Press Clippings April 10, 2017

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1989-When Ken Griffey, Jr. debuts with Seattle, he and his father, Ken Griffey, Sr., become the first father-son duo to play in the major leagues at the same time MLB.COM Duvall leads way as Reds win series at Busch By Nate Latsch and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | April 9th, 2017 + 438 COMMENTS

ST. LOUIS -- The Reds have every reason to take a moment and savor the flavor of a rare series win at Busch Stadium. Sunday's 8- 0 victory over the Cardinals not only gave Cincinnati two of three games, but also just its fourth series win out of the last 29 at St. Louis since 2006.

It was July 27-29, 2015, when the Reds last came to town and took a series from the Cardinals. Sunday's win was powered by Adam Duvall's 3-for-4, two-RBI game while starting Scott Feldman cruised with six-plus scoreless innings, allowing four hits with one walk and collecting six for his first win with the Reds. More >

"It's not facing demons and ghosts of series in years past. Our team is better than it's been in the last few years, with a lot of new guys that just want to come in and play baseball, play hard and play well," Reds manager said. "We pitched two shutouts here. Not only is that unlikely, but to come in here and be able to do and extract two wins is a big deal for us in the early start of a season."

Coming off of 7 1/3 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts on vs. the Cubs, Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez fared poorly in his second outing. Martinez pitched five-plus innings with six runs (five earned), six hits, one walk, three strikeouts and he two batters. A four-run top of the sixth -- which included three Cardinals errors -- knocked him from the game before he could record an out in the inning.

"Stuff looked pretty good," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Martinez. "Just looked like he had trouble really putting it where he wanted to. That's the difference between today and a week ago. He was so sharp putting pitches where he wanted to. … Some days it's just not going to be as sharp."

Duvall made it a 1-0 game leading off the second inning with his second of the season, a drive into the left-field bullpen. In the fifth inning, Zack Cozart extended his hitting streak to six games with an RBI triple that scored Scott Schebler for a two-run lead.

Cincinnati notched its third shutout of the week, including both wins over the Cardinals. It won Friday's opener, 2-0, before being blown out with a 10-4 loss Saturday.

"We pitched very well. We got some timely hits," Duvall said. "You're going to win some games if you do that. Hopefully we'll continue to do that and continue to get better."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Duvall does it: Duvall was 0-for-8 in his first two games vs. the Cardinals, with his last hit being a homer in his final at-bat Thursday vs. the Phillies. When he took Martinez's full-count changeup deep, it left the bat at 101 mph and traveled 388 feet, according to Statcast™. Duvall's RBI single in the sixth inning provided the first run of the rally that blew the game open.

"He's got a good fastball," Duvall said of Martinez and his second-inning at-bat. "I wanted to try and stay square on him and try to over-pull the ball. Then it opens the outer half. With Yadi [Molina] back there and those two going, it's going to be a tough at-bat. I was able to get something to hit and put the barrel on it."

Mistakes help Reds: Following Duvall's single in the sixth, three Cardinals errors helped the Reds and two of them came from third baseman Jhonny Peralta on one play. Peralta booted Eugenio Suarez's grounder near the line and then chucked his fielder's-choice throw into right field for another error that allowed Joey Votto to score. Martinez was lifted for reliever Brett Cecil, who gave up Schebler's RBI double to right field. Randal Grichuk bobbled the ball after playing it off of the wall for an error that allowed Suarez to score.

"I've made three or four errors sometimes in a game before," Peralta said. "It happens to everybody. Today, I made a really dumb play."

QUOTABLE

"It's a great series win, obviously against a good team. It says a lot about the way we've been playing. Hopefully we can keep it going. St. Louis always puts a tough team on the field. To come in here and get two out of three, it says a lot about the way we've been swinging the bats and playing defense and things like that." -- Feldman

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Votto's ninth-inning home run off Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh was the sixth home run surrendered by five St. Louis relievers in the first six games. Oh, who gave up five homers in 76 appearances a year ago, has allowed two in his first two games in 2017.

"I think he's not his sharpest right now, but we know what we've got with him," Matheny said. "He's going to be one of the best in the game this year. We just have to keep giving him the work he needs to be sharp."

