CCIINNCCIINNNNAATTII RREEDDSS PPRREESSSS CCLLIIPPPPIINNGGSS AUGUST 12, 2014

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY: AUGUST 12, 1985 – REDS ZACK COZART WAS BORN IN MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

BAR 8.12.14: 1994 the of MLB seasons C. Trent Rosecrans

Twenty years ago today, there was no .

Today's the anniversary of the first day of the 1994 MLB players' strike. On Aug. 12, 1994, the Reds were a half-game ahead of the Astros in the NL Central, while the Dodgers were in first place in the NL West and the Expos were six games up on the Braves in the East. The Braves led the -- the first wild card -- 2.5 games ahead of the Astros.

There's so many what-ifs from that season, that it's kind of like the Bo Jackson of baseball seasons (I've always been more interested in what Bo Jackson could have done than what he did, as incredible as that was).

First off, the Expos were the team -- they were 74-40 when the season was over. I was starting my freshman year at the University of that summer and we went to Braves-Expos game that July. My friends had a hotel room and we were at the Marriott Marquee, as we were going to see them, I saw the Expos bus come in and those guys walk through the lobby -- , Moises Alou, Cliff Floud, Darrin Fletcher, , , Pedro Martinez, Rondell White, -- and more. They were the biggest, baddest team on the planet.

I was sure they were going to win the . I'm still not convinced they wouldn't. And had they won, is it possible there would still be a team in Montreal in a downtown stadium? I don't know, but I've got to say, as much as I like Washington, D.C., it's no Montreal.

But it's not just the Expos -- or even the Royals (they were 4 games out, but had just had a 14-game winning streak and finished with the winner in and Rookie of the Year in Bob Hamelin), but there's so many other questions.

It seemed like 1994 would be the year Roger Marris' record would fall -- on the day of the strike six players had more than 35 home runs and two had 40 or more. Matt Williams led baseball with 43, followed by Ken Griffey Jr. (40), (39), Frank Thomas (38), (37) and Albert Belle (36).

And then there was , who was hitting .394 at the time of the strike, making a at .400.

Greg Maddux was having his best season, 16-6 with a 1.56 ERA through 25 starts, with 10 complete games and three (and a 0.896 WHIP).

MINOR LEAUGE ROUNDUP

Triple-A: Louisville 8, Scranton/WB 4: In his first game back in -A, Donald Lutz led off the Bat's 4-run eighth with a solo homer. He finished 3 for 5 with a in addition to his homer. Neftali Soto had two doubles and an RBI, while 3B Juan Silverio was 2 for 3 with 2 driven in. [Box]

LINKS AND SUCH

• The Royals, who took over first place in the AL Central last night, traded for Josh Willingham.

And as the Kansas City Star's Sam Mellinger writes:

For starters, it's a flashing neon sign of a reminder about how quickly things can change in baseball. When David Glass wouldn't budge from a franchise record $92 million payroll at the July 31 trade deadline, the Royals were five games out of the second wild card and four games out of first place in the Central. There was a feeling among some that if the Royals were going to make a trade, they should sell, not buy.

• knows the Royals are now in first place:

Pete Rose to Florence Freedom Provided by the Florence Freedom

Pete Rose will coach first base for the Florence Freedom on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The Freedom will also retire Rose's No. 14 during the game that evening.

First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. against the River City Rascals with gates opening at 5:35.

Rose will throw out the and the Freedom will retire his jersey in a special on-field ceremony during the seventh stretch. The Freedom will become the first team to officially retire Rose's jersey.

Rose will wear his legendary number-14 jersey throughout the night while serving as the Freedom's first base coach.

By John Kiesewetter | [email protected]

We dove head-first into our Pete Rose archives dating back to his debut on in 1963. Here's a look back at his life on and off the field, his awards and accomplishments, his denials and confessions, and his TV series and commercials.

Fans can get involved in this exciting night in a variety of ways.

In honor of Pete's number 14, reserved tickets that evening will be $14. Dugout tickets are $16 and VIP tickets, which include in- seat waitress service, are $18 for the evening. All tickets and ticket packages can be purchased by calling the Freedom Box Office at 859-594-4487 or online at florencefreedom.com.

