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Home , Blake Wood, Dan Straily, Drew Hayes (baseball), Drew Stubbs, Hal McCoy, Joel De La Cruz

CCiinncciinnnnaattii RReeddss MMeeddiiaa CClliippss MMaayy 2211,, 22001166 Press Clippings May 21, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 2012-, Zack Cozart and Drew Stubbs produce back-to-back-to-back home runs in the fourth , all off the Braves Mike Minor, setting a club record

MLB.COM Straily solid, but bullpen unravels in loss By Cody Pace and Kevin Goheen / MLB.com | 1:53 AM ET + 214 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds' bullpen squandered another early lead, leading to an 8-3 Mariners win at on Friday night. Cincinnati had a 3-0 lead before Seattle scored eight unanswered runs -- seven of them coming against relievers in the final three .

After escaping some trouble and throwing nearly 50 pitches in his first two innings, Reds starter Dan Straily settled down, allowing one run on two hits -- both courtesy of Kyle Seager, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI -- over his final four innings. However, the early trouble left him at 110 pitches after six, meaning he had to hand the game over to the troubled 'pen for the seventh.

Blake Wood took over and faced four batters without recording an out. He loaded the bases after two leadoff singles to Leonys Martin and Norichika Aoki and walked in a run before Tony Cingrani took over. Cingrani hit Robinson Cano with his first pitch and gave up a two-out, two-run go-ahead single to pinch-hitter Dae-Ho Lee, giving the Mariners a four-run rally on just three hits.

"Obviously, today was a nightmare," said Wood, who saw his ERA jump from 3.10 to 4.87. "Ultimately, it's one game. I cost us the game, but I've got to move on. We've all got to move on. It's just the nature of the game. We're going to play a game tomorrow. I just have to try to get back in that frame of mind I was in before tonight."

"It was a little slow-going offensively. We didn't get much going off of Straily early on, but we hung in there," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "A few hits, walks, a hit-by-pitch and a big pinch-hit by Dae-Ho Lee. Awesome."

Seattle was anchored by a from Hisashi Iwakuma, who went six innings and gave up three runs on six hits with six , and then a shutout performance from the bullpen. The Mariners picked up a pair of late insurance runs in the ninth inning on a pair of solo home runs by Nelson Cruz and Lee against Jumbo Diaz.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Buckling down: Iwakuma and the Mariners were trailing 3-0 in the fourth inning with the Reds threatening for more runs, but Iwakuma was able to strand the bases loaded. After retiring to begin the inning, Iwakuma walked Eugenio Suarez and then gave up back-to-back singles to Adam Duvall and Tucker Barnhart. Straily's put runners on second and third base. Iwakuma walked Zack Cozart intentionally to bring up Billy Hamilton. Hamilton lined Iwakuma's 1-2 pitch to center field, but it hung up for Martin to make the catch and end the inning.

"Just keep the ball down, make him put the ball in play, and it worked out well," Iwakuma said of facing Hamilton. "I was fighting my command early on. I was going side to side instead of top to bottom, and that gave me a hard time commanding the ball down in the zone but I was able to make the adjustment towards the end and it paid off."

Straily battles: Continuing the trend from his last start, Straily managed to get himself into trouble and work his way around it. Straily needed 19 pitches to get through the first inning, and then in the second, he issued a leadoff walk to Seager, followed by a single to Adam Lind. He managed to strike out two of the next three batters and force Ketel Marte to ground out and end the inning. Even after settling down, Straily put on the leadoff batter in each of his final three innings.

Take two for the team: Cano had been hit by a pitch just once in his first 34 games of the season. He doubled that Friday night, and both were key in the Mariners' comeback. Straily hit Cano to lead off the sixth inning, and two batters out later, he scored Seattle's first run of the game on a double to the right-field corner by Seager. In the seventh inning, with the bases loaded, nobody out and the Mariners down one, Cano drove in the tying run when Cingrani hit him with the first pitch he threw after relieving Wood. Cano has 10 career grand slams, but the Reds didn't give him a shot at No. 11.

