CCiinncciinnnnaattii RReeddss MMeeddiiaa CClliippss AAuugguusstt 2233rrdd,, 22001166 Press Clippings August 23, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1990-The Cincinnati Enquirer sponsors a lunchtime base-throwing contest to see if Lou Piniella’s 35-foot toss during a game two nights earlier could be topped. Mayor Charlie Luken wins the contest with a 43 ¼ foot toss and Mary Krutko of WKRC-TV wins the women’s division with a toss of 40 feet. MLB.COM Reds roughed up by Dodgers in series finale By Mark Sheldon and Cody Pace / MLB.com | August 22nd, 2016

CINCINNATI -- If the Dodgers' bats came alive in Sunday's win, they were downright perky on Monday. With seven home runs, including four slugged during the top of the fifth inning, Los Angeles took a wild 18-9 victory over the Reds to gain a split of their four-game series.

Adrian Gonzalez did the most damage with three homers and a career-high eight RBIs, including a three- shot in the first inning, a solo homer in the six-run fifth and another three-run homer in the seventh. The win helped inch the Dodgers' lead in the National League West standings to one game over the idle Giants ahead of the rivals' three-game series that opens on Tuesday.

"There was a lot of good things," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Obviously, Adrian had a career day and Chase [Utley], Corey [Seager], guys were on base all game and to see that these guys didn't let up and continue to put together at-bats, run the bases, hit some balls out of the ballpark, very excited for our offense."

The Dodgers are the second team this season to hit seven homers in a game. The last team do it was the White Sox, who launched seven in a 10-8 loss to the Blue Jays on June 25.

"The majority of the days you feel really good, as some of my games have shown. And then some days it's just not there for no rhyme or reason that I'm aware of," said Reds starter Homer Bailey, who was tagged for six earned runs and nine hits over 2 1/3 innings in his fifth start back from Tommy John surgery.

The Dodgers jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third inning against Bailey. But Cincinnati -- aided by Joey Votto's three-RBI day where he was a homer away from the cycle -- worked its way back. Its three runs in the third inning cut Scott Kazmir's day short and added another run in the fourth inning to make it a 6-5 game.

• Kazmir slated to have MRI on Tuesday

In the top of the fifth, the Dodgers' offense erupted and blew the game open against reliever Josh Smith. Rookies Andrew Toles hit a two-run homer and Rob Segedin made it back-to-back long balls -- both the first of their careers -- and Seager added a two-run shot.

With Smith out, Gonzalez smoked a first-pitch homer against Jumbo Diaz to reopen a large gap that the Reds could not close a second time. Gonzalez's third homer came in the seventh against Blake Wood to make it an eight-run game.

It was the fourth time in the history of Great American Ball Park that there was a seven-homer game, but it was the first time it was done by the visiting team. The seven homers given up also tied a record for Reds pitchers that was most recently achieved this season on May 31 at Colorado. It was the first time the Dodgers hit that many since Sept. 18, 2006, vs. the Padres. The 18 runs and 21 hits were season highs for Dodgers hitters and the most allowed this season by Cincinnati.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Seager's 22nd: According to Statcast™, Seager's fifth-inning blast had an exit velocity of 103 mph and landed 401 feet away from home plate. The homer was his 22nd of the season, tying the Dodgers' franchise record for a shortstop, set in 1930 by Glenn Wright. Seager batted .692 in the series with five RBIs, and he has a .343 average in his last 92 games since starting the season with a .243 mark in his first 28 games.

"It's cool whenever," Seager said. "That's not why you're out here playing, but when it happens, it's something to kind of celebrate at the end of the year."

Solid combo: Jose Peraza and Votto thrice jump-started the Reds' efforts to get back into the game. In the three-run bottom of the third, Peraza hit a leadoff to left field and scored on Votto's RBI single. In the fourth, Peraza hit a one-out single and scored from first base on Votto's RBI double to the left-field wall. In the sixth, after Peraza reached on an infield hit, Votto's liner to right field was misplayed by a diving Toles and went for a RBI triple that put Votto a homer away from hitting for the natural cycle. Peraza had four hits in the game, a career high.

"That's my goal right now, get on base and try to be in scoring position. After that, let those guys do their job and bring me in," said Peraza, a former Dodger, via translator Julio Morillo.

For whom the bell Toles: Toles and Segedin became the first players in Dodgers history to hit their first Major League homers in consecutive at-bats. It was the second time teammates hit their first career home runs back-to-back this month, following Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and first baseman Tyler Austin in their Aug. 13 debuts, and the fourth time in the last 30 years, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

"Andrew, just getting called up, put a lot of good swings the last couple days, and for him to get his first homer, which was actually a big one to change the momentum back, and then you see Segedin follow that up with his homer, first homer," Roberts said. "I know that their teammates were very excited for those two guys to get their first two homers."

First batter blues: It was a dismal day for the Reds' bullpen, and two of Gonzalez's homers helped the group extend a dubious club record. His shots against Diaz and Wood were the 24th and 25th times this season that a Cincinnati reliever gave up a vs. his first batter faced. That's also the most in the Major Leagues since the 25 first-batter homers allowed by the Rays' bullpen in 2007.

