joining Wallach in traveling to Cincinnati — though from Toledo rather than Indianapolis — was outfielder Phillip Ervin, who was recalled when the Reds placed rookie outfielder Jesse Winker on the 10-day disabled list with a left hip flexor strain.

“He said he did something during the Atlanta series, but he thought it was relatively benign,” Price said about Winker. “He didn’t tell anybody. Then he started doing some extra stretching and getting some treatment. He did something in his last at-bat coming out of the box (Thursday) night.”

Winker was the last batter of the sixth inning. He stayed in the game to play defense in the seventh and then was replaced by pitcher in a double switch after the seventh.

“That looked like an unusual double switch because we ended up with Peraza hitting in that spot, but we had to get Winker out of there,” Price said.

Peraza came off the bench and provided a bases-loaded, ground-rule double that gave the Reds a 3-2 lead.

This stint with the Reds is Ervin’s fourth of the season. He’d just been optioned Wednesday to help make room for pitchers Luke Farrell and Alejandro Chacin.

Spinning wheel: The Reds went into Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 54-74 record, a .422 winning percentage that had them on a pace to finish 68-94.

Sound familiar? That’s the same record with which Cincinnati finished the 2016 season. Through 128 games last year, the Reds were 55-73.

Want more déjà vu? The three-game series against the Cubs that ended with a come-from-behind 4-2 Cincinnati win Thursday drew 55,225 fans — most of them clad in Cubs royal blue. Average attendance was 18,408, dropping the overall average through 63 home dates to 23,383.

That left the franchise on pace to draw 1,894,008 fans for the 81 home dates, slightly down from last season’s 1,894,085. That’s an average difference of less than one fan per game.

That would be the lowest in the 15-year history of Great American Ball Park and the lowest for the franchise since the 1998 team drew 1,793,679.

Brother act: The Avett Brothers, a folk rock group, are scheduled to perform in a postgame concert following the second game of the series between the Reds and the Pirates on Saturday. The concert pushes the usual first-pitch time up to 6:40 p.m.

Rookie right-hander Luis Castillo (2-6, 3.45 ERA) is scheduled to make his 13th start and first against Pittsburgh. He’ll be opposed by right-hander Gerrit Cole (10-8, 4.16), who will be looking for his first career win in his 10th career start against the Reds. He is 0-6 with a 5.14 ERA against Cincinnati.

Hal McCoy: Reds can’t afford to dump Bailey yet By Hal McCoy - Contributing Writer Posted: 11:30 a.m. Friday, August 25, 2017

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

Q: Will Joey Votto be remembered as the greatest to have never played in a ? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek.

A: Ever hear of Ernie Banks? How about Ken Griffey Jr., Gaylord Perry, , Ron Santo and ? Not only did these guys never play in a World Series, they all are in the Hall of Fame. Kiner led the National League in home runs and RBIs one year and Pittsburgh Pirates part owner Branch Rickey cut his salary and said, “We finished last with you, we can finish last without you.” Votto is more likely to join these guys in the Hall of Fame than he is to play in a World Series, unless the Reds trade him.

Q: When are the Reds going to give Homer Bailey his walking papers? — GARY, Fairborn.

A: Reds pitchers don’t need walking papers. They lead the league in walks without any papers involved. As for releasing Bailey, if they do they would pay him $70 million just to walk away. That’s how much they still owe him through 2020. Let’s at least give him one more year to see if he can bounce back from three arm surgeries the last couple of years. His velocity is there, his stuff is there, he just needs to recapture his command and control. If he has a good first half next season the Reds might be able to trade him to a contender at the deadline.

Q: What do the SP, RG and ML represent on the sleeves of the MLB umpire this year? — LARRY, Piqua.

A: They are all former umpires who died this year — Steve Palermo, Russell Goetz and Mike Johnson. Palermo is more famous for rushing from a restaurant after a game to aid two waitresses who were being mugged in the parking lot. He was shot and paralyzed from the waist down. Speaking of umpires, it is doubtful the players will ever wear JW and AH on their sleeves because Joe West and Angel Hernandez are lowly-regarded by MLB players.