TURNER GETS FIRST HIT, FRIEND GETS THE BASE

In the top of the third inning, Reds Stuart Turner notched his first big league hit with a double into left field. Turner, a Rule 5 pick who was in Double-A last season, was starting for the second time this season. His brother and a friend were in the seats and the friend, Derek Maggio, scored a coveted tchotchke. Maggio went to the Cardinals' game-used authentics shop and purchased second base for $200 during the game. Reds clubhouse manager Rick Stowe gave it to Maggio afterwards.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: The road trip moves on to Pittsburgh Monday at 7:05 p.m. ET for the first of three games vs. the Pirates. Brandon Finnegan, who struck out nine over seven scoreless innings in his first start, will make the start for Cincinnati.

Cardinals: The Cardinals head on the road for the first time with a six-game road trip that begins in Washington on Monday night. Righty Adam Wainwright, who took the loss in his first start after allowing two runs on three hits in five innings against the Cubs, gets the start. First pitch is 6:05 CT.

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

Nate Latsch is a contributor to MLB.com, based in St. Louis.

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.

Feldman improves command for first win of '17 Reds righty finds success vs. Cardinals with changeup By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | April 9th, 2017 + 14 COMMENTS

ST. LOUIS -- The Reds have often known tough times at Busch Stadium and, even though it's his first season with the club, starting pitcher Scott Feldman can relate. Feldman was with the Rangers in 2011 and faced the Cardinals five times in the . It included a blown save in the 10th inning of Game 6 and allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning in Game 7.

None of that mattered, obviously, on Sunday as Feldman delivered exactly what the Reds needed in an 8-0 victory over the Cardinals and their ace, Carlos Martinez. Feldman pitched six-plus innings with four hits, one walk and six strikeouts for his first victory with Cincinnati.

"The maturation to be able to be in the ballgame where it's a low-scoring game [until the sixth inning] against an ace and just leaving it there and not making too big of a deal," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He really attacked. He stays on plan. He does that so well."

Feldman, who has induced ground balls over 47 percent of the time during his career, effectively used his sinker for 35 of his 101 pitches. Seven of his first nine outs came via ground balls.

Then in the fourth through sixth innings, Feldman went a different route and notched five strikeouts.

"He kept us off balance," Cardinals outfielder Randal Grichuk said, as his team lost a series to the Reds in St. Louis for only the fourth time in 29 series since August 2006. "He was cutting it and sinking it. Throw that back-door sinker to righties and throw that cutter right off of it. He was nibbling. He pitched well today."

Feldman, a 34-year-old who was signed as a free agent to a one-year, $2.3 million contract in January, was brought in to help stabilize a young rotation and provide innings. He wasn't successful on Opening Day, when he lasted 4 2/3 innings and threw 99 pitches in a 4-3 loss.

"My command was a lot better this time," Feldman said. "It makes it a lot easier to pitch when the guys come out and put all those runs on the board. Stewie [catcher Stuart Turner] called a great game behind the plate. Everything was kind of working today."

That included a pitch Feldman has been working on during , the changeup. According to Statcast™, he threw only nine of them, but got five strikes.

"When you can show you can throw it for a strike sometimes, it's always in the back of their heads thinking about it," Feldman said. "I think just being able to do that, even on a day like today, where I didn't get any outs with it, but got a swing at it and fouled it off, it's in their head for sure. It makes my other three pitches maybe a little more effective."

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: Nickname or alias? How Scooter Gennett became Scooter C. Trent Rosecrans , [email protected] Published 9:30 a.m. ET April 10, 2017 | Updated 6 minutes ago

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).

This spring I wrote about Reds’ nicknames and since then they lost a Jumbo but added a Scooter.

So, I decided I needed an addendum and asked Scooter Gennett to recount the story of his nickname.

Here’s what he had to say:

"I was a big fan of 'Muppet Babies' and 'The Muppets,' and Scooter was my favorite character. I was just that really annoying, defiant kid and I was in the car one day with my mom and I graduated from the car seat, so I was sitting in the back seat and she'd put my seatbelt on. She'd start driving and I'd click it off and unclick it. She'd have to stop the car, get out, come around and put it back on. I'd wait until she'd start driving again and unclick it.