"They were swinging it and swinging it well and swinging it comfortably," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the Dodgers against all of his relievers. "Sometimes when you start things like that, they're really hard to stop. You get into your middle relief guys and the game's kind of out of control a little bit."

QUOTABLE

"Doesn't ring a bell, Chavez Ravine, Marlon Anderson, Nomar [Garciaparra], doesn't ring a bell. … I was in left field, watching one go over my head, a couple in right center. Yeah, I saw it. I remember it." -- Roberts, who was the Padres' left fielder the last time the Dodgers hit seven homers in a game and four in one inning

"What do you get out of them? You get to learn what persistence is and what respect for the game is. I think we showed that today, as ugly as it was. As much as we didn't want to go through it, there was some effort at the end and I appreciated that." -- Price, on his offense providing several good performances amid the blowout loss

HOLT PITCHES IN

Things were so rough on Monday for the Reds' pitching staff that reserve outfielder Tyler Holt was used to pitch the ninth inning. Holt did something pitchers from both teams struggled to do -- worked a 1-2-3 inning while using five pitches. It was the first time the Reds had a position player pitch since Skip Schumaker took the mound on Aug. 21, 2014, during an 8-0 loss to the Braves.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In the top of the first inning, the Reds challenged the safe call at the plate when Joc Pederson scored on Toles' sacrifice fly, just ahead of a good throw from left fielder Adam Duvall and the tag from Tucker Barnhart. After a brief review, the call from home- plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth was confirmed.

WHAT'S NEXT

Dodgers: The Dodgers head back home for a pivotal three-game series against the Giants, who trail the Dodgers by a game in the NL West. Kenta Maeda takes the mound for the Dodgers against for the 7:10 p.m. PT first pitch.

Reds: A two-game series vs. the Rangers begins at 7:10 p.m. ET with Dan Straily having an opportunity to right the ship for the Reds' pitching staff. Straily is 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his last seven starts that have all been won by Cincinnati.

Holt knuckles down, pitches 1-2-3 ninth Bailey, four Reds relievers struggle in loss to Dodgers By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 22nd, 2016

CINCINNATI -- Sometimes baseball can be a nutty game, indeed. In a blowout game on Monday between the Reds and Dodgers that had no shortage of scoring, it took an outfielder to have the best inning pitched.

Summoned to pitch the ninth inning of Cincinnati's 18-9 loss, reserve outfielder Tyler Holt retired the side in order -- using five pitches. It was the first time the Reds used a position player to pitch since Skip Schumaker did it in an 8-0 loss to the Braves on Aug. 21, 2014.

"Some guys can say it's easy, but when you're throwing 68 [mph] and those guys are throwing 98 [mph], obviously the hitters aren't used to that," Holt said. "It was 1-2-3, but let's be real."

Holt pinch-hit for reliever Michael Lorenzen in the bottom of the eighth with no activity in the Reds' bullpen. Obviously, Holt never hoped for a bad loss for his team, but the 27-year-old had been itching to pitch -- if needed. He took the mound before the Dodgers even came off the field after the third out of the eighth.

"I had trouble taking my at-bat seriously," said Holt, who flied out. "Unfortunately I had to go in, but not a lot of guys can say they pitched in a Major League game."

Holt's first pitch was a 63-mph knuckleball to Joc Pederson, who was swinging out of his shoes and missed. A second pitch was a 68-mph knuckler that Pederson hit for a routine fly to center field. Howie Kendrick hit his second pitch for a groundout to the shortstop. Andrew Toles flied out on the first pitch to center field.

"I threw two knuckles and the rest were just BP fastballs to Kendrick," Holt said. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. You try to be smart. You want to have a good time, but you try to take it serious."

Center fielder Billy Hamilton gave Holt the ball from the third out as a keepsake. Handshakes and high-fives were offered from teammates.

"With his limited number of pitches thrown, he'll probably be good to go tomorrow," Reds manager Bryan Price kidded.

It was a type of gallows humor shown by Price amid an ugly day for his pitchers that tied a season high with seven home runs allowed. Starter Homer Bailey lasted 2 1/3 innings with six runs and nine hits.

The Reds' bullpen, which had been much-improved lately, fared worse by giving up 12 earned runs and 12 hits, including six homers. Four homers were surrendered in the fifth inning alone -- three by Josh Smith and one by Jumbo Diaz. Blake Wood's first two batters of the seventh hit long balls. It gave the Reds' pitching staff 202 home runs allowed this season, easily on record pace to break the 1996 Tigers mark of 241.

"If you had a day where your starter is scuffling and your bullpen comes in and your middle relief has a hard time keeping it there, those are typically the outcomes," Price said.

Other than Little League, Holt said he had never previously pitched in an organized baseball game. The knuckleball has been something he has dabbled with.

"Just in the backyard with my dad," Holt said. "We would just go back and forth with it. That's what it developed into."

Senzel off to hot start in pro career By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 22nd, 2016

CINCINNATI -- This has indeed been a crazy summer for 2016 Reds first-round Draft pick Nick Senzel.