Rose will also meet for 60 minutes with 100 fans who purchase a meet and greet. The $114 package includes hearing Rose address the group for 10 minutes, personally meeting the king, taking a picture with Rose and getting one Freedom memorabilia item autographed. Only Freedom memorabilia is allowed to be autographed that night. The meet and greet also includes a reserved ticket to the game and will take place at the ballpark from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Fans also have the opportunity to purchase a pre-autographed Freedom item by Mr. Rose for $55. This includes a reserved ticket to the game.

No ticket vouchers, exchanges, rain out tickets or Kids Club passes will be accepted for this special event.

Rose, 73, finished his Career with 4,256 hits, the most in MLB history. A three-time batting champion, Rose won three World Series titles and was a 17-time All-Star. He played locally for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963-1978 and again from 1984-1986. Rose also managed the Reds from 1984-1989. The 1963 Rookie of the Year and the 1973 NL MVP is a member of Major League Baseball's All-Century Team.

TML 8/11: The Reds are still relevant Paul Daugherty

An eventful weekend ends on a high note for The Club, the Next Tiger Woods shows the First Tiger Woods why his reign is over and the Reds Hall of Fame is spectacular in every way.

The End. Can I roll over now?

Johnny Beisbol is just so damned consistently good. How good? If he's not the best Reds starting in my 26 years here, he's in the small group photo.

My first year here, 1988, won 23 games. He was dominant and only lost the Cy because went something like 56 without allowing a run. Jackson threw 15 CGs, had six shutouts and pitched 260 innings. The next year, he went 6-11.

Jose Rijo was consistently good, until he blew out his elbow. He won 48 games in four years, '90-'93. won 18 in '95. E.Volquez won 17 one year. None has put together the sort of three-year run Cueto's having now.

When D. Mesoraco's slam made it 7-2 Sunday, I'd have bet everything you own on a Reds win. Giving Cueto a 5-run lead is like giving Usain Bolt a 10-meter head start in the 100 meters.

He's 38-17 in the last three years, including 5-2 last year, when he made just 11 starts. This summer, Cueto has an identical record to A. Wainwright (14-6) and a lower ERA (2.28 to 2.05). He won't win the Cy because Kershaw (14-2) is ridiculous.

But in a season where almost nothing can be depended on, Cueto is Gibraltar. Yesterday was fairly typical, even if he did give up two solo homers in the humid air that causes balls to sprint from Great American Small Park. In, out, up, down. Fastballs that flame, sink and cut. Always around the plate. Hitters frozen, flailing and bailing.

(It should be noted Cueto did it without his personal , Brayan Pena, who was rested. All Mesoraco did was hit 2 homers and drive in six. Hmmm.)

Other than Kershaw, is there a guy you'd rather have start a wild card playoff game?

Naturally, I wrote about Cueto's hair for today's TM.

As much as we've bitched all summer, The Club is still relevant, against some odds. If Bruce continues to awaken, one big bat would still do the trick. DDBP will return on schedule. Predicting when Votto graces the club with his presence is like naming every star in the sky. He will be back when he's good and ready. And not before.

Regardless, there is still time to make an impactful deal.

Now, then. . .

HOF STUFF. . . I was down at GASP Saturday, to do something on Junior for Sunday's TM. I might have gone, regardless. The Reds simply do the nostalgia thing with absolute competence, reverence and flair.

The alumni turnout was remarkable. It's spearheaded by the Machinists, whose presence lends cred and, well, presence. It's hard to say no when seven members of the Great Eight are saying yes.

I don't know what, exactly, engenders such loyalty. "They ask us,'' J. Bench said simply. Current ownership has done a terrific job at making the old guys feel wanted. They repay in kind.

It's also that we are a baseball place. We take it personally. It matters beyond a night out. The alumni not only feel welcome, but needed.

Anyway, all three pregame speeches – Oester, Parker, Junior – were moving. Oester's gee-whizness was touching. Parker's words gave me chills. Junior, always great at showing zero emotion, cried a little.