Cozart goes deep: Cozart hit his fifth of the season in the third inning, giving the Reds a 3-0 lead. While the home run marked Cozart's fifth of the season, all five have come in his last 22 games. Cozart is hitting .299 over that span with 12 RBIs.

QUOTABLE "I was waiting for a fastball, and it was a fastball, so I hit it." -- Lee, on his two-run, go-ahead pinch-hit single in the seventh inning "I've got nothing for Tony Cingrani except an appreciation. He came in, threw him a backed up , hit Cano, certainly not what he wanted to do. He comes into not an impossible situation, but a very difficult one and tried to maintain the lead there. I felt like if we could get out of there in a tie game, even with one down, he really would have done it. It would have been a nice job. It ends up he ties the game after the first pitch, but has two big hitters in Cruz and Seager and makes great pitches. And then Lee does a nice job staying on a fastball out over the plate and shooting it to right." -- Reds manager Bryan Price, on his bullpen's struggles

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS In the sixth inning, Hamilton made a spectacular diving catch deep in the gap near the warning track in left-center field. Hamilton ranked third among all coming into Friday's game in Fangraphs' range runs with 4.7, the number of runs above replacement a player is based on the amount of ground covered.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Mariners challenged an out call at the plate against Cano in the seventh inning but the replay officials confirmed the call that there was no violation of the Home Plate Collision Rule. Cano was called out on a caught stealing, 1-3-6-2, on a play that began with Cingrani catching Lee straying too far off first base.

WHAT'S NEXT Mariners: Felix Hernandez goes for his fourth win of the season on Saturday in the 1:10 p.m. PT start. He became the Mariners' franchise leader in wins (146) when he beat Tampa Bay on May 9, surpassing former left-hander Jamie Moyer.

Reds: John Lamb looks to rebound from a rough four-inning, seven-run outing against Cleveland on Monday, as he searches for his first win of the season in the 4:10 ET start Saturday against the Mariners.

Wood comes undone as Reds' 'pen struggles Right-hander allows four to reach base, recording no outs By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 12:48 AM ET + 36 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- As irritated as Reds fans have become about the state of the team's bullpen, it doesn't compare to manager Bryan Price's level of frustration. No matter what combination of relievers Price uses, it backfires, just as it did in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Mariners.

"We had to get nine outs and just found it was very, very challenging to get there," Price said. "Well, it was impossible. We didn't get there today."

Dan Straily threw six innings -- the rotation's first start of that length since May 11 -- of one-run , exiting the game with a 3- 1 lead. But four relievers combined to give up seven earned runs for the bullpen's Major League-leading 14th loss.

"I keep saying it and I get sick of hearing myself talk about these types of games," Price said. "It's the same game. ... I don't want to hear how hard people are working. I want to see some results or I want to see some change, one of the two."

About 24 hours earlier, Price sang the praises of Blake Wood. The reliever, who stood out with a nice month of May to that point, threw 10 pitches in a loss vs. the Indians during a perfect ninth inning.

Taking over for Straily, Wood faced four Mariners and retired none of them while allowing two singles and two walks.

"That's what is completely baffling," Wood said. "I can go from a night like last night where you feel like you're in complete control and dominate those guys to a night like tonight, which was probably the worst outing I've ever had -- at least in the big leagues for sure. It's unbelievably frustrating. I'm sure Bryan is shaking his head kind of like I am, just wondering how it can go from what I featured last night to tonight."

Wood, who came in with a 1.74 ERA in 10 appearances for the month, saw his overall ERA jump from 3.10 to 4.87 in one night.

Tony Cingrani relieved Wood and hit his first batter, Robinson Cano, and forced home the tying run. Two more runs followed through a single by Dae-Ho Lee, before JC Ramirez allowed a run in the eighth inning and the Mariners hit two homers in the ninth off Jumbo Diaz.