The overall No. 2 selection from the University of Tennessee, Senzel went from finishing college baseball, to the intensity of the Draft process, playing short season Minor League ball at Billings for 10 games before arriving at his current spot at Dayton.

"It's been pretty fast paced. There hasn't been a lot of time to catch my breath," Senzel said recently on the MLBPipeline.com podcast. "The journey has been exciting so far. Since you're playing every day, it's pretty easy to focus on the baseball aspect of things. You wake up and you go to the field. Once you're on the field, your mind takes over on the baseball aspect of things."

Senzel, 21, is the Reds' No. 1 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com and is off to a good start to his pro career. He entered Monday batting .309/.400/.545 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs in 46 games with Dayton.

The promotion came after a lackluster performance at Billings, where he batted .152. Senzel hadn't played in any games for nearly a month before turning pro because of the end of the college season and Draft process.

"I wasn't getting down at all. I knew I was still getting used to getting into the rhythm of things," Senzel said. "They sent me to Dayton and I was surprised and shocked, but that's what they wanted me to do. I felt like the transition was nice. "I thought hitting- wise at this level, pitchers have a better plan of what they're trying to do and throw more strikes and stuff like that. When the pitchers throw more strikes and know what they're going to do, you've got a better idea of what you want to do at the plate."

With his hitting skills, Senzel could be on the fast track to the Majors. He watched with interest as three 2015 first-round picks were recently promoted to the Majors in their first full pro seasons. That included overall No. 1 pick Dansby Swanson by the Braves, No. 2 pick Alex Bregman by the Astros and seventh pick Andrew Benintendi by the Red Sox.

"You're always hopeful. You look at those guys ... get there their first full year, as a player and a college hitter that makes you hungry to get up there," Senzel said. "I feel like different organizations have different plans. Whatever their plan is, you have to trust the process. At the same time, you want to do well at every level you're in and move up as fast as you can."

Peraza may stick around rest of season By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 22nd, 2016

CINCINNATI -- When young infielder Jose Peraza was sent back to Triple-A Louisville on Aug. 1 after not getting regular playing time for the bulk of six weeks, he was expected to return as a September callup.

Shortstop Zack Cozart's right knee and left Achilles tendon injuries moved up the timetable to Saturday. Cozart hopes to return later this week, but that doesn't automatically mean that Peraza will go back to Louisville to finish the Minor League season. The 22- year-old could stick around.

"Sometimes those aren't always in my hands. It comes down to how much he'll play while he's here," Reds manager Bryan Price said on Monday. "If Zack is back and we know [Peraza's] not going to play regularly for a week, then there is that chance he could go back."

Cozart is over the right knee soreness he had but is still dealing with left Achilles tendon inflammation and hasn't played since Wednesday.

Once Cozart is back, Price has the option of giving Peraza starts at other positions like left field, center field or second base if any of the other regulars need a break. When the road trip moves to face the Angels on Aug. 29, the designated hitter will be available as another way to get Peraza playing time. Rosters can expand after the road trip on Sept. 1. Louisville's season ends Sept. 5.

"It's realistic to think he could be here the rest of the year, but we'll have to wait and see how that plays out," Price said.

Cozart has yet to do any baseball activity on the field, like taking ground balls or batting practice. When he's able to do that, Price estimated it could be another two days before he's back in the lineup.

"He is making progress. I don't know how close he is to being ready to play," Price said. "He's staying inside and getting pretty much around-the-clock treatment while he's here."

Straily goes for 6th straight victory in series opener By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com | @Sullivan_Ranger | August 22nd, 2016

Rangers lefty Derek Holland will come off the disabled list and start for the first time since June 20 when he faces the Reds on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park.

Holland will be going up against one of the hottest pitchers in the National League when he takes on right-hander Dan Straily. Straily has won his past five decisions, and he is 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break. That's the third-lowest ERA for a starter in the NL.

Straily began his career with the Athletics, so this will be his 10th start against the Rangers, his most against any club. He is 3-3 with a 4.65 ERA against them, including a 6-4 loss on June 22 in Arlington, when he allowed four runs in six innings. That was during a stretch when he lost five straight decisions.

Holland will make his first career start against the Reds, and he is excited about pitching in his home state. Holland is from Newark, Ohio, which is a few hours north, near Columbus. Holland usually thrives in the Buckeye State. He is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four career starts against the Indians in Cleveland.

More than anything, Holland is thrilled to be off the DL after missing two months with inflammation in his left shoulder. "I just want to get out there and be a big part of the team," Holland said. "Being on the disabled list feels like a ghost. I have to look past that and look at the positives, and look forward to being back out there."

Three things to watch for in this game

• Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, who has tied a career high with 15 home runs, is still dealing with left Achilles tendon inflammation and is unlikely to be ready for the series opener. He hasn't played in a game since last Wednesday.

• Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is batting .327 in Interleague Play since the beginning of the 2011 season. That's the seventh highest among players with a minimum of 170 plate appearances over the six-year span.

• Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto is batting .327 in night games, the fifth-highest mark in the NL. His .579 slugging percentage is third in the league.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Dodgers power past Reds in series finale, 18-9 Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 7:17 p.m. EDT August 22, 2016

Tyler Holt pitched, Jumbo Diaz batted. Both had some small measure of success.

The Cincinnati Reds as a collective did not, falling 18-9 to the in a 4-hour, 2-minute game at Great American Ball Park that was notable more for its oddities than any meaning it had for the Reds’ season.

The Reds allowed seven home runs, tying a club record they’d just set back in May. Three of them belonged to Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Cincinnati also allowed season highs in runs and hits (21).

“Fluky?” manager Bryan Price said. “It’s one out of 124 games. That ratio I think we can live with.”

The odd and unrepeatable nature of the outcome is why most Reds weren’t very morose after the game. The Dodgers “beat our brains in today,” as catcher Tucker Barnhart said, but the Reds have been very competitive for the last month-plus. Every pitcher that struggled has been considered a bright spot for Cincinnati in the not distant past.

The first of those was starter Homer Bailey, who hit a to-be-expected rough start in his return from Tommy John surgery that began less than a month ago. Bailey was knocked out of the game after six runs and 2 1/3 innings, handing the game over to a bullpen that had lost one of its long men to a minor-league demotion over the weekend.

Price summoned Josh Smith to replace him, and Smith fared capably for an inning and two-thirds. Then he gave up three home runs in the fifth, all three to rookies. The first two – back-to-back shots by Andrew Toles and Rob Segedin – represented each hitter’s first major-league home run.

“We’ve been throwing the ball well as a staff,” Smith said. “This was just one of those days that for whatever reason they saw it better. We didn’t make the pitches. It kind of happens.”

After the third bomb, Smith was removed for Jumbo Diaz, who immediately gave up Gonzalez’s second homer. Diaz got out of the inning without further offense and was gifted a chance to take his first major-league at-bat. He swung at the first pitch and managed to make contact, but it resulted in a groundout.

Diaz pitched a perfect sixth and gave way to Blake Wood with two on and one out in the seventh, only for Wood to cough up back- to-back bombs for the final two home runs of the day. Reds relievers have now allowed 25 home runs to the first batter they’ve faced this season.

“You get into your middle relief guys and the game’s kind of out of control a little bit,” Price said. “Your later-game relief pitchers aren’t coming in with the same fire and intensity. They’re trying, but a lot of guys are feeding off adrenaline in those situations.”

The Reds offense kept churning along – Jose Peraza had four hits against his former team, and Joey Votto fell a home run short of hitting for the cycle – but it was really all a prologue for Holt’s debut on the mound. The reserve outfielder had been itching to pitch for a long time, although hadn’t thrown a competitive pitch since Little League.

Price sent him to hit in the pitcher’s spot in the bottom of the eighth knowing he’d take the mound, and Holt admitted that he had trouble concentrating on his at-bat. Before the top of the ninth, he informed Barnhart he’d feature a knuckleball he learned at age eight. Barnhart told him he better not throw it too hard and break one of his fingers.

“You try to be smart,” Holt said, happy for his debut despite its circumstances. “You want to have a good time, but you try to take it serious.”

Holt’s first pitch was a 63 mph knuckler that Joc Pederson fouled off. Pederson then smacked a 68 mph fastball to center for an out. Holt then retired Howie Kendrick on two batting-practice fastballs before getting Toles to fly out on another knuckleball to complete his inning.

Holt’s moment lasted only five pitches, although the Reds were able to save and authenticate the ball from his last two outs. The ball from his first out was ultimately fouled off into the stands by Kendrick.

“I can’t answer that in a serious tone,” Price said when asked about Holt. “I can answer it in the fact that with his limited number of pitches thrown, he’ll probably be good to go tomorrow.”

If the Reds need him again, something has gone horribly wrong.

Notes: Homer Bailey struggles in start vs. Dodgers C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 10:59 p.m. EDT August 22, 2016

Homer Bailey was told there would be days like this, days he was pitching and the ball just wouldn’t come out of his hand like it has for most of his life.

He’d experienced it once before since returning to the Reds from his May 2015 Tommy John surgery, and he experienced it again on Monday in the 18-9 loss to the Dodgers.

“It was kind of the same thing that I dealt with in Pittsburgh a few games ago, the ball just didn’t come out,” Bailey said afterward. “It’s not pain, just kind of a dullness, you just can’t finish your pitches.”

Monday, Bailey gave up hits to the first three batters he faced — including a three-run home run to Adrian Gonzalez — and needed 32 pitches to get through a four-run first. Overall, he lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing six runs on nine hits with a walk and no strikeouts. He threw 59 pitches, 40 for strikes. On Aug. 6 in Pittsburgh, he left without retiring an out in the fourth inning, allowing five runs on eight hits a walk in his second start back. In his three other starts, he’s combined to allow just three earned runs over 16 2/3 innings.

“It’s a very strange thing. I may show up tomorrow and say, ‘I feel great, I wish I was pitching today,’” Bailey said. “That’s just the way it’s been throughout the whole process. The majority of the days you feel really good, as some of my games have shown. And then some days it’s just not there for no rhyme or reason that I’m aware of.”

