CCiinncciinnnnaattii RReeddss MMeeddiiaa CClliippss AAuugguusstt 3311sstt,, 22001166 Press Clippings August 31, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1956-The Reds pass the one million fan mark for the first time in club history. MLB.COM Peraza takes bite of Angels pitching By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 2:39 AM ET

ANAHEIM -- It's doubtful that the dentist on Tuesday morning prescribed Reds shortstop Jose Peraza to get four hits to make his pain go away. But maybe besides some Novocaine, it was the next best thing.

One night after leaving game because he was struck by a ball on the right side of his face and breaking a tooth, Peraza went 4-for-4 for the Reds in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Angels.

Full Game Coverage

"When I was in pregame, I thought for a little bit 'Oh man, I'm not able to play today.' But after that, I decided to take the opportunity to go out there and play," Peraza said via translator Julio Morillo. "Thank God I did. Unfortunately, we didn't win but it was a really good game for me."

Peraza three singles and a ninth- to the wall in right-center field as Cincinnati threatened to come back. The first two hits were soft but the other two were liners to the opposite field. He also had a .

In Monday's 9-2 loss during the third inning, Peraza was nailed by a Matt Shoemaker throw in the ear and jaw area as he dove back to first base on a play. It hit him on the side where there is no helmet flap. He spent several minutes down on the ground being examined before being removed from the game.

Fortunately, there was no serious injury such as a concussion.

"At the beginning, it was a little scary because I thought it was going to be worse than it was," Peraza said. "It was 'Oh my God,' at the beginning. After that, it was step-by-step and I recovered and came down here to the clubhouse. Everything was right after that."

Since his return from -A Louisville on Aug. 19, Peraza has hit safely in eight of 10 games while .500 (19-for-38). His four hits tied the career high he just set on Aug. 22 vs. the Dodgers.

Peraza, 22, was sent down on Aug. 2 to get regular at-bats after six weeks of playing sparingly in the big leagues. When he returned, he played more often for the Reds because Zack Cozart was out with an injury.

"He's really staying in the middle of the diamond and staying out over the plate well and fighting the pitches inside off to get to a he can handle," Reds manager said. "It's been very impressive. He really stays on the barrel a lot. He doesn't get real pull-conscious and or power-conscious, he really lets things evolve and take what he's given. The command has been improved as well."

In 43 games overall for the Reds, Peraza is batting .325/.351/.405 with two homers and 13 RBIs.

Following the game, Peraza still held a bag of ice on the side of his face. The broken tooth was repaired, but his face and mouth were still aching. There was also one other new development in the wake of Monday's incident.

Peraza started wearing a helmet with flaps over both ears.

"I'm going to use it every day now," Peraza said, in English.

Suarez hits his 20th, but Reds fall to Halos By Earl Bloom and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 2:16 AM ET

ANAHEIM -- C.J. Cron did the damage and the Angels pitching did the damage control. Cron hit two home runs while Jered Weaver and the held off the Reds for a 4-2 victory on Tuesday. It was the Angels' fourth straight win while Cincinnati has dropped seven of its last nine games.

All of the Angels early offense came from Cron, who slugged a two-out, two- homer in the first inning and another two-out solo homer in the third for a 3-0 inning against Reds starter Tim Adleman.

Weaver gave up two runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 with no walks and five . Weaver took a shutout into the top of the seventh inning before he ran out of steam. Eugenio Suarez's two-run homer made it a one-run game and Jose Peraza's third hit of his four-hit game was enough to bring a pitching change.

Adleman survived his rocky beginning to turn in a quality start of six innings with three earned runs, seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Following short starts from the rotation in the previous two games, the Reds needed a longer start.

"I try to get deep in the game and give them a chance," Adleman said. "I did that tonight but unfortunately, three runs were too many."

Michael Lorenzen followed with a perfect seventh but gave up two hits in the eighth, including Andrelton Simmons' RBI to short right field over a drawn-in that scored with a key insurance run.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Power surge continues: After the Angels hit five home runs in Monday's , Cron added two more on Tuesday and now has seven career multi-homer games -- four of them coming this season. His first long ball was on a 2-1 pitch from Adleman and went to straightaway center field an estimated 431 feet. In the third, Cron lifted a 2-2 pitch to right-center field for another no-doubt long ball. He has 25 RBIs in his past 18 games, but they are spread out because a broken hand cost him six weeks in July and August.

"He just had his timing kind of pick up where he left off, before his injury," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's good to see him in rhythm. He's an important part of our lineup that was missing for a while."

Suarez with No. 20: Following a one-out double, Suarez hit an 0-1 Weaver pitch to left field for a two-run homer, his 20th of the season. It snapped a Reds scoreless streak of 14 innings going back to the first inning of Monday's game. Suarez also became the 10th Reds third baseman in modern history to collect 20 or more home runs in a season.

Weaver hits 87 mph in the seventh: For the second straight start, the veteran Angels right-hander had command of his , and a little more oomph as well.

"The biggest reason is the command of his fastball," Scioscia said. "He was putting it in good spots."

Near comeback: The Reds faced three Angels relievers in the eighth and had a chance to take the lead. With two outs, right-hander JC Ramirez allowed singles to Adam Duvall and Brandon Phillips to put the go-ahead run on first base. But Ramirez was able to strike out Schebler and keep his team ahead. In the ninth against Fernando Salas, Peraza's fourth hit -- a double -- and a two-out walk by Billy Hamilton after a 10-pitch put the tying run on first base again. Zack Cozart popped out foul behind first base to end it.

"Considering we were down 3-0, that wasn't the worst thing in the world that we could do," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We got ourselves in a position to steal one and we weren't able to get it done."