Greatness all around. It was an honor to be there. Well done, Club.

Reds minor leaguer proposes to girlfriend on the field C. Trent Rosecrans

Reds Double-A catcher Rossmel Perez made a successful pitch before Friday's Pensacola Blue Wahoos game -- as the 24-year-old catcher proposed to his girlfriend Smirna Flores.

Hook, Line and Sinker, the official Blue Wahoos blog from Kourage Kundahl had the story and provided the picture you see.

Perez, a Venezuela native, caught the first pitch from his girlfriend, Flores. Although Flores didn't know it, Perez was holding another ball -- one that had been hollowed out and held an engagement ring.

After Flores threw the pitch, Perez caught the ball and then went down on one knee to ask Flores to marry him. She accepted.

Perez went 0 for 4 that night at the plate, breaking a six-game . But the first-year member of the Reds organization hasn't had too many of those nights. In 72 games for the Blue Wahoos, he's hitting .333/.391/.460, the best year of his minor-league career. A left-handed hitter, he has four home runs and has knocked in 48 runs. He's also walked more times (23) than he's struck out (21).

For his career, Perez is a career .272/.354/.334 hitter, spending the first eight years of his pro career in the Diamondbacks organization.

Reds getting to must-win portion of schedule John Fay

After Sunday's 7-2 victory over the , Reds admitted that his club is getting to the must-win portion of the schedule.

"I really felt like it was a game we had to have," Price said. "To get the good feeling back going into the off day, and get ready for Boston Tuesday."

The Red Sox are in Cincinnati for a two-day series beginning Tuesday,

The Reds don't need to win every game going forward. But they can't get swept at home, which was why Sunday's game was semi- must win.

Only 44 games are left. The Reds went into Monday's off day looking up from fourth place in the -- five games behind the and 2 1/2 games out of NL Wild Card.

Price said the off day came at good time.

"We just played 17 straight," Price said. "We're going to play 14 more after Monday's off day. I think it comes at a good time. There were times earlier in the year when we had three days off in eight. We don't need three days off in eight, but we can use them here in August. It's getting hot. We've played a lot of games.

"We'll take them. We can use the break. We'll come out reinvigorated after this victory."

Catcher agreed. The Reds haven't had a day during a homestand since May 12.

"It's definitely nice," Mesoraco said. "A lot of our off days we're traveling. Guys will get a chance to spend some time with their families and relax."

The Reds played the Red Sox back in early May in Boston. The Sox won both games 4-3. The Red Sox are a very different team.

The Red Sox made some big changes around and at the trade deadline. They traded starters , and . , shortstop and reliever were traded as well.

"It's a very talented team still," Price said. "They've had some rough spots for sure. But that's a formidable lineup. I think they made some improvements, too. (Joe) Kelly has tremendous arm coming over from St. Louis. They've got some outstanding players who are coming off a World Series year. No matter what type of year they're having, they've got the talent to beat anybody."

MLB.COM

Cueto garners NL Player of Week honors By Joey Nowak / MLB.com

After two dominant outings last week, Reds has been named the National League Player of the Week.

Cueto is the second Reds player to receive the honor this season, joining on July 13. It's the first time Cueto has won the award.

The right-hander beat the Indians on Tuesday and the Marlins on Sunday, surrendering four earned runs on 10 hits and four walks over 17 combined innings. Cueto struck out 15 in the two outings. He led the Majors in and ranked second in the league in over the week.

Tuesday was the righty's fourth of the season and his 13th victory of the year. Cueto needed 117 pitches (83 strikes) to improve to 4-0 (with two complete games) against the Reds' intrastate rivals. He's now 12-5 with a 2.51 ERA against the American League in his career.

On Sunday -- making his 25th start of the season -- Cueto improved to 4-0 with a 1.45 ERA over his last four starts since June 26. He has 11 quality starts in his last 12 outings, and he leads the Majors in wins (14) and ranks second with 179 2/3 innings pitched.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS

Avoiding injury with the Hall of Famers By Hal McCoy

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, wearing ear muffs to cut out the pounding sounds from the guy putting new siding on the house. And my pups, Cooper and Paige are not thrilled about it, either.