"It's too much work to try to find the magic potion to finish a game through nine innings. There's no magic potion," Price said. "We have to pitch better, or we've got to find better."

Despite Straily's effort, Reds relievers are among the most used in baseball with 155 2/3 innings. With 22 appearances each, Wood and Cingrani are tied for second-most games in the Majors. Caleb Cotham is tied for fourth at 20.

Wood pitched on zero days rest for the seventh time and has worked nine times with one game off. On Wednesday, the right-hander threw 37 pitches. Cingrani did not pitch Thursday but threw 33 pitches on Tuesday and 26 on Wednesday.

It's become a vicious cycle, as the Reds' bullpen owns a 6.76 ERA, 36 homers allowed, 91 walks -- all highest in baseball.

"I don't think anybody down there would use it as a reason for why we haven't performed the way we think we're capable of," Wood said. "Whenever you're called upon to pitch, you've got to find a way to get it done. Tonight, I just didn't get the job done."

Straily grinds out six quality innings vs. Mariners Right-hander has allowed one run in last 11 innings By Cody Pace / MLB.com | 1:06 AM ET + 0 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Grind-it-out performances have become commonplace for Dan Straily. In his last start against the Phillies, the right-hander worked through trouble in five scoreless innings, throwing 109 pitches.

In Friday's 8-3 loss to the Mariners, after starting at 49 pitches through his first two innings, Straily had to grind it out again, and he did just that, completing six innings on 109 pitches and allowing just one run. But for Straily, that's still not good enough.

"I have to find a way to get as deep into the game as possible," Straily said. "Six? I always want more. I have to find a way to get my pitch count down earlier in games and find that rhythm earlier to take us deeper into the ball game. Six is better than five, but it's still not seven."

Much of the disappointment stems from the beaten-up bullpen that has thrown 12 innings in its last two games. An early exit would've meant another long night from a bullpen that is desperate for a break.

"I knew the pitch count was climbing and was just trying to do my best to execute pitches and roll the lineup over again," Straily said. "You try to create early contact, but it takes good pitches and not well-hit balls."

Straily credits some of his performance to luck, as well. For example, after allowing a leadoff single to Kyle Seager in the fourth, he was able to get a line drive right at Zack Cozart, which caught Seager just far enough off the base to turn a double play and save some pitches.

"Tonight, I was able to get away with some bad execution and some good luck," Straily said. "It's examples of that, guys are working hard to get better, and it's just a matter of time before everything starts clicking."

Although Straily may not be happy with his performance, his manager Bryan Price had nothing but good things to say. Given his 2.45 ERA over his last five starts, that's no surprise.

"He was wonderful," Price said. "He did a really nice job. He was really good and battled through that sixth inning. I felt he was just maybe starting to lose it. He had to get [Chris] Ianetta out, and he made the good pitches to finish the inning and give us the chance to take that 3-1 lead."

DeSclafani faces live batters, set to start rehab Right-hander's rehab stint about to begin after setback on April 29 By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | May 20th, 2016 + 4 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Having passed all the tests and checked off all the boxes needed, Reds Anthony DeSclafani feels ready for the sequel to his Minor League rehab assignment.

DeSclafani, sidelined all season so far because of a strained left oblique, threw the equivalent of three innings with 45 pitches on a rainy Friday afternoon to Reds hitters Ivan De Jesus Jr., Jordan Pacheco and Ramon Cabrera.

"I feel like I say that every time," DeSclafani said. "I feel that everything went well. I think this should be the last time, knock on wood. Hopefully I will get back here soon."

Out since late March, DeSclafani has not worked in a rehab start since he suffered a setback on April 29 while pitching for Dayton. Going into that day, it was expected to be his second and final outing before being activated.

Where DeSclafani will pitch in the Minors this time has yet to be determined.

"We're currently mapping that out," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We're anticipating that he comes out of this just fine. That would be the first outing of probably three or so to get him stretched out to prepare to join us."

What's difference this time for DeSclafani? He has confidence that he won't have another setback.