QUOTABLE

"It was one of those games that after we've had 3 2/3 total innings over the previous two starts. It was going to be the priority -- we needed to get innings out of that start. Tim did a great job after a two-run first inning and a solo shot to add on to get 3-0 and really give us a chance to get back into where we were a two-run homer from being right back in the middle of that game. They did a great job of scratching out that final run that made a big difference in how we played the ninth." -- Price on getting length from Adleman

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

In the three games since Anthony DeSclafani's shutout at Arizona on Saturday, Reds opponents have batted .590 (13-for-22) with nine runs scored in the first inning.

UNDER REVIEW

In the top of the ninth with two outs, Hamilton hit a ball down left-field that was called foul, in a very close play. The Reds challenged the ruling from umpire Jeff Nelson, believing the ball might have touched the line -- which would have given Hamilton an RBI hit. After quick review, the call was confirmed.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: For Wednesday's 7:05 p.m. ET finale, the Reds will start Brandon Finnegan, who has been pitching the best he has all season. Finnegan struck out a career-high 12 batters over six innings vs. the D-backs on Friday and has been tough to hit in his last two starts. Opponents are 4-for-43 (.093) over those 13 innings of work.

Angels: Right-hander Ricky Nolasco makes his sixth start for the Angels since being acquired from the Twins, as the teams close out their first series at Angel Stadium since 2002 on Wednesday. Nolasco is 0-4 with a 5.70 ERA for the Angels, 4-12, 5.24 overall this season. The longtime National Leaguer has enjoyed modest success vs. Cincinnati, going 3-2, 5.49 in 11 career starts. Game time is 4:05 p.m. PT.

Reds taking the cautious route with Bailey By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 30th, 2016

ANAHEIM -- The Reds now have a vacancy in their rotation for Saturday against the Cardinals, because it won't be Homer Bailey taking his usual turn. Bailey is still dealing with right biceps tenderness, but has made some improvement.

"He's gotten some of the biceps stiffness and tightness out, however we're trying to give him a couple of days of no throwing, just rehab therapy and cardiovascular stuff," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

When Bailey pitches next remains in question, but it might not be too far off if he keeps making progress.

"We'll find a way to make the rotation work to where we can him back in when he's ready, as opposed to setting a date where he'll definitely pitch on the third or the fourth or the fifth," Price said. "We're going to let how his arm feels dictate when we'll slot him back into the rotation. We don't expect it to be a long time, maybe one turn, maybe less, maybe a variance of that."

Bailey has pitched 3 2/3 innings combined over his last two starts, including one inning in Sunday's 11-2 loss at Arizona, where he gave up four runs and five hits. The club is proceeding with added caution because he is five starts into his season after returning from surgery.

The Reds haven't anounced a replacement for Bailey, and Price did not reveal who the candidates might be.

"We'll make due with someone we promote or someone we currently have," Price said.

Rosters can expand on Thursday so the Reds could have an influx of choices. Keyvius Sampson has made a spot start before and pitched well in long relief during his last callup. Prospect Robert Stephenson has been inconsistent but made two big league spot starts in April. An in-house option could be Alfredo Simon, who pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief with two runs allowed in Monday's 9-2 loss vs. the Angels.

Simon was just activated from the disabled list on Monday after he had been out since June with a strained right trapezius. The club was pleased with his long relief work Monday.

September callup considerations:

The Reds have not telegraphed much of their plans for September callups but Price expected there to be two waves of promotions -- one group that can arrive before Friday's series opener vs. the Cardinals and the rest that come up following the end of Triple-A Louisville's season on Sept. 5.

Price noted that the expected number of callups was pared down after a recent set of discussions. The only with innings limit concerns at Louisville were Cody Reed, Stephenson and Amir Garrett.

"I don't think it's simply innings," Price added. "Some of it is timing, if they benefit from coming up and spending a month here, even if they're not guaranteed regular work or innings. I think that's probably more of an internal debate between our player development people and front office staff trying to define what's in the best interest of the club and the individual. At this point in time, I don't know who may be scratched off that original list that we had discussed last week."

Reds have deal with Cuban right-hander Gutierrez By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | August 30th, 2016

The Reds have been busy on the international market, and they are on the verge of adding another top Cuban prospect to the organization.

According to an industry source, Cincinnati has agreed to a $4.75 million deal with right-handed pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez of Pinar del Rio, Cuba.

The Reds have not confirmed the agreement.

Gutierrez, who will be 21 on Sept. 18, was the Serie Nacional Rookie of the Year during the 2013-14 season. He went 5-5 with a 3.90 ERA that season, primarily pitching out of the bullpen. Gutierrez had a 2.45 ERA as a reliever during the 2014-15 season. He features a low-to-mid 90s fastball and a plus . Gutierrez projects to be a starter, but he could also pitch out of the bullpen.

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team is allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool with four slot values based on the team's record in 2015 for the international signing period, which began on July 2. Cincinnati's overall pool total for this year's signing period is $5,163,400, and the club was already at maximum penalty after exceeding its bonus pool amount by more than 15 percent. As a result, the Reds will not be allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 during the next two signing periods, and they will have to pay a 100-percent tax on the pool overage.

Overall, Cincinnati has signed 10 international prospects for a total of $7.5 million. Cuban infielder Alfredo Rodriguez signed for $7 million.

Gutierrez left his Pinar del Rio team during the Caribbean Series in February 2015 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and he eventually made his way to Mexico, where he established residency. He was declared a free agent by on July 7, 2015.

Finnegan out to cap successful August in finale By Earl Bloom / Special to MLB.com | 1:05 AM ET

Veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco, still seeking his first Angels victory in his sixth start, and young Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan will be on the mound Wednesday night at Angel Stadium as the two teams conclude their first series in Anaheim since 2002.

Nolasco, acquired by the Angels on Aug. 1 in a four-player deal that sent left-hander Hector Santiago to the Twins, is 4-12 overall, with a 5.24 ERA. Nolasco is 0-4 with a 5.70 ERA after five starts for the Angels.

This is his second Southern California homecoming. Nolasco was 8-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 16 games for the Dodgers in 2013, before moving on to Minnesota in free agency.