"Then, basically, she was over it and drove into the police station. All I remember -- I don't remember any of that, I just remember a badge. And I was probably four or five, and that's probably my earliest memory as a kid. I just remember a badge and being scared. I guess the police officer asked me what my name was and I just made up 'Scooter Gennett' and my mom had no idea. By her face, he knew it wasn't my real name. So he's like, 'Hey buddy, what's your real name.' I said, 'Scooter.' I didn't answer to Ryan, my given name, for a year-and-a-half because I thought I'd get in trouble or get arrested. So I came up with Scooter. I came up with an alias at a really young age. You know some kids have imaginary friends and stuff. I had an alias. An alter-ego type deal. It just kind of stuck.

"I introduce myself as 'Ryan' for the most part, because if I introduce myself as 'Scooter,' they'll be like, 'how'd you get that name.' I'm definitely Ryan as much as I can be. My family calls me Ryan, my wife calls me Ryan.

"That's pretty much it. I was just a big fan of the 'Muppet Babies,' Scooter was the crazy one that was always causing trouble and stuff. It'd be cool to meet that cop, I'm sure he remembers. Maybe if you get a response from a cop, maybe it's him."

So, if there's someone who worked in the Lebanon police department in the mid-90s and remembers this story, well, Ryan Gennett would like to come clean.

ICYMI

• Scott Feldman was better Sunday than he was on Opening Day.

• The Reds scrapped a start and sent RHP Barrett Astin to Triple-A, keeping Reed and Robert Stephenson in the bullpen.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Triple-A: Louisville 10, Columbus 4: RF Jesse Winker was 3 for 3 with three RBI and 3B Brandon Dixon drove in three on two hits, including his first home run of the season. All but one Bat had a hit and five had multiple hits. CF Beau Amaral was 3 for 5. LF Phillip Ervin had two stolen bases. RHP Lisalverto Bonilla gave up four runs on seven hits over six innings with six strikeouts. Barrett Astin, send down on Saturday, gave up two hits in two scoreless innings. [Box]

Double-A: Pensacola 4, Tennessee 3: The Blue Wahoos scored twice in each of the last two innings, including a walk-off single by LF Gabriel Guerrero. Guerrero finished with three hits, including a double off of former Red Daniel Corcino in the eighth. C Adrian Nieto drove in both runs in the eighth. LHP Ismael Guillon pitched a scoreless ninth for the win. [Box]

High-A: Daytona 14, Florida 5: Every member of the Tortugas lineup had a hit and six had multiple hits for a total of 18 in the game. LF Daniel Sweet was 4 for 5 with three RBI. 1B Gavin LaValley drove in four on three hits, finishing a triple shy of the cycle. C Garrett Boulware also drove in four. [Box]

Low-A: Dayton 6, Lake County 0: RHP Ryan Olsen allowed just two hits over seven innings with nine strikeouts. CF T.J. Friedl was 3 for 5 with a triple and two RBI. RF Michael Beltre was 3 for 4. [Box]

THE ROTATION

1. Sports Illustrated’ Jon Werhteim on Shohei Otani. (Unfortunately, he’s out a month with a muscle strain in his left thigh. [Japan Times])

2. Former Braves outfielder Otis Nixon is missing. [AJC]

3. The Pirates are using the video board in right field for a sort of real-life Super Mario Bros. [Big League Stew]

4. Dan Jenkins with the shot of the Masters. As my guy Omar once said, “you come at the king, you best not miss.”

5. Saturday was the 40th anniversary of the release of the debut from The Clash. [Billboard]

Reds catcher Stuart Turner gets first MLB hit, and souvenir Zach Buchanan , [email protected] 7:41 p.m. ET April 9, 2017

ST. LOUIS – If you can’t steal second base, buy it. According to friends and family of Cincinnati Reds rookie catcher Stuart Turner, it’ll cost you about $200.