IT WAS A fabulous weekend in Great American Ball Park, despite two losses by the Cincinnti Reds to the Miami Giancarlo Stantons.

It always is on Hall of Fame weekend when the loving Famers return. The great things is that I covered all of them during my 42 years covering the Reds.

It was not hurt when bear hugged me and nearly cracked three ribs. I was not hurt when nearly disclocated three of my fingers with his handshake. I was not hurt when Ken Griffey Jr. sneaked up from behind and nearly squeezed out all my breath while administering the Heimlich Maneuver.

But I was hurt when Jim O’Toole, who pitched in the 1960s, walked up to me and said, “What do you say, Old-Timer?” Now that hurt.

IT WAS THE early 1970s, my early years covering the Reds, when my mentor, Earl Lawson of The Cincinnati Post & Times-Star, suggested after a day game in Los Angeles that we go to The Comedy Store.

I was thrilled. I had never been to a live comedy show. The comedians were OK, not great. But near the end of the evening, the host jumped on stage and said, “We have a special treat tonight. We have an up and coming star who pops in once in a while and he is here tonight and wants to do a bit.”

That’s when Robin Williams, somebody I and most people, had never seen nor heard. As always, he did his act off-the-cuff and was hilarious. He even made me part of the act and kept referring to me as, “Big Hal.”

His death today was a shocker. He was a comedic genius and his style will never be duplicated.

REDS PITCHER Johnny Cueto, a true stopper, was named National League Player of the Week. He went 2-and-0 and pitched 17 of a possible 18 innings. He is 4-0 in his last four starts with a 1.35 average. When the Reds lost their first two over the weekend to Miami you jut knew Cueto would put an end to the losing.

JUST FINISHED Roger Kahn’s excellent baseball book, ‘Memories of Summer: When Baseball Was An Art.’ I stumbled across something incredible. In 1941, when Joe DiMaggio put together his 56-game hitting streak, he came to the plate 620 times and struc out 13 times. Thirteen! For players these days 13 strikeouts is about a week’s worth.

It was also 1941 when hit .406. He had 606 plate appearances and struck out 27 times. Twenty-seven!!!

ONCE UPON A TIME Reds Hall of Fame pitcher threw hard and as Pete Rose always said, “He could throw a pitch through a car wash and not get it wet.” Nolan hurt his arm and re-invented himself as a breaking ball pitcher with a devastating change-up.

In 1972 Nolan had 13 wins before the All-Star game and was picked to pitch, but neck and shoulder injuries forced him to withdraw and he finished the year 15-5 with a 1.99 ERA.

Nolan and fellow Reds Hall of Fame pitcher were inseparable. In 1980, the Nolan and Gullett families were vacationing in Las Vegas, staying at the MGM Grand. A fire broke out in a restaurant, The Deli, and smoke enveloped the hotel. Nolan, Gullett and their families escaped down a stairwell but 85 people died, mostly from smoke inhalation.

When Aroldis Chapman was mentioned to Nolan this weekend, he smiled and said, “That guy can throw a fastball through a redwood

ESPN.COM

'94 strike: From 1st place to headed home By | ESPN.com

Oh, what could have been.

We, the Cincinnati Reds, had worked to get to the top of our division and become one of the better teams in baseball. Over the course of a short, 20-month span, we had rebuilt and reshaped the team to make a playoff run. We were finally there. We felt we even had a shot at a World Series title.

Had a shot, that is, until Aug. 11, 1994, when at 9:45 p.m. PT, Mariners pitcher struck out Oakland's Ernie Young, and the baseball players went on strike in what turned out to be the longest work stoppage in the history of major North American professional sports leagues, a devastating seven-and-a-half-month absence.

The 1994 season was taken from us, and I wonder to this day how far that team could have gone.