Finnegan (8-9, 4.27 ERA) will be making his 27th appearance, and start, of the season. He had a career-high 12 strikeouts Friday against Arizona, and has made 14 quality starts.

Things to know about this game

• In 11 career starts vs. the Reds, Nolasco is 3-2 with a 5.49 ERA. It's the first time he's faced Cincinnati since May 14, 2003.

• Although Finnegan began his career with the Royals, this is his first appearance against the Angels. It will be his third career start against an team.

Peraza exits after taking pickoff throw to face By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 30th, 2016

ANAHEIM -- It could have been much worse, but Jose Peraza and the Reds were relieved that the shortstop was just sore and not seriously injured.

During Cincinnati's 9-2 loss to the Angels on Monday night, Peraza had to exit in the top of the third inning with a facial contusion after a pickoff throw to first base struck him on the side of his face at the top of his jaw.

"We're going to do some followup stuff with the dentist tomorrow," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I'm sure it's painful, but I don't think it's something right now that we see as serious."

In the third inning against Matt Shoemaker, Peraza hit a leadoff single. With Joey Votto batting, Shoemaker made two pickoff attempts before a third throw to first base ricocheted off of C.J. Cron's glove and got Peraza on the side of the head that isn't covered by a helmet ear flap as he slid headfirst back to the bag.

"It was pretty much a direct hit," said Cron. "If it went off my glove, it was just a tick."

Peraza spent several moments on his back being tended to by Reds trainers before he was able to walk back to the . Regular shortstop Zack Cozart, who was given a rest from the lineup, pinch-ran for Peraza and entered the game at his position.

There was no need to put Peraza through the concussion protocol after he was examined.

"He had the Angels team doctor in here and he went through a bunch of stuff there. I don't believe that's going to be an issue," Price said.

Peraza, 22, is batting .303/.331/.377 in 42 big league games this season over multiple call-ups. Since his latest promotion on Aug. 20, he is 15-for-35 (.429) with four extra-base hits and five RBIs. That included a career-best four-hit game vs. the Dodgers on Aug. 22.

"It was great news," Price said of the outcome being less than serious. "We'll check and see if he's got a chipped tooth and whatever else you need to do that a dentist can do better than a general X-ray."

Romano among top prospect performers Tuesday Pair of Pirates players shine in impressive outings By William Boor / MLB.com | 12:22 AM ET

Mitch Keller may have moved up a level, but the results stayed the same.

Keller made his debut with Advanced Bradenton and led the club to a 8-1 win over Jupiter on Tuesday.

The Pirates' No. 5 prospect spun six scoreless frames, struck out seven and surrendered five hits. Keller threw 88 pitches, 58 strikes. "It's a new level, so [I was] definitely anxious -- nerves, ready to get going," Keller told MiLB.com. "New team, new everything. Same game, though. That's what [manager Brian] Esposito told me from the [Class A ] Power when he told me the news. He said, 'It's the same game, do the same thing and you'll be fine.' I took that and went with it and it really worked out." While it's always nice to make a strong impression in a debut, the scoreless start was simply the latest in a string of several from the right-hander.

Keller, MLB Pipeline's No. 80 overall prospect, hasn't given up an earned run in any of his past five starts, a span of 29 innings. During that stretch, he's given up 18 hits and struck out 35.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Tuesday:

• (Pirates' No. 2, No. 9 overall) broke out of his with a career-high five RBIs. After going hitless in four consecutive games, Meadows stepped up offensively for Triple-A Indianapolis, going 2-for-3 with the five runs driven in. The 21- year-old had a sac fly in the first, a two-run single in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth.

• Ian Happ (Cubs' No. 1, No. 24 overall) hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning to win the game for Double-A Tennessee. The 2015 first-round pick went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs and is hitting .253 with five homers and 24 RBIs in 58 games since he was moved up to Tennessee.

• Franklin Barreto (Athletics' No. 1, No. 47 overall) drove in a trio of runs for Double-A Midland. Barreto doubled as part of a 2- for-5 game and now has hits in 16 of his past 17 games.

• Jorge Alfaro (Phillies' No. 4, No. 63 overall) hit his 14th homer of the season and has four RBIs over his past two games after going 3-for-5 with two RBIs for Double-A Reading. The 23-year-old has eight games with three or more hits this season.

• Derek Fisher (Astros' No. 6) continues to rake for Triple-A Fresno. The 23-year-old went 3-for-4 and has hits in 11 of his past 12 games, bumping his average up from .152 to .282 during that span.

• Athletics' No. 7 Yairo Munoz was a triple shy of hitting for the cycle (he has three in 95 games) for Double-A Midland. However, the 21-year-old was still able to go 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Munoz has hit three homers in August, matching the most he's had in any month this season. He also hit three in May.

• Dwight Smith Jr. (Blue Jays' No. 27) hit his 13th homer of the season for Double-A New Hampshire. The 23-year-old went 2-for- 2 with two RBIs, including his fourth homer of the month. Blue Jays No. 29 prospect Roemon Fields also went deep for New Hampshire as part of a 2-for-4 night.

• Michael Reed (Brewers' No. 27) had just one hit for Triple-A Colorado Springs, but he certainly made it . The 23-year-old jump-started the offense with a in the first inning and later added a , finishing 1-for-3 with five RBIs.

• Trevor Clifton (Cubs' No. 8) posted his second consecutive scoreless start for Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach. The 21-year-old threw six innings, gave up three hits and struck out seven. Clifton hasn't allowed an earned run in four of his past five starts and has a 2.72 ERA through 23 outings.

• Andrew Suarez (Giants' No. 8) bounced back from a couple of rough starts with a gem for Double-A Richmond. Suarez scattered six hits across seven scoreless innings, struck out three and walked none while throwing 51 of his 84 pitches for strikes.

• Chance Sisco (Orioles' No. 2) continued his hot streak with his second four-hit game of the season for Double-A Bowie. Sisco was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, marking his third consecutive multi-hit game and fifth in his past six contests.