The 24-year-old Turner had plenty of loved ones in the stands for his second career start in Sunday’s 8-0 Reds win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. In the third inning, they witnessed his first major-league hit, a double to left off Cardinals right- hander Carlos Martinez.

At some point, Turner’s older brother Seth and friend Derek Maggio wandered the concourse. Maggio’s a bit of a collector, and noticed you can pre-order one of the bases to take home once the game ends. Since Turner hit a double, Maggio bought second base.

“He pays a lot of money for a lot of stuff,” Turner said. “That’s his hobby, his thing. He gets a kick out of it. That’s pretty cool for him to get.”

Turner isn’t sure if the base will end up in his possession, or if he’ll sign it for Maggio’s collection. Turner also has the authenticated ball that he hit for the double.

Beyond the hit, the rookie also caught all nine innings of a shutout and snuffed out a sacrifice bunt attempt by nailing Randal Grichuk at third in the second inning. He also threw out someone on the bases in his first start, earlier in the week against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“It’s going well so far,” Turner said. “Obviously it’s a good day to get the first hit out of the way. But something I’m really excited about is catching that first shutout.”

Mesoraco progressing

As a pick, Turner’s future with the Reds is in many ways tied to the rehab progress of catcher Devin Mesoraco. The Reds cannot send Turner to the minors without first offering him back to his original club, the .

Saturday night, Mesoraco caught seven innings for the first time and hit a home run while on rehab assignment with Double-A Pensacola. He is scheduled to catch nine innings Monday.

“Getting to nine innings is a lot closer, for sure,” manager Bryan Price said. “Catching back-to-back is going to be big as well and seeing how he comes out of that.”

Billy Hamilton turns on the jets vs. St. Louis Cardinals Zach Buchanan , [email protected] 7:20 p.m. ET April 9, 2017

ST. LOUIS – Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton is undeniably the fastest runner in baseball. Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, he may have scored the fastest run that didn’t involve the ball leaving the field of play.

The entire sequence happened in the span of three pitches to start the top of the seventh. The Reds led 6-0 when Hamilton stepped to the plate against Cardinals right-hander Miguel Socolovich. Hamilton shot an 0-2 fastball into right, dropping it in front of right fielder Randal Grichuk.

It would have been a single for most hitters, but Hamilton steamed around first and slid headfirst into second for a double. Grichuk’s throw might have been on time, but it was off target by a foot or two.

Two pitches later, Hamilton jetted home on Jose Peraza’s bloop single over the head of first baseman Matt Carpenter. The entire chain of events happened in one minute and 20 seconds of real time. Cutting out the dead time between pitches when play is stopped, Hamilton traversed all 360 feet of the basepaths in 13 seconds.

“Being able to watch it from ground level is a special treat for all of us,” Price said. “We are certainly seeing the speed player of this current time in the game. I know there are other kids out there who are really fast. But I think because he’s a regular player, you get to see it on display every day. It’s a blessing for our ball club, I’ll tell you that.”

Scott Feldman, Adam Duvall power Reds to series win in St. Louis Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 6:51 p.m. ET April 9, 2017 | Updated 13 hours ago

ST. LOUIS - When the Cincinnati Reds signed right-hander Scott Feldman this offseason, they were hoping just for a decent effort every five days. At least until the rotation became too crowded and they could shift him to the bullpen. He was $2.3 million worth of reliable depth.

But Sunday at Busch Stadium, the 34-year-old performed like the type of pitcher who makes that much in a month. Feldman turned in six scoreless innings, averaging a per frame, to help the Reds to an 8-0 win and a rare series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The last time the Reds won a series in St. Louis was late July of 2015. The last time Feldman tossed at least six shutout frames was about a month later. Behind the effort, the Reds are a surprising 4-2.

“It’s just coming here and playing baseball,” manager Bryan Price said. “It’s not facing demons and ghosts of series in years past. Our team is better than it’s been in the last few years, with a lot of new guys that just want to come in and play baseball, play hard and play well.”

Feldman’s outing Sunday starkly contrasted with his middling effort against the Philadelphia Phillies on Opening Day, when he gave up three runs and needed 99 pitches to get through 4 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch poorly, but got into too many hitter’s counts and allowed two home runs.