"I feel like I'm not really thinking about it as much when I'm throwing, doing bullpens or live BP right here, I'm not focused on the oblique," DeSclafani said. "I'm focused on just mechanics and feeling good mechanically now and making sure all of my pitches are working. That's a positive step.

"I think this is it. I'm not going to worry about the past, or the other times. I just feel like it's not a factor anymore. I can keep progressing now."

Worth noting • Pitcher Michael Lorenzen (right elbow and mononucleosis) was scheduled to throw a 40-pitch bullpen on Friday in Goodyear, Ariz. Lorenzen has already had two previous sessions working from the mound.

• Pitcher Raisel Iglesias (right shoulder) long-tossed from 90 feet on Thursday without issue and played catch again on Friday.

• The long-toss throwing for pitcher (Tommy John surgery rehab) reached 140 feet on Thursday, without complications.

Reds hope Adleman out minimum time on DL Selsky called up to take right-hander's roster spot By Cody Pace / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 + 5 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds have placed rookie Tim Adleman on the 15-day disabled list following a grade-one external strain to his left oblique, suffered in the fourth inning of Thursday's series finale against the Indians.

"Initial optimism is we got everything early and identified the injury and started treatment on it, possibly two weeks," manager Bryan Price said. "From an oblique standpoint, that's a best-case scenario."

To replace him on the roster, Cincinnati called up 26-year-old outfielder Steve Selsky from Triple-A Louisville.

At this point, Price has not revealed who the Reds will use to replace Adleman's next start, which was scheduled to take place Tuesday against the Dodgers.

"[Selsky will] help us as an early game bench bat," Price said. "Then we'll see. We'll see how things shape up with the rotation moving forward."

Selsky made his Reds debut Friday night as a pinch-hitter for starter Dan Straily in the sixth. He struck out looking in a four-pitch at bat against Hisashi Iwakuma.

A 33rd-round pick by the Reds in 2011, Selsky is hitting .275 for Louisville with one home run and 10 doubles over 120 at bats. To make room for Selsky on the 40-man roster, the Reds designated Louisville reliever Drew Hayes for assignment, who has cleared waivers.

"We talk about that all the time, timing, right place right time," Selsky said. "I was just fortunate enough to be in this situation and put myself in a good situation to have things work out."

Adleman's injury makes the sixth starter currently on the disabled list for Cincinnati with Michael Lorenzen, Homer Bailey, Jon Moscot, Raisel Iglesias and Anthony DeSclafani all on the shelf.

Given the beleaguered nature of the rotation and the struggles of the bullpen, Adleman's injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Reds' pitching staff.

"It's frustrating to have an in-game situation like that where you put the team and the bullpen in a tough spot," Adleman said. "It's something that's completely out of your control. Obviously, you never plan to come out of a game like that. It's difficult, but it is what it is."

Before the injury, Adleman was 1-1 with a 3.73 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 19 1/3 innings. While the team has not given him a time frame on throwing, he believes that he may be able to try to play catch within the next few days.

"I presume that they'll want to give it a few days with no activity, no throwing and then hopefully get out there around the end of this homestand or the beginning of the road trip and play some catch and just kind of see how it feels and go from there," Adleman said.

Streaking Felix leads Mariners against Reds By Cody Pace / MLB.com | May 20th, 2016 + 2 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- When Reds manager Bryan Price looks out to the mound in the bottom of the first inning of Saturday's game against the Mariners, he'll see a familiar face in Felix Hernandez.

As Seattle's pitching coach from 2001 to 2006, Price witnessed the beginning to Hernandez's ascent to the top tier of Major League pitching, starting as just a 19-year-old.

"I watch him when I can," Price said. "His velocity has obviously come down a bit, but the thing that's improved is that even the -- as good as it was -- has improved to almost as a swing-and-a-miss split-finger type of pitch, type of action. He knows how to cut the ball now, he's added the slider. He's just continued to evolve as a pitcher."

Hernandez owns a 2.47 ERA, and is coming off of two consecutive seven-or-more inning performances.