• Chih-Wei Hu (Rays' No. 6) pitched eight scoreless innings for Double-A Montgomery. The 22-year-old gave up just five hits in his second eight-inning start of the season.

• Reds No. 17 prospect Sal Romano cruised through eight scoreless innings for the second time over a three-start stretch for Double-A Pensacola. The 22-year-old threw 58 of his 94 pitches for strikes, struck out six and allowed just two hits.

• Corey Ray (Royals' No. 25) struck out eight (tying his season high) for the second time in as many starts for Class A Advanced Wilmington. The 23-year-old walked one and gave up one run on two hits in 6 2/3 innings. Ray has been tough to hit lately, as the right-hander has given up one earned run or fewer in four consecutive starts.

• Ryan O'Hearn (Royals' No. 28) led the way for the Double-A Arkansas offense in its win over Tulsa. O'Hearn drove in five runs -- three via homer -- as part of his 3-for-5 game.

• Jordan Stephens (White Sox No. 10) is stockpiling strikeouts lately. After fanning 10 in his last outing, Stephens came out and set a season high with 11 for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. The 23-year-old gave up just three hits and fired five scoreless frames.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds fall short against Angels, 4-2 C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 2:35 a.m. EDT August 31, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. — After two straight short starts by Reds starters, Tim Adleman didn’t look too good after giving up two runs on four hits in the first inning.

But the Reds’ right-hander allowed just one more run and - perhaps more importantly - went six innings to help keep the team’s bullpen out of the game. However, those three runs he allowed were just enough to give the Angels a 4-2 victory over the Reds in front of 33,042 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Tuesday.

“It was imperative. It was one of those games that after we’ve had 3 2/3 total innings over the previous two starts … it had to happen,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “It was going to be the priority — we needed to get innings out of that start. Tim did a great job after a two-run first inning.”

It would have been even better if he didn’t have to face Angels first baseman C.J. Cron. Cron hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the third to account for all three of the runs allowed by Adleman.

“I definitely wanted to give the team some length and give them a chance to win, which is pretty much standard for all of my starts,” said Adleman, who fell to 2-2 on the season. “I try to get deep in the game and give them a chance. I did that tonight but unfortunately, three runs were too many.”

Adleman said after the first inning he tried to concentrate on his extension as he threw the ball, keeping it down in the strike zone.

The difference could even be seen in the two home runs. In the first, Adleman missed his spot, trying to go inside, but instead missing up over the plate in a classic mistake pitch that Cron didn’t miss.

In the third inning, Adleman made a better pitch, one that was supposed to be down and away, but did come over the outside corner of the plate, and Cron hammered it to right-center for a 3-0 lead.

“The second one I thought it had a little bit of plate, but if he takes it, depth-wise it’s a borderline strike,” Adleman said. “You’ve got to tip your cap to him. He hit a pretty decent pitch on the second one.”

The Reds managed just five singles in the first six innings against Angels starter Jered Weaver, with only Jose Peraza reaching second during that span, stealing second after a fifth-inning single. Peraza finished the game with four hits, including a ninth-inning double. The Reds rookie is 14-for-21 against Los Angeles teams, notching four-hit games against both the Angels and Dodgers.

Only in the seventh did the Reds get to the veteran right-hander, with Scott Schebler hitting a one-out double before third baseman Eugenio Suarez launched a to left field to bring the Reds to within a run.

The homer was Suarez’s 20th of the season, making him the 10th Reds third baseman in modern history to hit 20 or more home runs in a season, joining Todd Frazier, Scott Rolen, Edwin Encarnacion, Aaron Boone, Chris Sabo, Buddy Bell, Tony Perez, Deron Johnson and Gene Freese.

Anaheim native Michael Lorenzen struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh, but he gave up a leadoff double to Mike Trout to start the eighth and then another single to Albert Pujols to put Trout at third.

Lorenzen actually got Cron out, as he grounded out to third against a drawn-in infield, but then Andrelton Simmons notched his third hit of the night with a bloop single to right to score Trout. The Reds then got out of the inning on a double-play ball from Jefry Marte.

Angels Fernando Salas gave up Peraza’s double in the ninth and walked Billy Hamilton, but got DH Zack Cozart to pop up to end the inning and earn his sixth of the season.

Hamilton’s at-bat went 10 pitches, with two balls down the left-field line that just nearly went for extra bases, but both were foul. The first of the two was reviewed by replay and confirmed, while the second was merely inches further than that one. Hamilton even put another toward the right-field line just foul, before walking on 10 pitches.

“That ball’s fair, we’ve got action there,” Price said. “We got ourselves in a situation there with the potential with the go-ahead run in the ninth inning with their closer. Considering we were down 3-0, that wasn’t the worst thing in the world that we could do. We got ourselves in a position to steal one and we weren’t able to get it done.”

BAR: Vladimir Gutierrez signing a good surprise Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 8:09 a.m. EDT August 31, 2016

Back in early July when the Cincinnati Reds signed Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez to a $7 million bonus, general manager Dick Williams didn't sound like someone looking to make another big splash in the international market. They'd make some more signings, but "they won't be older Cubans," he said.

So it was quite surprising when it was reported Tuesday that the Reds had agreed to a $4.75 million signing bonus with 20-year-old right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez, who is both Cuban and older than your average international amateur. That's not a move Williams led us to believe the team was going to make, but it's a move you should be happy they did.

Here's why: the Reds had the second-highest international bonus pool this year thanks to their second-to-last finish in the 2015 standings. They busted that limit by signing Rodriguez, incurring penalties that brought his total price tag to about $9 million. They caught some criticism for doing so -- one, some felt Rodriguez won't be that good; and two, because they busted on just one player and seemed content to sit out the rest of international market.