That could be said for baseball in general, but Bailey noted the comeback is different because the “valleys aren’t quite as low” when completely healthy.

Monday was pretty low.

Even the outs Bailey gave up were hit hard and his velocity varied wildly, and the Dodgers only swung and missed at three pitches all game.

“I think what we’re seeing is what we should expect,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “I touched on it when he first came back, it’s the fact he’s going to have games where he feels like he has his best stuff, he feels electric, he feels sharp. And he’s going to have the other days when he has the fatigue or achiness or doesn’t feel like he has his A-grade stuff. That’s part of his surgery rehab. It’s just a part of it. Sometimes you just have the face the days where he doesn’t have it and look forward to his next start.”

Peraza finishes with four hits

Reds shortstop Jose Peraza had a career-high four hits on Monday and finished his three games against his old team 8 for 14 in three starts.

Peraza is in for Zack Cozart, who probably won’t return to action until Friday’s game in Arizona because of an Achilles’ tendon injury.

Peraza, who was acquired from the Dodgers in the three-team trade that sent Todd Frazier to Chicago this past offseason, will likely get a chance to stay in the big leagues through the end of the season, Price said before Monday’s game.

“At this point in time, if Zack’s down and I know I have a spot for him regularly or if I can work it around that I can get him a day in left or at second and another game at short or wherever,” Price said. “We have the DH games in Anaheim, which are helpful. It’s realistic to think he could be here the rest of the year. But right now we’ll wait and see how that plays out.”

With three games in Anaheim with the designated hitter, Peraza could play several positions, while keeping the likes of Cozart, Brandon Phillips and Billy Hamilton in the lineup, while giving their bodies a break. The team returns from Anaheim on Sept. 1 and the Triple-A season ends Sept. 5, so the days seem to work out for Peraza’s stay to be extended.

His performance in the small sample of these three games would certainly merit more playing time.

“I’ve been trying to, like I’ve said before, work on the small details,” Peraza said after Monday’s game according to interpreter Julio Morillo. “It’s something I’ve been doing since I went down there. Right now I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing, try to have really good at-bats at the plate and put the ball in play, try to make really good contact.”

Reed to start in Louisville

Left-hander Cody Reed will start for Louisville on Tuesday, his first start since being demoted.

Price said he won’t be looking at the box score as much as he will be looking forward to the reports from Bats manager Delino DeShields and pitching coach Jeff Fassero.

“For Cody, it’s just the shape of his pitches. The ability to create plane on his fastball and slider. If he’s doing that, I’ll be happy,” Price said. “I won’t worry so much about the box score as much as I will the comments we get from Jeff and Delino. Delino had him the first half of the season, so he knows how he looks like when he’s good. Jeff had him last year in Double-A where he was dominant.”

Reds extend contract with Billings

The Reds and Billings Mustangs of the rookie-level Pioneer League announced a two-year extension of the player development contract. The Mustangs have been a Reds affiliate since 1974.

The Reds’ player development contracts are also up after this season with low-Class A Dayton and Double-A Pensacola. Pensacola owner Quint Studer was at Monday’s game in Cincinnati.

WCPO - Channel 9 Dodgers smash seven homers off Reds pitchers but can't touch OF Tyler Holt Holt puts out fire in ninth in 18-9 rout By: WCPO Staff Posted: 4:57 PM, Aug 22, 2016

CINCINNATI – Look on the bright side - the Dodgers may have smashed seven homers off four Reds pitchers, but they couldn't touch Tyler Holt.

With the bullpen going up in flames, manager Bryan Price called the 27-year-old outfielder to the mound in the ninth Monday afternoon, and Holt put out the fire, pitching a 1-2-3 inning on five pitches. Holt was the only one of six Cincinnati pitchers to keep the Dodgers from scoring in an 18-9 rout.

"With his limited number of pitches thrown, he'll probably be good to go tomorrow," Price joked after the game. "I just hope we don't need him."

Holt said he hadn't pitched since Little League , but he was eager to go. He just didn't want to hit anybody.

He said he threw two 60-mph knuckleballs to get Joc Pederson to fly out to center, Howie Kendrick hit a batting-practice fastball to short, and Andrew Toles hit the same to center.

The last position player to pitch for the Reds was Skip Schumaker two years ago on Aug. 21, 2014 in an 8-0 loss to the Braves.

Before Holt came in, fans in the outfield had to be out of breath from chasing Dodgers' home-run balls. The seven homers the Reds allowed tied a club record.

Adrian Gonzalez, who had a career-high eight RBI, hit three-run homers off Homer Bailey and Blake Wood and a solo shot off Jumbo Diaz.

Reds reliever Josh Smith surrendered three homers to Toles, Rob Segedin and Corey Seager in a six-run LA fifth inning. Yasmani Grandal homered off Wood in the seventh.

It was the Dodgers' biggest power performance since they hit seven during an 11-10 win over San Diego on Sept. 18, 2006.

"That was fun," Gonzalez said, giving some of the credit to the bandbox that is Great American Ball Park.

