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Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings April 16, 2015 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1934-The Reds Board of Directors change Redland Field to Crosley Field in honor of Powel Crosley, Jr., the new team owner. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Cubs top Reds in rubber match at Wrigley, 5-0 By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman CHICAGO — It's been relief pitching that's been the problem for the Reds this year. The starting pitchers had a combined 2.84 ERA going into Wednesday's game. They put up quality starts in six of their eight games. They pitched well enough that the Reds had a lead in all seven games. The good streak ended with Jason Marquis' start Wednesday night in a 5-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs before a crowd of 29,250 at Wrigley Field. Marquis allowed five runs (four earned) in four innings. He walked three and struck out six. "(Marquis) was up a little bit," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's got a really good sinker, and he's been throwing kind of a split-finger change-up, which was a very key effective pitch for him. The key was getting ahead in the count and getting the sinker down and have them beat the ball into the ground." Box score: Cubs 5, Reds 0 Former Reds left-hander Travis Wood went seven shutout innings. He allowed three hits, walked two and struck out seven. The Reds only advanced two runners past first base against him. Reds manager Bryan Price discusses his team's 5-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field. "It was a tough combination," Price said. "We were down early and Woody was on. For me, it was as good as I've seen him since 2010, and we've seen him a lot. He's thrown the ball very well at times. That was as good as I've seen him throw since 2010 when he had a real nice season for us in Cincinnati." The Reds were never really in the game after Marquis gave up two runs in the first and two runs in the second. It was an all-around bad night for the Reds. They made two errors — as many as they had made in the previous eight games — and let a pop-up drop. It was 45 degrees at game time. The wind chill was 36. Marquis said that did not affect him. "I've pitched in weather like this before and had good results," he said. The Reds have dropped two straight series since sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the opening series of the year. The Reds are 5-4 on the year. They are off Thursday. They open a three-game series in St. Louis on Friday. "It would have been nice to come out with a series win," Marquis said. "We're still above .500. It's a long road trip. Take it one day at a time and attack each game with the same intensity. It's still early in the year. We're still finding our way, but no excuses. I think we'll be fine. We've got a good enough team to weather the storm and play good baseball." Marquis, the veteran right-hander, struggled early for the second straight start. He gave up a lead-off double to Dexter Fowler in the first. Anthony Rizzo followed with a drive to right for his first home run of the year, and it was 2-0. "He was trying to come in on Rizzo and the ball ran out over the middle," Price said. "He just wasn't as sharp as he was before. He had good action on his ball. He just didn't command it as well." Marquis got out of the first without further damage. But the second was an adventure. Starlin Castro walked to start the inning. Arismendy Alcantara followed with a single. Marquis struck out Wood. Jonathan Herrera got Castro in with a single to right. Alcantara went to third on the play. Marquis struck out Fowler for the second out. It was almost a double play. Herrera was running on the play and he just beat catcher Brayan Pena's throw. The Reds went ahead and walked Rizzo intentionally to load the bases. Marquis got ahead of Jorge Soler 1-2 before hitting him with a pitch to force in a run and make it 4-0. "It's tough when you put your team in a hole like that," Marquis said. "I backed them into too big of a corner this time. I've got to do a better job of coming out and attacking the bottom half of the zone with my sinker. "I want to work deeper in the game, take a load off the bullpen and give my team a better chance." Marquis gave up three runs in the first two innings of his first start. He settled in after that and threw four scoreless innings. This time he only lasted four innings. He gave up an unearned run in the fourth — the result of a Joey Votto error. The Reds did not have a baserunner against Wood until Joey Votto walked with an out in the fourth. An out later, Brandon Phillips singled. Wood retired 10 of 11 before allowing a single to Brayan Pena to start the eighth. After Zack Cozart walked, the Cubs brought in left-hander Phil Coke. He got Kristopher Negron, in the game as part of a double switch, to hit into a double play. Pedro Villarreal pitched through pain during spring By John Fay / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] / @Johnfayman CHICAGO – The Reds made another roster move Wednesday. They called up right-hander Pedro Villarreal and optioned RHP Josh Smith back to Louisville. It may seem like a surprising move in light of Villarreal's spring numbers: He went nine innings and allowed 13 runs on 17 hits. But Villarreal had an excuse. Villarreal slammed the ring finger of his right hand in the bullpen gate at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale during a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies. "I got my finger caught between the door of the bullpen and bullpen pole after warming up the outfielder," he said. "Bad luck, I guess." Villarreal, 27, went out and pitched two innings in the game. "I just did it," he said. "I figured you're trying (to get on) a team – you can't make excuses." "He lost the nail," Price said. "He tried to pitch through that ... You can imagine anyone who's lost a nail, it's constant throbbing pain." Villarreal got some time between spring training and his first outing for Louisville for it to heal. He threw two scoreless innings in that outing – his only one for the Bats this year. Villarreal was 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA in 12 games for the Reds last year. Smith did not pitch in his two games with the Reds. He was called up largely because players on the 40-man roster were ineligible to be called up until Wednesday – unless the Reds put someone on the disabled list. That was behind Villarreal getting the call. "Not only is Pedro a roster player," Price said, "he's a true relief pitcher. With as much as we've used the bullpen early in the season, it made sense to have a true relief pitcher in the 'pen." PHILLIPS OK: Second baseman Brandon Phillips was back in the lineup Wednesday after leaving Tuesday's game after Chicago shortstop Starlin Castro fell on him trying to make a play at third base. Phillips felt lightheaded after the incident, but he passed the concussion test. "He came in feeling really good (Wednesday)," Price said. "I got a great report from (trainer) Paul Lessard. Our plan is go full steam ahead with him in the lineup hitting fourth and hopefully continue to swing the bat like he has so far in this series." Phillips took a three-game hitting streak into Wednesday's game. He went 7-for-13 in those three games. MESORACO UPDATE: Catcher Devin Mesoraco remained in Cincinnati Wednesday, rehabbing his sore left hip. The Reds are still trying to avoid putting him on the DL. Mesoraco will be re-examined on Thursday's off day by medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek. "There will be certain expectations on how he should feel after three or four days of rehab," Price said. "If there's not significant improvement, we'd have to look at different options. It does necessarily mean the DL, but it would mean we don't have him for a little longer." Doc: Aroldis Chapman should get toughest outs for Reds By Paul Daugherty / Cincinnati Enquirer / [email protected] And on the Opening Day and every day thereafter, until the fields are barren and the sun is weak, the Lord sayeth, "Use thy Closer only in the 9th inning.'' The Lord shall bless His children in their time of need, with a pitcher who can throw a baseball 95 miles an hour. But only for one inning. The Lord demand-eth, "One inning, and it shall be done.'' Not two innings. Not one inning, plus one third. Nor the 8th inning. Nor the 7th. Nor with a lead of more than three runs. Nor in any situation deemed Save-able, for Saving is a term popular with the Lord, to say nothing of player-agents. And so it came to pass. The wise men in the baseball dugout obeyed the Lord, fearful that any misuse of the Closer would be met by righteous and furious anger from the Heavenly Father, a huge Baseball Guy and a big fan of his fallen child, Peter Edward.

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