That flew in the face of the prevailing logic in the international market. Busting your limit to the degree the Reds did limits teams severely in how much money they can offer an international prospect the next go-around, so it's to a team's benefit to get as much out of that signing period as it can. The have been especially aggressive, spending $60 million including penalties on international amateurs since July 2. (That number could be low; I haven't checked in on them in a month.)

The signing of Gutierrez suggests the Reds are ready to play that game more assertively. The right-hander was ranked the fourth- best prospect on the international market by MLB.com. His true cost will be $9.5 million when taking into account the 100 percent penalty the Reds will pay for signing him. So, the Reds spent a total of $18.5 million on two prospects they believe will be impact talents.

When you ask why you don't spend money on the big-league roster during a rebuild, this is the answer. That savings allows the team to add top prospects to the system. This is exactly how the Reds should be spending it.

Minor-league roundup

Triple-A: Louisville 5, Charlotte 3. RHP Daniel Wright gave up three runs in five innings, and snagged a line drive back to the mound with cat-like reflexes. (I was at a portion of this game.) 3B Seth Mejias-Brean homered.

Double-A: Pensacola 5, Jacksonville 2. RHP Sal Romano allowed just two hits and no walks while fanning six over eight innings. His ERA has gone down in eight consecutive starts, and now sits at 3.42. RF Sebastian Elizalde went 3 for 4.

High-A: The Tortugas were rained out Tuesday.

Low-A: The Dragons were off Tuesday.

Rookie: Great Falls 5, Billings 1. LHP Scott Moss lasted just two innings, giving up four runs (three earned). DH T.J. Friedl went 3 for 4 with a triple.

Doc: Baseball can benefit if Tebow fails Paul Daugherty, [email protected] 3:49 p.m. EDT August 30, 2016

When I was a mini-wrestler in high school (sophomore weight class 103 pounds, stop laughing) I could count on few things every Thanksgiving: I’d be cutting weight and not eating any turkey, and the football players would start swaggering into wrestling practice, days after their season ended.

They were muscle guys, big people. Tough, by their own estimation. They’d never wrestled. Figured they’d try it.

Lasted a week or two.

They came to practice in a room that was 90 degrees. They got taken down by people 20 pounds lighter than they were. These were people who knew what they were doing. You know: People who’d actually wrestled.

The football players would drop eight pounds in a practice, then be told they could have a cup of water for dinner, to wash down the vegetables and the four-ounce piece of grilled chicken, no skin. “We need you at 185 for the scrimmage with Kennedy on Friday,’’ they’d hear on Wednesday, when they were 195.

They’d leave and never return. “You guys are crazy’’ was the usual response.

Which gets us to Tebow.

Tim Tebow wants to be a baseball player. Same as most of us did, the difference being we were 12. Tebow is 29. On Tuesday, Tebow auditioned for scouts from 23 major league teams. It was a few hours they’ll never get back.

Tebow, who washed out unceremoniously in the NFL despite massive amounts of unjustified pub -- Hey, look, there’s Sal-From- Jets-Camp again! --figured, let’s give baseball a try. How hard can it be?

“He just needs the reps and the timing, and he needs to see pitching, pitching, pitching,” said Greg Mullins, the last baseball Tebow played for, in high school a decade ago.

Cool. Someone get him a . He’ll be in the majors in no time.

What’s your problem, Doc? Everyone has a right to follow a dream.

My dream is to own an island so far off the grid, mermaids can’t find it. Crazy, but harmless. What Tebow is doing is trivializing the sport. Just some reps and timing?

Allow a former college football player and minor league ballplayer named Joel Klatt, now a Fox Sports analyst, to explain:

“I don't think it's right,’’ Klatt told Fox Sports Radio. “I don't think it's fair to the minor-league baseball players that are actually quality players. This screams of publicity and arrogance and narcissism.

“It's the furthest thing from an effort-based, try-hard sport. You either hit the ball or you don't, there's no amount of hustle that can get you there.’’

Two obvious words for Tebow: Michael. Jordan.

This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco. This ain’t no foolin’ around.

It’s not a hobby, Tim. It’s not something you do when you quit the NBA and are tired of playing golf every day.

But, Doc, Deion did it.

I can answer that one, Mister Wizard! Tebow. . . isn’t Deion!

In 1998, when Mark McGwire was in the thick of chasing the ghost of Roger Maris, he said more than once that J.Q. Public had no idea how hard it was to hit a baseball. I tested the theory, sort of.

I went to the batting cages, set the machine at 70 mph (its highest speed), dropped some coins right into the slot and stood in. I flailed like a housefly in a swimming pool.

Twenty swings, 19 misses, one . Seventy miles an hour. I could have stolen every dime out of every parking meter in 1975, and never hit one 70 mph pitch anywhere but behind me.

You could argue that Tebow’s imminent failure actually raises baseball’s plumage: Great athlete can’t hack baseball. You could argue that if Tebow were in Jordan’s class, or Deion’s. Or Bo Jackson’s. (Sorry. Nobody’s in Bo Jackson’s class.) But he wasn’t able to stay employed in the NFL. He had a career as a curiosity.

It’s not hard to see why scouts watched him Tuesday. Some major league team will sign Tebow for, oh, low- or mid-five figures, then ship him off to a low-minors outpost so far-flung, not even its residents know how to get there. The team that usually draws 200 fans will draw 2,000 for the freak show.

What does that have to do with baseball?

Tebow’s contribution to the game will be to show how hard it is to play. Beyond that, he really should get on with his life’s work.

Struck in face night before, Peraza has 4-hit night C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 2:34 a.m. EDT August 31, 2016

ANAHEIM, Calif. — After batting practice on Tuesday, Jose Peraza nearly told Bryan Price that he couldn’t play the day after being hit in the face by a pickoff move, but in the end, he decided he didn’t want to forego any opportunity to play.

He was glad he stuck with it, as Peraza notched his second four-hit game since his call-up last week. In 10 games since being called up, Peraza’s hit .500 (19 for 38) and has 14 hits in 21 at-bats against the two Los Angeles teams.