Feldman said he actually felt less sharp against the Cardinals, although his pitching line suggested otherwise. Before putting his final two batters aboard to start the seventh, only one hitter reached second. He worked through a few full counts early, rebounding to get soft contact late in the at-bat. As he gained steam, he started putting away batters with his curveball.

He left the game with two on and no outs in the seventh. He’d thrown just two more pitches than he had in his first start of the season. That’s what he expects of himself.

“As long as you feel good when you take the ball, at least for me, I feel like I should keep the team in the game and have more games like today than where I’m going four and two-thirds,” Feldman said.

Feldman had the benefit of a heap of run support, a good portion of it from cleanup hitter Adam Duvall. Duvall went 3 for 4 with a homer and a walk, and delivered the only run the Reds needed with a home run off talented Cardinals righty Carlos Martinez in the second.

He showed some impressive plate discipline in the process. Duvall got ahead 2-1, but then took a change-up on the outside edge that he thought Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina framed for a strike. The next pitch was a slider up and in and on the corner of the strike zone, and Duvall watched it for a narrow ball.

He fouled off a slider over the middle, but didn’t miss a change-up in the same spot, shooting it over the left field fence for his second homer of the year. The 28-year-old is on a tear to start the season, and after going 3 for 4 with walk and home run is hitting .348 with a 1.071 OPS through the first six games.

“I’m seeing the ball well right now,” Duvall said. “Small sample size. Hopefully it continues, and I continue to get better.”

Zack Cozart added an RBI triple in the fifth, and Duvall plated another run as part of a four-inning sixth to give Feldman plenty of cushion. Billy Hamilton doubled in scored in the seventh, and Joey Votto hit his second home run of 2017 in the ninth to make it 8- 0.

Reds recap: Cincinnati tops St. Louis, 8-0 Zach Buchanan , [email protected] Published 5:08 p.m. ET April 9, 2017 | Updated 15 hours ago

ST. LOUIS - We’ll have more in a bit on the Cincinnati Reds’ 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Busch Stadium. For now, here are the main storylines.

Scott Feldman cruised. After failing to go five innings on Opening Day, the veteran right-hander redeemed himself against the Cardinals. Despite falling behind to several batters early, Feldman turned in six scoreless innings and allowed just four hits and one walk. He struck out six.

He found himself in only two tricky spots. In the third, Randal Grichuk led off with a double and tried for third on a sacrifice bunt attempt by pitcher Carlos Martinez. But the ball didn’t travel far from home, and Reds rookie catcher Stuart Turner fired to third to nab Grichuk.

Feldman gave up just one single over the next three innings, and he fanned four of five at one point. He left the game after walking Matt Carpenter and giving up a Matt Adams single to start the seventh, but bullpen righty Blake Wood picked him up by coaxing a double play ball and an inning-ending groundout to keep the shutout intact.

Adam Duvall had a nice day. Although Joey Votto had his first Joey Votto-esque day at the plate of the 2017 season, Duvall arguably had a Votto-ier performance hitting behind the star first baseman. The left fielder finished 3 for 4 with a home run, a walk and two runs driven in.

The homer came in his first at-bat, which started the second inning. Duvall worked a full count against Martinez, even taking a close inside slider on a 2-2 count for a ball. Two pitches later, he smacked a homer over the left field fence to put the Reds up 1-0.

He singled two innings later, but was picked off at second on a botched hit-and-run after Eugenio Suarez went down swinging. He singled again in the sixth to knock in a run, and he drew a five-pitch walk in the ninth.

Duvall is hitting .348 with a 1.071 OPS through six games

The Reds broke through, and the Cardinals broke down, in the sixth. The Reds entered the top of the sixth holding a 2-0 lead, but broke the game open thanks to some nice hitting and poor Cardinals defense.

The inning began with Jose Peraza walking to first after getting plunked by Martinez. Joey Votto followed with a walk, his first of the 2017 season. It took Votto six games to collect it, the second longest he’s gone to start a season without a free pass. Duvall plated a run with a single to center.