"It's tiny and the ball flies," Gonzalez said. "Right field is short. I hit two fly balls that went out. I could have been 1 for 6 with a homer."

Toles and Segedin hit their first career homers back-to-back in the fifth, becoming the first Dodger duo to accomplish that one.

The Dodgers had 21 hits and scored against all five real Reds pitchers.

Bailey gave up six runs on nine hits in 2 1/3 innings. LA got five runs of Smith in two innings, three runs off Diaz in two innings, two runs off Wood in two-thirds off an inning and two runs off Michael Lorenzen in one inning.

Price said ups and downs are to be expected with Bailey, who came off Tommy John surgery just last month and has made only five starts.

"Some days, he's electric and sharp. Some days, there's fatigue and achiness and you're not going to have your grade-A stuff," Price said.

The Reds had a good day at the plate with 14 hits but didn't hit any out of the park. Joey Votto was a homer shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6 with four RBI. Jose Peraza went 4-for-6 and scored three runs. Scott Schebler was 3-for-4 with two RBI and Adam Duvall was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI.

Reds SS Zack Cozart missed a fifth straight game with a sore left Achilles tendon. Price said he'll miss at least one more game.

Dan Straily (9-6) starts the opener of a two-game series against Texas on Tuesday. He's 3-3 career against the Rangers in 10 games.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Reds’ Cozart ‘progressing,’ but still out of lineup By: Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Posted: 6:51 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22, 2016

CINCINNATI — Fans attending either of the Reds’ last two games of the current home stand shouldn’t expect to see Zack Cozart manning his usual shortstop position. Cozart did not play in Monday’s four-game series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That was the fifth consecutive game he’s missed while dealing with soreness in his left patella and Achilles tendons, the latter so persistent that he was forced to wear a boot to immobilize the area in an effort to hasten the healing.

“He is making progress,” manager Bryan Price said before Monday’s game. “I don’t know how close he is to being ready to play. He’s pretty much inside getting treatment around the clock when he’s here. When he gets out on the field, I’ll have a better idea how close he is, but you can safely assume that it will be at least another 48 hours before we see him on the field.”

Cozart, named by the Players Alumni Association as this year’s Reds Heart and Hustle Award winner, is a serious contender for the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award. He opened the season with a 10-game hitting streak and was hitting .263 and already tied his single-season career high with 15 home runs when his tendons started acting up. He remains available for pinch-hitting duties, but he hasn’t been needed.

Opportunity knocking: The upside of Cozart’s injury is it’s allowing the Reds to get an extended look at middle-infield prospect Jose Peraza, who was recalled Saturday from Triple-A Louisville and has started the last three games at shortstop. He went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs on Saturday and followed up by going 2-for-4 on Sunday.

He stayed hot on Monday, going 4-for-6 and scoring three runs while boosting his batting average to .301.

The highly regarded 22-year-old prospect, acquired from the Dodgers as part of the three-team trade that sent third baseman Todd Frazier to the White Sox, figures to get regular starts while Cozart is sidelined. Keeping him on the field had been one of Price’s biggest headaches in Peraza’s first two stints with the Reds this season, and the manager hoped to find enough playing time for Peraza to stay with the Reds the rest of the season.

“That’s something that’s not always in my hands,” Price said. “It comes down to how much he’s going to play here. We’ve got those (designated-hitter) games coming up in Anaheim, so that will be helpful. I think it’s realistic to say that he’s going to be here the rest of the year.”

Next: Interleague play returns to Great American Ball Park on Tuesday when the American League West Division-leading Texas Rangers show up for a two-game series, both scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. Right-hander Dan Straily (9-6), who leads the Reds in wins, is Cincinnati’s scheduled starter on Tuesday. Since the All-Star break, Straily is 5-0 with a 2.25 earned-run average in seven starts, and he hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of those starts. He is due to be opposed by left-handed Derek Holland (5-5).

The Reds and Rangers split a two-game series in Arlington in June. They also have split the 14 games they’ve played since interleague play started in 1997.

ESPN.COM Best tools in MLB: 2016 hitting and speed rankings By: Keith Law Posted: 8:54 AM ET

Hit tool

1. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks 2. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds 3. Mike Trout, OF, Angels 4. Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros 5. Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers

This is the most difficult tool to assess both for prospects and for big leaguers. For prospects, the difficulty is in projecting how hitters will respond to major league pitching -- better stuff, much better command, a faster game overall. For big leaguers, however, we can spend hours debating what we mean by the ability to hit. Is it just making contact? Is it hard contact? Is it hitting for average? Does someone such as Christian Yelich, who makes a lot of contact and hits for a high average but hits the ball on the ground more than anyone else in baseball, have a plus hit tool? I settled on the definition I've always used: The hit tool reflects the ability to square up good pitching. That means it isn't just contact but hard contact, particularly line drives, as those are most likely to land for hits.