That’s a marked improvement over how he felt on Monday. In the third inning of the Reds’ loss Monday night, he got hit in the upper right jaw by Matt Shoemaker’s pickoff move. He stayed on the ground for several minutes before leaving under his own power and being replaced by Zack Cozart.

“At the beginning, it was a little scary because I thought it was going to be worse than it was. It was, ‘Oh my God,’ at the beginning,” Peraza said after Tuesday’s 4-2 loss in Anaheim, according to interpreter Julio Morillo. “After that, it was step-by-step and I recovered and came down here to the clubhouse. Everything was right after that.”

Peraza was evaluated both by the Angels’ team doctor and Reds trainers on Monday and was diagnosed with a facial contusion, but no concussion. He had further tests on Tuesday, and it was determined he chipped a tooth.

When he wasn’t answering questions in Tuesday night’s post-game interview, Peraza held an ice pack to his jaw. During the game, he switched to a double-flapped helmet.

Monday, the right-handed hitter wore a single-flap helmet that covered only his left ear. On Tuesday, he switched to the double- flapped model that would give protection to both sides of his face and likely would have minimized the damage he suffered on Monday.

“I’m going to use it every day now,” Peraza said, according to Morillo.

Playing every day helped him in Louisville, he said. Peraza was with the Reds for 1 1/2 months from mid-June through July, playing in 28 games, but starting just eight of those.

“When I went back to Louisville, I got the opportunity again to play every day. I think that really helped when I got back here,” he said, according to Morillo. “I got the opportunity to play a little more when I came here. I worked on the small details down there and when I came here, I’ve been doing good.”

Robert Stephenson's walks too high, confidence too low Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 10:32 p.m. EDT August 30, 2016

LOUISVILLE – On August 20, Triple-A Louisville manager Delino DeShields had strong words for pitching prospect Robert Stephenson. The 23-year-old had just given up six runs and walked four while lasting just two innings against the .

The walks were especially concerning, considering Stephenson has walked 4.7 batters per nine innings this year. That’s been the main reason for his 4.58 ERA with Louisville this year.

“This is what we’ve been going through with this kid for the last three or four years,” DeShields said at the time. “Until he makes an adjustment, it’s going to continue. It’s not going to get better. It’s on him. He’s been told what he needs to do and what he needs to work on by numerous coaches and staff members. It’s up to him to make those adjustments. If I was him, I’d be embarrassed.”

Ten days later, DeShields expressed some regret about criticizing his player in such a public forum. He apologized in private to Stephenson after his comments, although he admits he was trying to send a message through the media.

The right-hander may have needed it.

“I think it helped,” Louisville pitching coach said. “You can say it to him behind closed doors, but maybe it’s better that it got out there to understand. It didn’t bother him that it got out there. He understood. He thought it was basically true. You look at his last game and he threw the ball good again.”

Stephenson did throw better his next time out, allowing two runs and striking out seven batters in six innings against the same Indianapolis team he had such trouble against the start before. He said he and DeShields buried the hatchet in the days before that, and that he understands his manager’s frustration.

But Stephenson doesn’t look at DeShields’ indictment of him and agree with all of its contents. He at the idea that he doesn’t take instruction or that he’s OK with poor performance. Having three pitching coaches – the first, Ted Power, was promoted to the majors in July, with Fassero and Tony Fossas filling in for him since – has not helped either, he said.

“The only thing is it’s just not true,” Stephenson said of DeShields’ criticism. “If I’m going to sit back and look at my season and be content with how I performed, it wouldn’t seem right. I’ve been listening to every pitching coach I’ve had. I’d be stupid not too. Sometimes I feel like the problem may be having too many people tell me. Everybody’s got a piece of information they want to give me. It’s tough to figure out which pieces you want to keep and which pieces you don’t.”

But when presented a follow-up question about having so many pitching coaches, Stephenson claims he likes listening to different voices. If that makes him seem like a young pitcher who is unsure of himself, that’s because that’s exactly what he is.

Stephenson is the first to admit it. His confidence has taken a hit, and his struggles have become a self-fulfilling prophecy. He thinks so much on the mound about not walking batters that he inevitably walks them. He’s worked with mental skills coach Bob Rotella several times this season, and spoke with him before his last start.

“You always want to tell yourself, ‘I can do it on my own, I can do it on my own,’” Stephenson said. “At some point you just have to take a step back and say I need some help. He’s a great guy to come talk to. It’s not always the mechanics that you’re looking at. I feel like there’s only so much you can do before you figure out there’s something wrong with your head.”

The command is really the only thing holding Stephenson back. He’s made minor mechanical adjustments to stop over-rotating and keep his front shoulder down, which should help his pitch placement in the long-term. He’s working on making in-game adjustments. Chris Berset has instituted a policy that if the right-hander misses high twice in a row, the next pitch needs to be in the dirt.

But he still has the ability to throw a fastball in the mid-to-high 90s, along with a change-up he can throw for a strike and a curveball that most agree is big-league ready. He also performed well in two one-start stints in the majors this year, and thinks his struggles since have a lot to do with worrying too much about getting another call-up.

He may receive one once rosters expand in September, although it’s possible he’ll remain in the minors until Louisville’s season ends on Sept. 5. Another promotion would be a happy ending to one year’s tumultuous journey, and the hope is that several years down the road the righty will realize the 2016 season was the pivotal one where he learned what it takes to succeed.

“Hopefully so,” DeShields said. “It happens sooner for some guys, happens later for other guys. Hopefully this will be one of those type of years for him. I’ve got the utmost confidence in Robert Stephenson. I know he’s got more ability than a lot of guys walking around on a .”

#BaseballforAll celebrates passion, inclusion Adam Turer, Enquirer contributor 4:28 p.m. EDT August 30, 2016

It will take something special for the Cincinnati Reds to create in-game highlights that will surpass what happens on the field before Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The inspiration derived from listening to Patrick Henry Hughes sing the national anthem and watching Teddy Kremer deliver the game ball will be worth the price of admission alone. Those performances are just a part of the inaugural #BaseballforAll event taking place at on Sept. 3.