Then the Cardinals, once known for stellar defense, jumped the track. Third baseman Jhonny Peralta committed two errors on a chopper hit to him by Eugenio Suarez, bobbling the catch and then uncorking a panicky throw that landed in the outfield. Votto scored from second to make it 4-0.

Scott Schebler followed with a double to Grichuk in right to score Duvall, but Grichuk dropped the ball while trying to throw it back to the infield. Suarez scooted home on the error to make it a six-run lead.

Billy Hamilton got aboard and scored in the span of a minute. The Reds tacked on a seventh run in the seventh, and if you blinked you could have missed it. The inning started with Billy Hamilton pulling a ball to right that landed in front of Grichuk for what would have been a single for anyone else. But Hamilton sped toward second, sliding headfirst under the tag for a double.

He scored about an instant later. Jose Peraza fouled off the first pitch he saw after Hamilton reached, but then blooped a single to shallow right to score Hamilton from second.

WCPO - Channel 9 Neck tie: FC Cincinnati, Reds work together for scarf-ticket combo Teams use overlapping dates to reach fans of both Shannon Russell | WCPO contributor 7:00 AM, Apr 10, 2017

CINCINNATI -- Last year the Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati teamed up for two different ticket combo offers.

That partnership is back, and this time it includes a scarf.

Billed as a chance to show “Cincinnati pride,” the limited edition scarf is being offered by FCC and the Reds with the purchase of a Reds ticket package during the April 14-16 weekend against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park. The deal includes a 2017 FCC ticket voucher.

The scarf itself is unique. Based in black with “Cincinnati” in white across the middle, it features the franchise logos on opposite ends. One side boasts FC Cincinnati in blue and orange while the Reds occupy the other side in red and white.

In some towns, professional teams might consider each other competition for entertainment dollars. That’s not the case with the Reds and FCC, which share some common philosophies and marketing targets and have found ways to leverage each other’s popularity.

Ralph Mitchell, the Reds’ vice president of communications and marketing, said partnering with FCC again this year seemed like a natural step forward. The theme package was a logical vehicle.

“We benchmarked other MLB clubs who partnered with their regional soccer teams, and based on discussions with our partners at FCC, agreed the scarf was the best option to help drive the package,” Mitchell said. “We always strive to have our theme package items appeal specifically to a unique audience, and knowing the popularity of the scarf with that (demographic), it was the overwhelming choice.”

The partnership goes beyond the package itself and into the April 14 game at Great American Ball Park, where FCC players -- wearing scarves, of course -- will participate in pregame festivities and a meet-and-greet with a limited number of fans through a VIP experience.

Then, the next evening, FC Cincinnati opens its home slate at 7 p.m. against Saint Louis FC at Nippert Stadium.

With eight overlapping home dates throughout the shared seasons, both entities hope to appeal to young and passionate sports fans.

“The Reds do an incredible job connecting with the community and that is something that is also extremely important to us at FC Cincinnati,” said Kate Solomon, FCC’s senior director of marketing and community engagement. “We are proud to work with organizations like the Reds who have been and continue to be major community leaders.”

Both franchises believe Cincinnati can support all its professional teams. Solomon pointed to the fact that the Lindner family -- which owns FCC -- still has an ownership stake in the Reds, and FCC president and general manager Jeff Berding is a longtime Reds season ticket holder.

“We know many of our fans are also Reds and Bengals fans," Solomon said. "We also know there are FCC fans who only are interested in soccer. When we launched the franchise, our goal was to provide professional role models for our youth soccer community and to give the Queen City another professional franchise it could be proud of."

Mitchell said the Reds/FCC theme package sales have reached about 50 percent of the goal. Based on the interest thus far and previous successful ventures, both franchises are eager to extend their relationship in the future.

“We’re excited to see where this partnership will take us with the potential of growth year after year,” Mitchell said.

A Reds’ Terrace Line package with an FCC reserved ticket is $45 and a Reds’ View Level package with FCC general admission is $20.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Reds : Three shutouts in four wins Hal McCoy April 9, 2017

Scott Feldman is one interesting hombre — a man of Jewish faith who was born in Hawaii as a son of an FBI agent.