Q: Sports have boundaries, but is baseball the only sport that allows out of bounds plays like catching balls in foul territory and runners advancing on throws in foul territory? — ERICH, Oakwood.

A: Never thought about that but I believe you are correct. In football, basketball, hockey, tennis, golf, soccer, lacrosse — you name it — out of bounds is out of bounds. That’s another reason baseball is unique. Isn’t it strange that you can catch a pop foul and it is an out, but you can’t make a play for an out on a ground ball foul? There are so many contradictory rules in baseball that it is no surprise even umpires carry a rule book in their pockets. I’ve covered baseball for 44 years and played it for 30 years and every year some rule pops up that I didn’t know anything about.

Q: It feels as if the fan base is receiving a shakedown because the Reds are allegedly building toward next year, but is September baseball really the evaluation period that the Reds want fans to believe? — RON, Clemmons, N.C.

A: Former Reds managers Dusty Baker and Davey Johnson always said, “Players can fool you in September and in spring training.” I believe that. So many teams are out of the race in September and, like the Reds, are trying to evaluate young players. For them, it is like spring training and you aren’t always facing a team’s best. In my humble opinion, the Reds should have taken longer looks during the season at pitchers like Amir Garrett, Cody Reed, Rookie Davis, Jackson Stephens and Robert Stephenson. Decisions on these guys have to be made sooner than later.

Q: How likely is it that a contender in a large market could trade for Joey Votto? — JOHN, Oxford.

A: Why would the Reds want to trade one of the best hitters in the game? Yes, he makes a lot of money, but the Reds are rebuilding with young players who don’t make much money, so Votto’s contract isn’t stifling. Could they trade him to the , Boston, the or the ? Sure they could. But here’s the final kicker. Votto has a no-trade clause and is on record as saying he isn’t going anywhere. He loves Cincinnati and plans to stay there.

Q: Are the Reds trying to hide pitcher Jimmy Herget, who is only 23 and pitching at Class AAA Louisville, because he is doing well and I haven’t heard his name mentioned? — RICK, Vandalia.

A: You can’t hide players in the minors, especially good ones, and I’m sure every team in baseball knows about Jimmy Herget. He is 23 and was drafted in the sixth round in 2015. He is strictly a relief pitcher and has moved all the way to Triple A in two years. He started this year at Class AA Pensacola and had 16 saves in 19 opportunities with a 2.73 ERA. He was promoted to Class AAA Louisville and is 7 for 10 in save opportunities with a 3.62 ERA. But he is not on the 40-man roster and probably won’t be called up in September. My bet is that he’ll be added to the 40-man roster this winter and will get a good look next spring. If the Reds were contenders, you might see him in the bullpen right now. And I’ll be shocked if he isn’t in the bullpen next year.

Q: I agree that ’s performance for the 1982 Reds (101 losses) may well have been the best accomplishment by a pitcher on a terrible team (He owned 23 percent of the team’s wins and I’m impressed by Roger Craig winning 25 percent of the 1962 Mets wins (120 losses), but what other impressive pitching performances were achieved on very bad teams? — LARRY, Brookville.

A: Roger Craig isn’t in my top 10. Yes, he won 10 games for the ’62 Mets, who lost 120. But he lost 24 with a 4.51 ERA. How about Randy Johnson, who won 16 in 2004 for an Arizona team that won 51 games. Remember a guy named Cy Young? At age 40 he was 20-15 for the Boston Americans, who lost 105 of 154 games (49 wins). My No. 1, though, is Steve Carlton’s 1972 season. He won 27 games for the Phillies, a team that won 59 games. He won the Cy Young that year with every vote but one. Mine. I voted for L.A.’s Jerry Reuss that year because I saw him beat the Reds four times.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q: Shouldn’t the Reds forget about Scott Schebler and Jesse Winker because Phillip Ervin is the guy? — RON, Vandalia.