#BaseballforAll is a partnership between the Reds and ReelAbilities Film Festival, which will take place in Cincinnati March 9-12. The goal of #BaseballforAll is to raise awareness of ReelAbilities and its organizing foundation, LADD, Inc. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated by the Reds to ReelAbilities. The Reds have been one of several local businesses at the forefront of connecting with and hiring differently abled people. Many fans in attendance will already be familiar with Hughes’s and Kremer’s stories, which personify the theme of inclusion that will be on display Saturday afternoon at GABP.

“The Reds organization has been fantastic to work with on this partnership. Already generous in the community, they embraced the idea and haven’t let up,” said 2017 ReelAbilities co-chair Kim Vincent. “The more we interact and share experiences, the more we begin to see and appreciate each other. When we focus on what we have in common, we are more likely to experience relationships that bring value to our lives.”

Both Kremer and Hughes have followed their passion for sports to reach many of their dreams. Kremer, born with Down syndrome, has been a Reds batboy on numerous occasions and worked in fan accommodations for the club. Hughes, born without eyes or the ability to fully straighten his arms and legs, played trumpet in the University of Louisville marching band for five seasons while his father pushed him through formations in his wheelchair.

“Even if you can’t physically see what’s going on in the game,” said Hughes, “you hear the crowd reaction and know that something truly exciting is going on.”

Both men are published authors. Kremer recently released Stealing First. Hughes’s inspirational memoir, I Am Potential, has already been adapted into film. These are the kind of movies on display at ReelAbilities.

“ReelAbilities sounds like truly an amazing event to get the word out about people with different abilities with films they’ve made or directed, or films about them,” said Hughes. “It helps teach people that truly it doesn’t matter who we are or where we come from, if we have a passion to achieve a goal in life, and we set our mind to achieving that goal, then we can do it.”

Throughout the game, the Reds and their fans will help celebrate individuals of varying abilities, but special talents, like Hughes and Kremer. The first #BaseballforAll event will bring together groups from LADD and several other nonprofits who are instrumental in organizing the ReelAbilities Film Festival. The afternoon with the Reds will be one more way to show Cincinnati that no matter how different our lives and obstacles, we can all find common ground through passions like baseball.

“It is more than acceptance of our differences, it is about living and working together,” said Vincent. “Providing jobs, mentoring and supporting the diversely abled community in reaching their capabilities and dreams. I know we can make it happen here.”

ESPN.COM Reds-Angels preview 2:40 AM ET STATS LLC

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Two years ago, Brandon Finnegan introduced himself to major-league baseball as a reliever during the ' run to the . On Wednesday, Finnegan will seek to build on his recent success as a starter when his Cincinnati Reds face the at Angel Stadium.

Opposing him will be right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who has yet to win a game since the sent him to the Angels at the trading deadline.

Finnegan enters the game following two stellar performances. Against the on Aug. 20, the left-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before finishing with eight strikeouts while permitting just two walks and one hit in an 11-1 rout.

Reds manager Bryan Price told MLB.com that Finnegan was "as sharp as I've seen him this year."

Then on Friday night against the , Finnegan amassed a career-high 12 strikeouts in six innings while conceding just two runs, two walks and three hits for his fifth quality start in six appearances. In three of those starts, the left-hander pitched shutout baseball.

Friday night's performance provided a distinct contrast from Finnegan's last start against Arizona on July 24, when he allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings of a 9-8 loss.

"Last time I faced these guys, I didn't have a change-up," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "They were definitely gearing for a fastball matchup. That's why they were missing the change-up so much."

But since that loss, Finnegan won three of four decisions.

Finnegan made seven relief appearances in the playoffs for Kansas City after being recalled from Double-A Northwest Arkansas in September 2014. He became first player in major-league history to pitch in a World Series and a College World Series in the same year, when he played for TCU. The Reds acquired Finnegan in a four-player trade for right-hander five days before last year's trading deadline.

"This kid has got all the guts in the world, and he throws strikes," Art Stewart, the Royals' long-time scouting director, told the New York Times in 2014.

Nolasco, on the other hand, lost his last four starts, five successive decisions overall and eight of his past nine since June 13. The right-hander has not earned a victory since July 9. Three weeks later, the Angels acquired him from the Twins in a four-player trade for left-hander Hector Santiago.

Yet in his past two starts, Nolasco showed signs of ending his funk. On Aug. 20, the right-hander did not issue a walk and retired 12 consecutive between the second and sixth innings of a 5-1 loss.

Then on Friday night, Nolasco pitched five shutout innings before the scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally for a 4-2 win. J.D. Martinez had a run-scoring double and hit a two-run home run.

"I was able to make pitches and get out of those few innings before," Nolasco told the Orange County Register. "But it the sixth it was two hanging sliders that were the difference in the game. It came down to two pitches, and they didn't miss them."

ASSOCIATED PRESS Cincinnati Reds reportedly sign another Cuban pitcher Posted: 4:04 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016 By Marcus Hartman

The Cuba-to-Cincinnati pitching pipeline has another player according to multiple reports.

El Nuevo Herald and MLB.com reported the Reds have agreed to terms with Cuban right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez for $4.75 million.

MLB.com ranks Gutierrez No. 4 among international prospects, and reports he is a 6-3, “lanky, long-armed pitcher who has been one of the top prospects on the international market for a while.”

He has a premium curveball and a fastball that averages in the low 90s but has topped out at 97 MPH.

Dayton fans might get to see him next season as BA rates him as a Single-A player based on his present ability.

Recent Reds signings from Cuba include left-handed flamethrower Aroldis Chapman and right-hander Raisel Iglesias. They also brought on Alfredo Rodriguez, a shortstop, earlier this year.