Opposing Hernandez for the Reds will be John Lamb, who has struggled in his three starts since returning from the disabled list with a back injury. Lamb has pitched just 14 innings over his three starts and owns a 5.79 ERA with 18 hits allowed and six walks.

Things to know about this game • The Reds are desperately seeking a series win. They haven't won a series since taking two of three from the Rockies in the series beginning April 18.

• Hernandez has dominated National League teams over the course of his career. In 36 Interleague starts, Hernandez owns a 2.82 ERA with 255 strikeouts over 258 2/3 innings.

• Brandon Phillips has hit a cold streak. After hitting .297 with six home runs through the Reds' first 27 games, he's hitting just .154 with no home runs over his last 10 games entering Friday.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds GM: No easy answers right now Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 11:21 p.m. EDT May 20, 2016

Late in , the Reds made a couple of signings as injuries wreaked havoc on their planned roster. Right- hander Alfredo Simon was signed to be a reliable presence in the rotation, and fellow righty Ross Ohlendorf was brought in to provide some experience in the bullpen.

Cincinnati’s injury woes have only worsened since, with right-hander Tim Adleman hitting the disabled list Friday with an oblique strain. The Reds now have six starting on the DL, and the organization is running out of ready replacements.

“We will get creative. We always do. We find a way,” said Reds general manager Dick Williams. “But this is putting an incredible strain on our resources.”

No clear replacement is available to take over Adleman’s spot, at least until right-hander Jon Moscot returns from the disabled list in about a week. Calling upon top pitching prospects Cody Reed or Robert Stephenson hasn’t been ruled out – Stephenson has had two one-start cups of coffee already – but remains unlikely.

Stephenson has a 2.80 ERA in six starts with Triple-A Louisville, and Reed has a 2.60 mark. Neither has spent a full season at that level yet, and the Reds do not want to rush their development.

“You’re going to have to get creative, you’re going to have to put some guys in roles they’re not used to,” Williams said. “You’re going to have to ask some young guys to do things they’re not ready to do. We still intend to keep to the plan for the priority players. There does come a time where you have to show some flexibility.”

Arms from outside the rotation do not seem to be an option. Few tend to be available in May anyway.

“We’ve shown over the past few years that we are opportunistic and will continue to look for opportunities inside and outside the organization,” Williams said. “But we’ve been pretty clear there’s no hidden resources. There’s no rainy day fund that we haven’t tapped yet.”

The same goes for the bullpen, which has struggled through bad performance and overuse as the rotation has consistently failed to go deep in games. Unlike with the rotation, there is no clear stud prospect in Triple-A just waiting for a chance.

For the relievers, the best chance at relief may come when a starter returns from the disabled list and kicks another member of the rotation to the bullpen. Otherwise, righting the ship will be left up to the current pitchers on the 25-man roster, both starters and relievers.

Williams knows the effort is there. Now the performance needs to follow.

“We need people to go out and get the job done,” he said. “We need them to do it as efficiently as possible. A lot of the guys, starters and relievers, aren’t pitching up to their potential. They know it, we know it.

“We just hope that soon they get back to a level that they’re capable of or better, that’s what we need from these guys. There’s no one person to point a finger at. Everybody just needs to get their job done.”

Reds' bullpen woes, losing skid continue vs. Mariners Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 1:16 a.m. EDT May 21, 2016

It’s been a long time since the Cincinnati Reds' bullpen has entered a game under ideal conditions. The seventh inning of Cincinnati’s 8-3 loss to the on Friday was about as close to ideal as things were going to get.

Starter Dan Straily did his best to shorten the game for the relievers, turning in the rotation’s first six-inning start since May 11. A long relief outing from the night before meant most of the team’s relievers had rested for at least a day.

If a 3-1 lead was ever going to be safe with this group, this was the one. It lasted two outs.