A: If Ervin wasn’t a No. 1 draft pick in 2013, he probably would be gone. In 2014 and 2015 at low Dayton he hit .237 and 240. Nevertheless, he was promoted to Double-A Pensacola in 2016 and hit .239. Nevertheless, he was promoted to Class AAA Louisville this year and hit .256 in 99 games. He has played a week in the majors and looks like the second coming of Roberto Clemente. But it is a minuscule sample and way too early to anoint him the right fielder. He’ll get a good look in September and in spring training, but I doubt he can supplant either Schebler or Winker. That being said, to use one of manager Bryan Price’s favorite terms, sometimes it clicks in all of a sudden, and there is a reason the Reds drafted him No. 1. We shall see.

Meet Alejandro Chacin: ‘The Great American Story’ Hal McCoy August 24, 2017

CINCINNATI — Manager Bryan Price calls it, “The Great American Success Story.” And Alejandro Chacin isn’t even American.

The 23-year-old pitcher from Maracay, Venezuela was plucked from the Class AAA roster Wednesday, along with pitcher Luke Farrell, a son of manager John Farrell.

To make room, the Reds designated for assignment beleaguered and bewitched pitcher Blake Wood and optioned outfielder Phillip Ervin back to Louisville.

“It’s really a great story because Chacin has been a guy so unheralded, a guy who got to the big leagues completely on merit. It really is the American way. He has earned everything that he has got,” said Price. “Nothing has been given to him and I admire him for it.”

CHACIN WAS SIGNED WHEN he was 16. He spent two years with the low Class A (2013-14) and recorded 30 saves.

Then at Class AA Pensacola in 2016 he was 5-2 with a 1.78 ERA and 39 saves. He was a Southern League All-Star, a Baseball American Class AA All-Star and an MLB.com organizational All-Star.

“He has earned his way up at every level,” said Price. “He starts in somebody’s bullpen as a middle guy and he ends up pitching end-of-the-game high leverage situations as a closer or set-up guy. He is a multi-inning guy. He has the repertoire to enable him to get out left handed hitters. He has earned every promotion because he has performed at every level. It’s a good message.”

FARRELL, 26, IS A starting pitcher the Reds picked up off waivers a few days ago from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In two starts at Louisville he was 0-and-2 with a 19.06 ERA.

For now, he’ll be used out of the bullpen in long relief.

“He made his major league debut and appeared in one game for Kansas City and was claimed by LA and then we claimed him,” said Price. “He is the right guy for now as opposed to bringing up Rookie Davis or Cody Reed or Amir Garrett or Jackson Stephens.

“Instead of putting them in our bullpen we feel they are better served working on their game in Louisville,” Price added. “Some of them will be here in September if they continue to work.”

AS THE SON OF JOHN FARRELL, who has managed at Toronto and Boston and coached at several stops, Luke Farrell is familiar with the inside of a major league clubhouse.

With a year that has seen him pitch in Omaha, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Louisville and now Cincinnati, Farrell said, “There hasn’t been any unpacking.”

His one major league appearance was a start this year for the Royals — 2 2/3 innings, five runs, seven hits, three walks and a home run — an inauspicious debut.

“It has been quite a merry-go-round for me,” he said. “Right now I just want to go day-by-day, the best way I can look at it.”

Of his debut, he said, “I think every player goes into that game with a lot of nerves. Exciting as it is to have one, it’s almost good to be done with it and get back to the business of playing baseball.”

And of his experience hanging around clubhouses with his father, he said, “Yeah, but it is different when you have your own locker and you are here to perform and not just hang around.”

ERVIN WAS IMPRESSIVE in his short stay with a couple of home runs and a game against the Cubs in which he homered, had three hits and drove in four runs.

“We knew Phillip Ervin was going to get back to Louisville to get at bats (until the September call-ups),” said Price. “We have Jesse Winker, who is not getting enough at bats. And it would be impossible to get two guys enough at bats and playing time in August.”

Wood has been unreliable since the All-Star break. In his last two appearances he faced 13 batters and 10 reached base — one inning, nine runs, seven hits, three walks.

“We didn’t have an options left on Woody and he is perfectly healthy so so the DL was not an option,” said Price.

“It was unfortunate because he has been our most durable reliever the last two years. He has taken the ball every time I’ve handed it to him, quite often after pitching two innings the day before.