Cron's 2 homers lead Angels over Reds 4-2 Posted: 2:17 AM ET By: The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- C.J. Cron isn't missing many pitches anymore.

Cron hit two home runs to help the Los Angeles Angels beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Mike Trout went 3 for 4 with two doubles and he scored on Cron's home run in the first inning and on Andrelton Simmons' bloop single in the eighth.

Cron homered in the third inning to give the Angels a 3-0 lead. It was his fourth multi-home run game this season and brought his total to 14.

"He's found his timing," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He had figured some things out before he was hit in the hand and he's carried the form. He's swinging really well."

Cron was hit in the hand by a fastball in Baltimore and underwent surgery on July 12. After missing 35 games, the Angels first baseman picked things up right where he left off.

"I try to remember what exactly I'm doing so I can just get it in my mind and try to stay with it if something like that happens," Cron said. "I'm just swinging at good pitches and when I get the good ones I'm not missing them like I sometimes did earlier in the year. That's a big plus."

Jered Weaver (10-11) limited the Reds to two earned runs and eight hits, walked none and struck out five.

"I think he pitched with his fastball -- much like he did in Toronto -- with good command," Scioscia said. "Weave can get that fastball going on both sides of the plate. He spins the ball so well and changes speeds so well and then everything opens up for him."

Nearing his 34th birthday, Weaver's fastball doesn't have the velocity it used to. But Weaver was pleased with his command and the location of his off-speed pitches.

"I threw an 87 up there in the seventh," Weaver said. "So watch out."

Weaver pitched into the seventh inning for the first time since July 17, but ran into trouble after getting the first out. Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer to make it 3-2 and Jose Peraza hit a line drive single to right field. Mike Morin relieved and retired the next two batters to strand Peraza.

The Reds had runners in in the eighth and ninth innings but J.C. Ramirez got Scott Schebler to strike out on a in the eighth and Fernando Salas got Zack Cozart to pop out to first base for his sixth save.

"We got ourselves in a situation to have the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth inning off their closer," manager Bryan Price said. "Considering we were down 3-0, that wasn't the worst thing in the world we could do. We got ourselves in a situation to steal one and we just couldn't get it done."

Cincinnati left nine runners on base.

Tim Adleman (2-2), who allowed both home runs to Cron, lost his first major league decision since May 6, giving up three earned runs in six innings with four strikeouts and a walk.

"I thought he did a terrific job," Price said. "He went after (Cron) in that last at-bat. He wasn't going to give in to him and give him anything he could hit. He made good pitches, got him to expand the zone and got that little chopper back to the mound that last time."

Adleman was relieved by Anaheim native Michael Lorenzen, who went to nearby Fullerton Union High School and played college ball at Cal State Fullerton.

Lorenzen put two on in the eighth before Simmons dropped a single into shallow right field to score Trout from third. It was the only run Lorenzen allowed in two innings in his first appearance at his hometown ballpark.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: Pereza was in the starting lineup one night after leaving the game with a facial contusion. Peraza was cleared of a concussion following Monday night's game after an errant pickoff throw by Matt Shoemaker missed Cron's glove at first base and struck Peraza in his face.

Angels: 3B Yunel Escobar worked out with the team Tuesday and barring any setbacks, is on track to be activated Friday in Seattle. Escobar was placed on the 7-day concussion list on Aug. 20.

UP NEXT

Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan will close out Cincinnati's final interleague series of the season. Finnegan is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in the months of August and has won five of his last eight starts.

Angels: RHP Ricky Nolasco is still looking for his first win with the Angels since being traded from Minnesota on Aug. 1. Nolasco is 3-2 with a 5.49 ERA in 11 starts against Cincinnati.

TRANSACTIONS 08/30/16

Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Pedro Baez to Tulsa Drillers. Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Casey Fien from . optioned Jameson Taillon to Bristol Pirates. Pittsburgh Pirates designated LHP Kyle Lobstein for assignment. Pittsburgh Pirates recalled from Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of LHP Kelvin Marte from Indianapolis Indians. Arizona Diamondbacks signed free agent RHP Terry Doyle to a minor league contract. Pittsburgh Pirates traded OF and LHP to New York Yankees. sent RHP Jesse Hahn on a rehab assignment to Nashville Sounds. Oakland Athletics sent RHP Henderson Alvarez on a rehab assignment to Stockton Ports. sent Julio Borbon outright to Bowie Baysox. Baltimore Orioles sent Logan Ondrusek outright to Bowie Baysox. San Diego Padres sent 2B Alexi Amarista on a rehab assignment to Lake Elsinore Storm. San Diego Padres sent 2B Jemile Weeks on a rehab assignment to Lake Elsinore Storm. sent RHP Chris Withrow on a rehab assignment to Gwinnett Braves. sent Will Middlebrooks outright to Colorado Springs Sky Sox. recalled Logan Verrett from Las Vegas 51s. sent Jarrett Grube outright to Tacoma Rainiers. New York Mets optioned RHP Rafael Montero to Binghamton Mets. optioned RHP Brad Peacock to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros activated LF Colby Rasmus from the 15-day disabled list. Atlanta Braves optioned RHP Brandon Cunniff to Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves recalled Shae Simmons from Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves recalled John Gant from Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves placed RHP Arodys Vizcaino on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 29, 2016. Right shoulder inflammation. Detroit Tigers optioned 3B Casey McGehee to . Detroit Tigers optioned LHP Matt Boyd to Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers selected the contract of 3B JaCoby Jones from Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers recalled Blaine Hardy from Toledo Mud Hens. New York Yankees recalled Chasen Shreve from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees optioned Kirby Yates to Pulaski Yankees. St. Louis Cardinals sent C Brayan Pena on a rehab assignment to Palm Beach Cardinals. Los Angeles Angels traded LF Daniel Nava to Kansas City Royals for Player To Be Named Later. Los Angeles Dodgers sent RHP Josh Ravin on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Pittsburgh Pirates optioned Steven Brault to Bristol Pirates.