1993 struggles

For me, the general manager of the Reds, it was especially tough to take, given the years that led up to it. I was hired by to become the GM of the Reds on Oct. 16, 1992. At the time, I was the youngest GM in the history of baseball, at age 31, and I came out swinging by hiring Tony Perez as manager, trading for Kevin Mitchell and , and signing free-agent to a four-year contract. I was feeling pretty good about the progress we had made, and even referred to me with the headline "Boy Wonder."

The next several months were a different story, and after them, the more appropriate headline would have been "Boy Blunder." Let's just say everything quickly turned into a nightmare. First, Schott was suspended for a year by Major League Baseball for insensitive remarks she made, and she wouldn't let anyone outside the Reds come in and take her position in the interim. So she added "interim president" to my title. Instead of being a rookie GM in charge of baseball operations, I found myself in charge of accounting, marketing, media relations and every other department of the Reds. I really wasn't even ready to be a major league GM, so how in the world was I going to run an entire operation?

Still, was going smoothly until our , , separated his shoulder in a brawl with Indians reliever Jose Mesa in Winter Haven, . Morris would miss much of the first half of the season, and that would be just an augury of things to come.

Combining a rookie President/GM and first-time (on-field) manager was not a good formula for a major league franchise, and I felt I had to do something dramatic to turn things around. Unfairly, I fired Perez on May 24, just 44 games into the 1993 season, and hired , who had won 90 games five different times for the Mets and won the . He had not managed for three years, but at age 50, he had the proven track record, experience and calm leadership skills to weather what I felt was a hurricane and tornado rolled into one.

Our 1993 team would finish the season with a 73-89 record, a full 31 games behind the NL West division-winning Braves.

I had a meeting with Schott right after the final regular season game, and she told me that even though everyone in the city wanted her to fire me, she was going to keep me on for one more year. But she was rather succinct in adding that we had to finish first, or I'd be replaced. GMs normally get five to seven years to rebuild a franchise and prove themselves; I got just two years, and I had only 12 months left. Fortunately, she returned from her suspension, and my focus returned to baseball.

The rebuild

We put in a strong coaching staff for Johnson, including , -- both of whom would later become managers -- and Don Gullett. Then we went to work on rebuilding the , infield defense and bench, while adding a proven starting pitcher.

We started by acquiring and starting pitcher from the Mariners. That brought us a starter and improved the infield. To cap off the infield defensive improvement, we eventually signed shortstop Tony Fernandez during spring training, and he begrudgingly moved to third base. Our infield defense was now the best in baseball, with Fernandez joining future Hall of Famer on the left side of the infield and Boone joining Morris on the right side. The infield range was spectacular, which automatically made our pitching way better.

To improve the bullpen, in January we signed , a free agent setup reliever for the Giants who was a strike-thrower and wasn't afraid of any hitter. He didn't have typical stuff, but he had a closer's mentality and toughness. From the Cubs we also acquired Chuck McElroy, a left-handed reliever who, like Brantley, would finish the year with us with an ERA in the 2s. We surprised many during spring training when we promoted prospect Hector Carrasco all the way from the Midwest League, where he had struggled mightily a year earlier. He became a steady reliever for us, and just like that, the bullpen was fixed.

To improve the bench, we brought in Lenny Harris, Thomas Howard, Jacob Brumfield, Jerome Walton and Brian Hunter. They provided a perfect blend of versatility, speed, defense and power.

After the season began, we felt our lineup was a bit too right-handed, so we made the in-season trade of Roberto Kelly to the Braves for , which gave us two great in the , Reggie and Deion Sanders, along with our best offensive player in Kevin Mitchell.

As an aside, acquiring Deion was the quickest trade I'd ever make in my career. In one phone call to Braves GM John Schuerholz, I made the proposal, and hours later he accepted. Imagine trying to explain to Schott that I had just traded for "Prime Time Dollar Sign Deion Sanders," with the flashy image and two-sport issues that came with him. But in time, Deion would actually become one of her favorites.

So 1993 was a nightmare, but things were quickly falling into place in 1994. Our plans for turning the team around were working, and we headed into August in a neck-and-neck race with the Astros in the newly formed NL Central division. Our team was leading the league in on-base percentage, batting average, and, most importantly, runs scored. We were third in home runs and stolen bases. On the pitching side, we were third in ERA and WHIP and fourth in strikeouts. Our defense made the fewest errors in the league, and our defensive range was special. We had a well-rounded team with every element, and our run differential was plus-119.