“I keep saying it and I get sick of hearing myself talk about these types of games,” Price said. “It’s the same game.” The culprit Friday was right-hander Blake Wood, a pitcher Price had praised for his performance just a night before. That may have been the kiss of death.

Taking over for Straily to start the seventh inning, Wood failed to record an out in four batters, and was charged with four runs on two hits and two walks. He walked the first run in with the bases loaded, and the other three scored off his replacement, left-hander Tony Cingrani.

“That’s what is completely baffling,” Wood said. “(That) I can go from a night like last night where you feel like you’re in complete control and dominate those guys to a night like tonight, which was probably the worst outing I’ve ever had at least in the big leagues for sure. It’s unbelievably frustrating.

“I’m sure Bryan is shaking his head kind of like I am, just wondering how it can go from what I featured last night to tonight.”

The Reds bullpen has forced Price into so much head shaking, the manager probably needs a neck brace. Wood and Cingrani were the trustworthy ones, after all. After they exited the game, Cincinnati surrendered three more runs – one from JC Ramirez in the eighth and two solo homers off Jumbo Diaz in the ninth.

The Reds’ bullpen now has an ERA of 6.76. Wood’s mark rose by more than a run and a half to 4.87.

“It’s too much work to try to find the magic potion to finish a game through nine innings,” Price said. “There’s no magic potion. We have to pitch better or we’ve got to find better. One of the two.”

Straily’s strong outing just made the collapse all the more frustrating. The run he allowed in the sixth ended a streak of 10 straight scoreless innings over his last two starts, and he lowered his ERA to a team-best 2.84.

Straily held the mantle of Most Effective Reliever until joining the rotation last month, and knows how the bullpen’s struggles are wearing on its members.

“Not one person in here is happy with losing night after night,” Straily said. “Everyone's trying to come in here early and the clubhouse opens at 11 and there will be guys in here working on something. Everyone wants to be better.”

That’s been a common sentiment from Price a month and a half into the season. Now it’s one he’s tired of expressing.

“I don’t want to hear it anymore,” he said. “I don’t want to hear how hard people are working. I want to see some results or I want to see some change.”

The only pitcher excused from Price’s frustration was Cingrani, who entered the seventh with a one-run lead and facing a bases- loaded, no-out jam. Cingrani’s first pitch hit Robinson Cano to tie the game, but he rebounded to strike out Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager.

Dae-Ho Lee poked a fastball the opposite way for a two-run single to give the Marines a 5-3 lead, but Price figured that’s about as good as you can expect from any reliever in that situation.

“I got no complaints,” Price said. “Tony’s coming in and he’s attacking people. We’re all trying to do everything we can to win the game.”

Cingrani now owns the best ERA in the bullpen at 3.66, but was also charged with his fourth blown save.

3 Reds minor-leaguers combined for a no-hitter REDS BLOG C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 10:04 p.m. EDT May 20, 2016

Three pitchers for the Reds’ Double-A affiliate in Pensacola combined to throw a seven-inning no-hitter Friday night in Jacksonville, Fla.

Right-hander Carlos Gonzalez got Jacksonville’s Peter Mooney to fly out to center fielder Bryson Smith to finish off the no-hitter, the second combined no-hitter in team history.

Right-hander Jackson Stephens threw five scoreless in the start, walking two and striking out two. Matt Magill, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, struck out the side in the sixth, giving way to a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh.

The Blue Wahoos beat the Marlins’ Double-A team 6-0 in the second game of a doubleheader. In the minor leagues, teams only play seven innings in doubleheaders.

Stephens improved to 3-3 with a 3.74 ERA on the season. Stephens was an 18th round pick of the Reds in 2012 out of Oxford (Ala.) High School. Last season in Daytona, he went 12-7 with a 2.97 ERA.

It was the second no-hitter in Blue Wahoos history. In 2012, right-hander Daniel Corcino and Wilkin De La Rosa combined to throw a nine-inning no-hitter for the Blue Wahoos.

Corcino, who appeared for the Reds in 2014, is now in Double-A with the Dodgers. De La Rosa was released by the Reds in 2013 and is no longer in .