“His recent struggles, though, made him vulnerable to this situation,” Price added. “The bulk of his work in 2016 and 2017 was pretty positive. So I’m disappointed this had to happen because he is a great, great guy.”

That, though, is baseball. What have you done for them lately?

HOMER BAILEY TOOK batting practice with the pitchers Wednesday afternoon, swinging from the heels. Obviously, his back is OK after leaving Tuesday’s game after three innings with some discomfort in his back.

Is he OK?

“I was fine yesterday,” he said. “But why take chances? That’s what I told Bryan — I’m OK, but I feel something and why take chances? I could have stayed in with the way it felt, but what if it gets worse?”

Bailey remembers feeling pain before his three surgeries but he was encouraged to pitch through it. “And look what happened?” he said, showing the scars on his right arm from three surgeries.

Bailey had given up no runs, one hit and one walk with two strikeouts in his three innings against the Cubs Tuesday and left with a 3-0 lead.

“I felt good and things were going goood,” he said. “I’m getting very close and I’m going to pitch the rest of the year.” ASSOCIATED PRESS Rookie Stephenson fans career-high 11, Reds beat Pirates 9-5 By JOE KAY Today

CINCINNATI (AP) — A guy with “Bob” on the back of his jersey left Pittsburgh’s batters swinging at nothing but air.

Rookie Robert Stephenson fanned a career-high 11 Pirates, and Scott Schebler drove in three runs with a homer and his first triple of the season, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 9-5 victory Friday night.

Stephenson (2-4) stymied Pittsburgh with sharp-breaking pitches in his fifth start and 19th overall appearance, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

As part of the Players Weekend promotion, Stephenson wore his nickname on the back of his No. 55 jersey — it simply said “Bob.” His nasty slider had the Pirates muttering something else.

“My slider — I got most of my strikeouts on that,” said Stephenson , who threw 107 pitches. “It went really well most of the time. I was happy with the results. I felt like today was one of those days where I felt most confident in my stuff.”

The right-hander fanned the first six batters for a modern Reds record, according to information from the Elias Sports Bureau provided by the team. The major league record is eight by Houston’s Jim Deshaies in 1986 and the Mets’ Jacob deGrom in 2014.

“That might have been as good a slider as I’ve seen in a long time,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “We hadn’t seen that pitch from maybe anybody this year as far as the tilt and the depth of the slider. It was an elite slider tonight.”

Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell hit a three-run homer off Tim Adleman in the seventh, one of his four hits.

Schebler had a single, an RBI triple and a two-run homer off Ivan Nova (11-11), who gave up seven runs — matching his season high — in five innings. Adam Duvall added a solo shot, his 30th of the season. Tucker Barnhart drove in two with a sacrifice fly and a single. Nova also let in a run with a bases-loaded .

“The fastball kept missing off the plate,” Nova said. “The only thing that was working for me was the curve.”

Pittsburgh has lost 10 of 13, fading from the NL Central race. The Reds are 9-2 against the Pirates this season.

The Pirates activated Francisco Cervelli off the disabled list before the game. The catcher has been limited by soreness in his left hand and wrist. Cervelli walked and scored in the third, but left in the bottom of the inning because of a sore left thigh.

JUST HURDLE

Major league players, managers and coaches can have nicknames on their jerseys this weekend as part of an MLB promotion. Hurdle decided to keep his last name on his. Why? “I’ve never really had a nickname,” he said. “Really. I’ve been ‘That Guy.’”

ANGELS CLAIM RELIEVER

The Angels claimed former Reds reliever Blake Wood off waivers. He was designated for assignment on Wednesday, a day after he gave up five runs in a 13-9 loss to the Cubs.

ALL ABOARD

Joey Votto walked in his final . He has reached safely in 29 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors. His career high is a 48-game streak that ties Pete Rose’s club record.

MOVES

The Reds called up OF Phillip Ervin and C Chad Wallach from Triple-A Louisville. They placed C Stuart Turner on the 3-day paternity list and OF Jesse Winker on the 10-day DL with a strained hip. The Pirates optioned C Elias Diaz to Triple-A Indianapolis.