The bottom line is we had a team good enough to get to the World Series. The had the best record in baseball (74- 40) at the time of the strike, but as we all know, the team with the best overall record in the regular season often does not win the World Series. We had a shot.

And then the strike

The MLB trade deadline was different that year because teams were expecting the strike, and clubs like ours weren't willing to trade prospects for veterans that would normally help down the stretch. I told our manager, Davey Johnson, to manage each game in August like a postseason game, because even if there were a strike, there was always the possibility it could end in time for the postseason. Therefore, we needed to make sure we were in first place at the time of a strike. We accomplished that by a mere half- game over the Astros.

But it was all for naught. On Sept. 14, 1994, commissioner Bud Selig announced the strike had made an irreparable hole in the game's fabric, and he was canceling the postseason. No playoffs. No World Series. That effectively ended our World Series dreams.

I felt so bad, first and foremost, for all our players, field staff, scouts and employees. They worked so hard to put us in position to reach the postseason, and it was taken from them. There was also the realization we might not get that opportunity again, especially because we had changes to make for the next season. We wouldn't be able to afford to bring back for 1995 all the same players, including our best hitter in Kevin Mitchell and dynamic Tony Fernandez. You just never know when you're going to get another chance.

Fortunately, we did. We were able to replace Mitchell with , we traded for starter , and we signed catcher and reliever Mike Jackson. We marched right to the postseason in 1995 and swept the in the NLDS before losing to the Braves in the NLCS.

We had a legit World Series shot, but it sure would have been nice to get two shots instead of one. Just how precious are those shots at a World Series?

Consider this: That 1995 team was the last Reds team to make it to a National League Championship Series.

FOXSPORTSOHIO.COM

Cueto named National League Player of the Week FOX Sports Ohio Staff FOX Sports Ohio

Cincinnati starter Johnny Cueto was named the National League's Player of the Week on Monday, announced the Reds.

Cueto and the Reds beat the Indians on Tuesday in Cleveland 9-2. Cueto pitched a complete game giving up just five hits and a pair of runs while striking out six.

He followed that effort with a strong outing against Miami on Sunday, going eight innings and striking out nine Marlins.

His totals for the week- 17.0 innings pitched, 10 hits, 4 earned runs, 15 strikeouts and 4 walks.

The award is the first in Cueto's career. Aroldis Chapman also won the honor back in July for the Reds.

Reds minor leaguer uses ceremonial first pitch to pop the question Rick Grayshock FOX Sports Ohio

Now when Smirna Flores talks engagement stories with her friends, there's a good chance she wins.

Flores said yes to Reds minor league catcher Rossmel Perez last Friday night, after the 24-year old AA propsect got down on a knee and proposed.

Perez, a native of Venezuela, caught a ceremonial first pitch from his girlfriend Flores before the Pensacola Blue Wahoos game. He then pulled the old switch-a-roo. He had hollowed out a baseball and put the engagement ring inside. Smirna had no idea what was happening.

After Ross went down on one knee and Smirna said yes, the crowd roared its approval.

It wasn't the first time that his now fiance played a key role in a cermonial first pitch though. At the begining of the season, Smirna helped set up a first pitch for Perez' father Santiago. It was the first time that the elder Perez saw his son play in a pro baseball game. He made the journey from Venezuela for the occassion and stayed hidden until the time to throw out the pitch.

Perez has had a big season for Pensacola. His six game hitting streak came to an end on Friday night, but chances are he won't have a bad taste in his mouth from that 0-4. He is hitting .333 in 72 games for the Blue Wahoos with 47 runs batted in.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Reds face former Cardinal AP

Though he worked at least seven innings only twice in 38 career starts over parts of three seasons with St. Louis, needed one outing with the to make it three such games.

The right-hander will try to build on his impressive debut while leading the visiting Red Sox to consecutive wins for the first time in three weeks Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Kelly (0-0, 1.29 ERA) averaged five innings in his seven starts for the Cardinals before being shipped with to Boston (52-65) on July 31 for John Lackey.