Goldschmidt was No. 1 here last year as well, and nothing has changed. He makes a lot of hard contact, and though his strikeout total is in the top 10 in the National League, it's a question of approach, as he rarely swings and misses; his swinging-strike rate of 6.9 percent is the lowest of his career to date. … Votto's great year has been overlooked because the Reds are so terrible, but he's among the NL leaders in BABIP, line-drive percentage and hard contact rate, all while doing Votto-like things, including drawing 90 walks and hitting for power. … Trout is the same player as always: the best player in baseball, the most valuable player in the American League with no shot to win the award because the Angels are so bad. … Altuve's main skill at the plate is his ability to make contact -- he's the fifth-most difficult hitter in MLB to strike out since the start of 2015 -- although others are better at reaching base safely on contact. … Seager's going to run away with the NL Rookie of the Year award, and the biggest surprise of his season has been how advanced he is as a hitter. He makes hard contact and ranks just 32nd in the NL in strikeouts.

Power tool

1. Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Marlins 2. Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals 3. Miguel Sano, OF/3B/DH, Twins 4. Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Mets 5. Nelson Cruz, DH/OF, Mariners

Power can refer to either raw power -- what a hitter shows in batting practice or is (theoretically) capable of producing in games if he gets enough pitches to hit -- or to game power, which is more or less what a hitter produces after the first pitch. Ryan Sweeney showed 60 or 70 power (on the 20-80 scouting scale) in batting practice throughout his career, yet he hit all of 23 home runs in 682 major league games.

I've split the baby a bit here, going about 80 percent game power and 20 percent raw, so guys such as Chris Carter or Mark Trumbo, who have enormous raw power but don't hit enough to get to it all, fall behind the five names I've listed, guys who have produced plus power in the majors and consistently hit for enough hard contact to show it. Stanton and Harper are a cut above anyone else in the big leagues, though Rangers prospect Joey Gallo might have more raw power than either of them. Sano and teammate Byron Buxton might be the two Twins most likely to benefit from a change in the coaching staff in Minnesota, and even with some strange handling, Sano has produced 20 homers in 88 games this season, with a .232 Isolated Power mark (which would be 17th in the AL if he qualified). We're in a golden era of power right now, as I considered a dozen or so other players for those last two spots, including Edwin Encarnacion, David Ortiz, J.D. Martinez, Chris Davis and, of course, Mike Trout.

Speed tool

1. Billy Hamilton, OF, Reds 2. Jarrod Dyson, OF, Royals 3. Billy Burns, OF, A's 4. Rajai Davis, OF, Indians 5. Trea Turner, IF/OF, Nationals

It's Billy Hamilton and everybody else when it comes to running speed. Hamilton is the fastest runner I've ever seen on a baseball field and the fastest I've timed on my stopwatch. What he does with his legs is comparable to whatAroldis Chapman does with his fastball; they stretch the limit of what we thought was physically possible. Dyson is the fastest Royals player currently in the majors but probably not in the organization. Terrance Gore might be the second-fastest man in baseball, but he's 0-for-7 in his big league career over three seasons -- with 10 stolen bases -- and hasn't been on the Royals' roster since May 4.

Plate discipline

1. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds 2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks 3. Mike Trout, OF, Angels 4. Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals 5. Carlos Santana, DH/1B, Indians

I doubt the first four are any surprise. Votto is one of the most patient hitters we've seen post-Barry Bonds, and the next three guys are consistently among the league leaders in walks and OBP. Plate discipline is more than just a walk total, though that's obviously a strong indicator of the skill. It's about recognizing pitch types as well as balls and strikes and thus being able to put yourself in hitter's counts by laying off pitches that should be called balls. Santana is the only hitter besides Votto to swing at less than 20 percent of pitches outside the strike zone this year (per FanGraphs), with Dexter Fowler and Ben Zobrist, both very disciplined hitters, coming in just over that threshold.

Jose Altuve deserves mention here as well. Although not highly patient, he rarely swings and misses, walks almost as often as he strikes out and is able to make contact with a lot of pitches outside the zone that other hitters can't square up. To Altuve's credit, he has already set a new career high with 42 unintentional walks this season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Adrian Gonzalez hits 3 of Dodgers' 7 homers in win over Reds Posted: 2:47 AM ET Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- Adrian Gonzalez got the most pleasure out of watching his teammates circle the bases. Nobody made as many trips as he did.

Gonzalez hit three of the Dodgers' seven homers _ driving in a career-high eight runs _ and rookie Corey Seager had a noteworthy homer as well on Monday, leading Los Angeles to an 18-9 victory and a split of its four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds.

The NL West leaders enjoyed their biggest home run splurge in 10 years. They've won 10 of their last 12 games against Cincinnati.

Four of Gonzalez's teammates also homered in the Dodgers' biggest power performance since they hit seven during an 11-10 win over San Diego on Sept. 18, 2006.

"That was fun,'' he said.

Gonzalez started it with a three-run shot in the first inning off Homer Bailey (2-2), who had his worst showing since returning from Tommy John surgery. Gonzalez also had a solo shot in the fifth, when the Dodgers connected four times overall.

His three-run shot in the seventh tied his career high for homers. He drove in another run with a groundout as the Dodgers scored 18 runs for the first time in 10 years.

The first baseman attributed it to Great American Ball Park's dimensions.