And on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis he was one fantastic pitcher while the Cincinnati Reds piled on the Cardinals, 8-0, in Busch Stadium.

Feldman pitched six-plus innings and held the Cardinals to no runs, four hits, walked one and struck out six.

FANS IN REDS COUNTRY asked, “Scott who?” when he was signed in January to a one-year $2.3 million contract.

He was signed to possibly pitch in long relief, if he made the team, with some possible spot starts as needed.

He was needed. Immediately. When Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani were judged unusable to start the season, Feldman was not only thrust into the mix as a possible starter, he won a spot in the rotation. And he won the Opening Day assignment.

HE STRUGGLED A BIT ON Opening Day and was the loser to the Philadelphia Phillies, giving up three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

But his second start Sunday was dazzling. Not a single Cardinal found third base and he took a three-hit shutout into the seventh and had retired eight straight, four on strikeouts.

But he issued his first and only walk to Matt Carpenter on a 3-and-2 count to open the seventh and gave up a single to Matt Adams and his day was done.

THE REDS, WHO LOST to the Cardinals 10-4 on Saturday, gave Feldman strong support with some help via defensive lapses by the Cardinals.

Adam Duvall, who had three hits, opened the scoring with a home run off Carlos Martinez leading off the second inning. Martinez was upset because he thought he had Duvall struck out on the pitch before the home run.

It stayed 1-0 until the fifth when Martinez hit Scott Schebler with a pitch and Zack Cozart tripled him home, extending Cozart’s hitting streak to six games to open the season.

Everything fell apart for Martinez and the Cardinals in the sixth when the Reds scored four runs on only two hits, with the Cardinals tossing in three errors during the inning.

Duvall’s third hit made it 3-0, two errors on the same play by third baseman Jhonny Peralta made it 4-0 and Schebler’s two-run double made it 6-0.

The seventh run came in the seventh on Billy Hamilton’s double and Jose Peraza’s single and Joey Votto homered in the ninth to make it 8-0.

MARTINEZ ENTERED THE game with a 5-and-1 career record against the Reds, 3-and-0 in St. Louis. But his pitching line this day was besmirched — five innings, six runs (five earned), six hits, one walk, three strikeouts, a wild pitch, two hit batsmen, a home run and a partridge in a pear tree.

After Feldman left, Blake Wood pitched two scoreless innings (one hit, one strikeout) and Tony Cingrani gave up a leadoff hit in the ninth, then retired the final three, two on strikeouts.

After issuing 12 walks in Saturday’s game, Feldman’s one walk was the only free pass issud by Reds pitchers.

The Reds banged 11 hits, three by Duvall and two by Suarez that including Duvall’s home run, Cozart’s triple and doubles by Stuart Turner, Schebler and Billy Hamilton.

So the Reds took two of three in St. Louis, winning both games via shutouts after Amir Garrett’s Friday gem. And the Reds have won four of their first six, three via shutouts.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Feldman, Duvall spark Reds over Cardinals 8-0 By WARREN MAYES Apr. 9, 2017 8:50 PM EDT

Cincinnati Reds' Adam Duvall singles and drives in a run during the sixth inning of the team\'s... Read more

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pitching well helps, Cincinnati starter Scott Feldman said. Getting a big lead makes a starter's job even easier.

Feldman allowed four hits and struck out six in six innings, and the Cincinnati Reds beat St. Louis 8-0 Sunday to take two of three from the Cardinals.

"My command was much better this time (than opening day)," Feldman said. "It makes it a lot easier when the guys come out and put all those runs on the board. They swung the bats great today against a really good pitcher."

Adam Duvall had three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs for the Reds, who have won just five of their last 40 series at Busch Stadium.

All that past futility is just that — in the past, Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said.

"We're just coming in here and playing baseball. We're not playing the ghosts or demons of series past," Price said. "We're just coming in here and playing baseball. And we have a better team than we've had in the past, with a lot of new faces."

St. Louis went 2-4 on its opening homestand and heads on a six-game trip to Washington and the .

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said his team needs to find some consistency.

"After coming off a good game yesterday, we were hopeful that it would be the key to spark a good long roll," Matheny said. "We had trouble getting anything going today. We've got to keep searching for that really good rhythm."