It was a different story in an emotional Red Sox debut for Kelly on Wednesday. Making his return to Busch Stadium, he allowed one run and three hits over seven innings of a 2-1 win.

Kelly didn't get the decision as the Red Sox pushed across the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth.

"The only thing I want to do is just win," he told MLB's official website. "That's what I do every game."

Kelly will try to lead Boston to its first back-to-back victories since a five-game winning streak July 13-21 as the club opens a two- game series at Great American Ball Park.

In his only start against the Reds, Kelly gave up one run over six innings of St. Louis' 6-1 home victory Aug. 27.

Cincinnati slugger , 3 for 5 against Kelly, hasn't homered in his last 20 games.

Devin Mesoraco tied Frazier for the team lead with 20 home runs - the most in baseball among - by hitting a and a two-run shot Sunday as the Reds avoided getting swept with a 7-2 home win over Miami.

Cincinnati (60-58) looks to bounce back with its eighth win in 12 games as it turns to (4-3, 3.12).

The right-hander seeks his third consecutive victory after allowing three runs over 7 2-3 innings of an 8-3 home win over Cleveland on Wednesday. He tossed seven scoreless innings before allowing three runs in the eighth.

Latos, who missed the first 2 1/2 months of the season due to elbow, knee and calf injuries, showed better command with two walks after he had issued eight over his previous two outings.

"A lot of what helped was a lot of strike ones for me," he said. "(I tried to) pound the zone down and keep it down, and getting strike one and going from there."

Latos hasn't been as sharp at home with a 4.45 ERA in five starts compared to a 1.85 mark in five on the road.

He gave up four runs and 10 hits over 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 win for San Diego at on June 21, 2011, in his only career start against the Red Sox. Latos didn't get the decision.

Boston's is 1 for 1 with three walks against Latos. The four-time All-Star is batting .367 over his last 11 games after going 2 for 4 in Sunday's 3-1 road win over the .

Recent addition Yoenis Cespedes has recorded at least a hit in all six games on the current eight-game trip after hitting his 18th homer Sunday.

The Red Sox have won seven of eight meetings with the Reds, sweeping a two-game set at Fenway in May.

TRANSACTIONS

08/11/14 traded LF Josh Willingham to for RHP Jason Adam. Boston Red Sox optioned Edwin Escobar to . optioned Pat McCoy to . Detroit Tigers optioned Blaine Hardy to Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers selected the contract of RHP from Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers placed RHP Joakim Soria on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 10, 2014. Left oblique strain Detroit Tigers released LHP . Kansas City Royals released RHP Wilking Rodriguez. placed RHP Jacob deGrom on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 8, 2014. Right rotator cuff tendinitis. Minnesota Twins activated 1B Joe Mauer from the 15-day disabled list. Pirates recalled Casey Sadler from . Minnesota Twins recalled Tommy Milone from . placed CF Andrew McCutchen on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to August 4, 2014. Avulsion fracture involving the costochondral cartilage of the left 11th rib. optioned Erasmo Ramirez to Tacoma Rainiers. Seattle Mariners recalled James Jones from Tacoma Rainiers. New York Mets sent RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. Los Angeles Dodgers activated RHP Kevin Correia. Los Angeles Dodgers optioned Pedro Baez to Albuquerque Isotopes. optioned RHP Bryan Mitchell to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees selected the contract of RHP Chris Leroux from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. sent RHP Andrew Cashner on a rehab assignment to . San Diego Padres designated RF for assignment. San Diego Padres recalled Rymer Liriano from El Paso Chihuahuas. signed free agent OF Tony Gwynn Jr. to a minor league contract. Detroit Tigers recalled Justin Miller from Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers recalled LHP Ian Krol from Toledo Mud Hens. selected the contract of Brad Mills from . Toronto Blue Jays optioned 2B Ryan Goins to Buffalo Bisons. optioned LHP Eric Surkamp to Charlotte Knights. sent CF on a rehab assignment to .