"It's tiny and the ball flies,'' Gonzalez said. "Right field is short. I hit two fly balls that went out. I could have been 1 for 6 with a homer.''

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts played left field for the Padres in that game 10 years ago when Los Angeles also hit seven.

"It feels much better from this side,'' Roberts said. "Yeah, I saw `em. I remember.''

The Dodgers needed the big game offensively. Left-hander Scott Kazmir lasted a season-low 2 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and four runs. Joey Votto singled home a run off reliever Jesse Chavez (1-0), one of his four RBIs.

Kazmir said he's been bothered lately by a stiff right side of his neck. He doesn't want to go on the disabled list. He'll be examined in Los Angeles.

"I'm pretty stubborn,'' Kazmir said. "I can feel like this and get it done. But when you're putting up numbers like that, it's tough to swallow.''

There were homer notes galore:

_ Seager's two-run shot gave him 22 homers, trying Glenn Wright's club record for a shortstop from 1930. He tied his career high with four hits and extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

_ The seven homers allowed by Reds pitchers tied the club record.

_ Andrew Toles and Rob Segedin hit their first career homers back-to-back in the fifth, becoming the first Dodger duo to accomplish that one.

_ The last time the Dodgers hit four homers in an inning was Sept. 28, 2006, against San Diego.

Bailey gave up a season-high six runs and nine hits, leaving after 59 pitches. Chase Utley singled on Bailey's first pitch of the game, and Seager singled on the second pitch. Gonzalez homered on the first pitch, leaving him 11 for 25 career against the right-hander with six homers. The homer extended his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games.

"We're seeing what we expected to see,'' Reds manager Bryan Price said of Bailey, who has made five starts. "Some days, he's electric and sharp. Some days, there's fatigue and achiness and you're not going to have your grade-A stuff.''

Bud Norris, who started on Friday and lasted 3 2/3 innings, pitched the eighth to help LA's depleted bullpen. He threw 18 pitches, retired two batters, gave up two hits and a walk, and felt some tightness in his back. Reds outfielder Tyler Holt pitched the ninth and retired the three batters he faced.

STATS

It was Gonzalez's 21st career multi-homer game. He's the third Dodger to hit three in a game this season, joining Yasmani Grandal and Seager. ... It was the Dodgers' biggest game offensively since a 19-11 win at Colorado in 2006. ... The Reds also gave up seven homers at Colorado on May 31.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: RF Josh Reddick was scratched from the lineup because of a jammed middle finger on his right hand that bothered his throwing. He pinch hit and flied out.

Reds: SS Zack Cozart missed a fifth straight game with a sore left Achilles tendon. Price said he'll miss at least one more game.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: Ken Maeda (12-7) opens a home series against the Giants. He has won his last four decisions _ in five starts _ with a 3.45 ERA.

Reds: Dan Straily (9-6) starts the opener of a two-game series against Texas at Great American Ball Park. He's 3-3 career against the Rangers in 10 games.

TRANSACTIONS 08/22/16

Oakland Athletics placed DH Billy Butler on the 7-day disabled list. Undergoing concussion protocol. Seattle Mariners signed free agent RHP Bryan Evans to a minor league contract. Oakland Athletics recalled Arismendy Alcantara from Nashville Sounds. Kansas City Royals sent LHP Jason Vargas on a rehab assignment to Omaha Storm Chasers. San Diego Padres placed LF Jabari Blash on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 19, 2016. Sprained left middle finger. San Diego Padres recalled Luis Sardinas from El Paso Chihuahuas. Seattle Mariners recalled Guillermo Heredia from Tacoma Rainiers. Seattle Mariners placed RHP Drew Storen on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 20, 2016. Right shoulder inflamation. Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Louis Coleman on a rehab assignment to AZL Dodgers. Colorado Rockies recalled RHP Carlos Estevez from Albuquerque Isotopes. Colorado Rockies placed RHP Scott Oberg on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 20, 2016. Right arm axillary artery thrombosis. Baltimore Orioles sent LHP T.J. McFarland on a rehab assignment to Bowie Baysox. New York Mets recalled Robert Gsellman from Las Vegas 51s. New York Mets placed LHP Steven Matz on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 15, 2016. Left shoulder tightness. Texas Rangers optioned RHP Nick Martinez to Round Rock Express. Baltimore Orioles optioned Caleb Joseph to Norfolk Tides. Baltimore Orioles activated C Matt Wieters from the paternity list. Detroit Tigers sent SS Jose Iglesias on a rehab assignment to Toledo Mud Hens. optioned LHP Henry Owens to Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox activated LF Chris Young from the 15-day disabled list. Chicago White Sox sent C Alex Avila on a rehab assignment to Charlotte Knights. Washington Nationals recalled A.J. Cole from Syracuse Chiefs. Washington Nationals placed RHP Stephen Strasburg on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 21, 2016. Right elbow soreness. Baltimore Orioles sent LHP Brian Duensing on a rehab assignment to GCL Orioles. San Diego Padres sent 2B Jemile Weeks on a rehab assignment to AZL Padres. Atlanta Braves sent RHP Williams Perez on a rehab assignment to GCL Braves.