Feldman left after the Cardinals put their first two runners on in the seventh. Blake Wood and Tony Cingrani completed a six-hitter.

Carlos Martinez (0-1) gave up six runs, five earned, and six hits in five-plus innings. He hit two batters, walked one and threw a wild pitch.

Duvall homered in the second, the first run off Martinez this season after 8 1/3 scoreless innings.

"He's got a good fastball," Duvall said about Martinez. "I wanted to try and stay square on him and not try to over-pull the ball because then it opens up the outer half. And with Yadi (Molina) back there, and with the two of them going, it's going to be a tough at-bat. I was able to get something to hit and put the barrel on it."

Zack Cozart tripled in a run in the fifth, and the Reds chased Martinez in the sixth as the Cardinals made three errors, including two on one play by third baseman Jhonny Peralta.

"I've made three or four errors sometimes in a game before," Peralta said. "It happens to everybody. Today, I made a really dumb play."

Martinez hit Jose Peraza with a pitch, threw a wild pitch and walked Joey Votto. Duvall singled for a 3-0 lead and Peralta allowed Eugenio Suarez's grounder to bounce off his glove, then threw the ball into right field for a double error as Votto scored.

Scott Schebler hit an RBI double off Brett Cecil, and a second run scored when right fielder Randal Grichuk fumbled the ball for an error as he tried to throw.

Votto homered leading off the ninth.

FIRST HIT

Cincinnati's Stuart Turner doubled leading off the third for his first major league hit. The 25-year-old, who made his major league debut Thursday, is the first Reds catcher to skip Triple-A and make the opening day roster since Tucker Barnhart in 2014.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: Kevin Mesoraco (right hip surgical recovery) was not to have a day off Sunday in his injury rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Pensacola, then catch nine innings Monday.

Cardinals: RF Stephen Piscotty sat out for the second consecutive game with a sore left knee, hurt when he was caught stealing Friday. He did not play Thursday as part of the concussion protocol. He was hit in the head by a throw while sliding home Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

UP NEXT

Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (1-0) was to start Monday against Pittsburgh and RHP Tyler Glasnow. Finnegan, who turned 24 Friday, became the first Reds starter to pitch seven shutout innings while allowing no more than one hit in his first start of the season since Jerry Arrigo in 1967.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-1) was scheduled to start Monday at Washington, which goes with RHP Tanner Roark (1-0). Wainwright needs one win to pass Dizzy Dean (134) for sole possession of sixth place in franchise history.

For more AP baseball: apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

TRANSACTIONS 04/09/17 Washington Nationals designated RHP Jeremy Guthrie for assignment. Washington Nationals signed LHP Jordan Mills. optioned RHP Chase De Jong to Tacoma Rainiers. recalled SS J.T. Riddle from New Orleans Baby Cakes. Miami Marlins placed SS Adeiny Hechavarria on the 10-day disabled list. Left oblique strain. Colorado Rockies optioned RHP German Marquez to Albuquerque Isotopes. Colorado Rockies activated LHP Chris Rusin from the 10-day disabled list. Milwaukee Brewers designated RHP Damien Magnifico for assignment. Milwaukee Brewers optioned Brent Suter to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers selected the contract of David Goforth from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. optioned Noe Ramirez to Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox activated RHP from the bereavement list. Baltimore Orioles placed RF Joey Rickard on the 10-day disabled list. Left middle finger sprain. recalled from Buffalo Bisons. Toronto Blue Jays placed LHP J.P. Howell on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 8, 2017. Left shoulder discomfort. Baltimore Orioles activated LHP from the 10-day disabled list. Washington Nationals selected the contract of RHP Matt Albers from Syracuse Chiefs. recalled Zach Lee from El Paso Chihuahuas. sent RHP Tanner Scheppers on a rehab assignment to Round Rock Express. sent 2B Jason Kipnis on a rehab assignment to Akron RubberDucks. New York Yankees recalled Kyle Higashioka from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees placed C Gary Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list. Strained right biceps. San Diego Padres placed RHP Trevor Cahill on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 6, 2017. Strained lower back.