TRAINERS ROOM

Pirates: Cervelli plans to get with trainers in the offseason to deal with his hand and wrist problems. He had surgery to remove part of a bone in his left hand last year. “I think it’s related to the surgery last year,” he said. “I have scar tissue there. It’s the same pain, but I don’t have the bone anymore, so I must be overusing it.”

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey will skip his scheduled start on Sunday, replaced by RHP Tyler Mahle. Bailey lasted only three innings on Tuesday because of irritation in the back of his shoulder.

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Pirates: Gerrit Cole (10-8) is 0-6 in nine career starts against Cincinnati. He started on May 1 at Great American Ball Park and gave up three runs in six innings of the Reds’ 4-3 win. Cole has won his last seven decisions on the road, leaving him 8-4 this season away from PNC Park.

Reds: Luis Castillo (2-6) makes his first career start against the Pirates. In his last five games, he’s 1-2 with a 2.67 ERA. TRANSACTIONS 08/26/17 New York Yankees optioned 1B Tyler Austin to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

08/25/17 transferred RHP Matt Shoemaker from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right forearm extensor strain. Los Angeles Angels recalled RHP Mike Morin from Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels optioned 1B Jefry Marte to Salt Lake Bees. recalled SS Danny Espinosa from Durham Bulls. Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Brandon McCarthy on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Texas Rangers recalled RHP Nick Martinez from Round Rock Express. Texas Rangers optioned RHP Nick Gardewine to Frisco RoughRiders. placed LF Michael Conforto on the 10-day disabled list. Left shoulder dislocation. optioned RHP Nick Tepesch to Buffalo Bisons. Tampa Bay Rays sent 3B outright to Durham Bulls. activated C from the 10-day disabled list. Houston Astros placed C Max Stassi on the 10-day disabled list. Texas Rangers sent LHP Jake Diekman on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express. activated 2B from the 7-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays optioned Daniel Robertson to Durham Bulls. activated LF Daniel Nava. Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Jake Thompson to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Washington Nationals recalled RHP A.J. Cole from Syracuse Chiefs. Washington Nationals optioned C Pedro Severino to Syracuse Chiefs. New York Mets activated RHP Jeurys Familia from the 60-day disabled list. Boston Red Sox sent RHP Ben Taylor on a rehab assignment to Pawtucket Red Sox. Pittsburgh Pirates activated C Francisco Cervelli from the 10-day disabled list. Pittsburgh Pirates optioned C Elias Diaz to . recalled 1B Mark Canha from Nashville Sounds. Oakland Athletics recalled RHP Michael Brady from Nashville Sounds. Oakland Athletics placed RHP Paul Blackburn on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to August 23, 2017. Right hand contusion. optioned RHP Shawn Armstrong to Columbus Clippers. Cleveland Indians recalled LHP Ryan Merritt from Columbus Clippers. New York Yankees activated 2B from the 10-day disabled list. New York Yankees optioned SS Tyler Wade to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of C Chad Wallach from Louisville Bats. Cincinnati Reds recalled LF Phillip Ervin from Louisville Bats. Cincinnati Reds placed LF Jesse Winker on the 10-day disabled list. Left hip flexor strain. Cincinnati Reds placed C Stuart Turner on the paternity list. activated 3B Matt Davidson from the 10-day disabled list. Chicago White Sox placed 2B Yoan Moncada on the 10-day disabled list. Right shin bone contusion. sent CF Leonys Martin outright to Tacoma Rainiers. Los Angeles Angels claimed RHP Blake Wood off waivers from Cincinnati Reds. Tampa Bay Rays signed free agent SS Danny Espinosa. Toronto Blue Jays sent C Luke Maile on a rehab assignment to Buffalo Bisons. placed RHP Dylan Bundy on the bereavement list. Baltimore Orioles recalled RHP Mike Wright from Norfolk Tides. Washington Nationals sent OF Jayson Werth on a rehab assignment to Potomac Nationals. Washington Nationals sent SS on a rehab assignment to Potomac Nationals. Cleveland Indians sent RHP Josh Tomlin on a rehab assignment to Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Miami Marlins sent LHP Wei-Yin Chen on a rehab assignment to GCL Marlins.