Reds notes: 'Initial optimism' for Adleman injury C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] 7:05 p.m. EDT May 20, 2016

After “ulnar collateral ligament” there may not be a more feared word in baseball right now than “oblique.” Unlike the aforementioned elbow injury, there’s no surgery or accepted timetable for the oblique injury.

Right now, Reds right-hander Tim Adleman is just going to do what he’s told and hope that things progress well after being placed on the 15-day disabled list before Friday’s scheduled game with the Mariners. The Reds called up outfielder Steve Selsky to take his spot on the roster, designating right-hander Drew Hayes for assignment.

Adleman was diagnosed with a Grade 1 external oblique strain.

“Initial optimism is we got everything early and identified the injury and started treatment on it,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “Possibly two weeks. From an oblique standpoint, that’s a best-case scenario.”

Of course, best-case scenarios and oblique strains don’t often go hand-in-hand. Anthony DeSclafani was diagnosed with an oblique strain at the end of spring training and hasn’t pitched for the Reds yet.

Adleman said he talked to DeSclafani on Friday afternoon when he arrived at Great American Ball Park.

“His advice was just listen to your body,” Adleman said. “So even if you think you’re supposed to be back on a certain day or the doctors are telling you that you should be back by a certain day, if you’re not feeling absolutely confident that you’re 100 percent, then it’s time to keep treating it, keep icing it, keep resting it, and get it to where it needs to be so you can come back and do your job.”

A one-time independent league pitcher, Adleman left Thursday’s game in the fourth inning after he felt pain in his side. Adleman had reached the big leagues for the first time earlier this season and quickly made a spot for himself in the rotation, going 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in his four starts, including Thursday’s no-decision.

“It’s frustrating to have an in-game situation like that where you put the team and the bullpen in a tough spot,” Adleman said. “It’s something that’s completely out of your control. Obviously, you never plan to come out of a game like that. It’s difficult, but it is what it is. Just a matter of getting in and treating it every day and trying to get back as quick as possible and try to help the team whatever way that is.”

For now, Adleman said he’s been told to rest, ice the strain and get stimulation treatment.

“Any time you hear oblique, you kind of cringe a little bit because those have a history of being pretty nagging,” he said. “You just never really know. You try to get back into it too soon, are you going to aggravate it more? Sometimes I feel like it’s hard to tell, from what I’ve heard, if it’s actually feeling 100 percent or there’s just days where it feels better than others and you think you might be good to go and then you try to go back out there and do something that you don’t want to. Again, just listen to the doctors, listen to the trainers and go from there.”

DeSclafani to start rehab assignment

Right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, on the disabled list with an oblique strain since the start of the season, threw a 45-pitch live batting practice before Friday’s scheduled game with the Mariners. The next step would be making a rehab assignment.

“I think the next practical move will be, go out there and throw a few innings in a start,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We’re currently mapping that out. We’re anticipating that he comes out of this just fine. That would be the first outing of probably three or so to get him stretched out to prepare to join us.”

DeSclafani had been slated to start Opening Day, but suffered the oblique strain in the last week of spring training. DeSclafani did make two rehab starts in April, but he aggravated the injury and had to be shut down.

At this point, though, he says he’s feeling no pain and is optimistic he’s on the right track.

“I think this is it,” DeSclafani said. “I’m not going to worry about the past, or the other times. I just feel like it’s not a factor anymore. I can keep progressing now.”

Selsky called up

Steve Selsky’s dad, Steve, took his mother, Lou Ann, to Hawaii for her birthday, but the younger Steve one-upped his pops, getting called up to the big leagues as a birthday gift.

“I got that on him,” Selsky joked on Friday. “He’ll have to step his game up.”

Selksy didn’t know himself that he was getting called up until Friday afternoon when he went into the ’ weight room to work out and manager Delino DeShields told him to pack his bags for Cincinnati.

That was around 1:30 or 2 p.m., Selsky recalled outside the Reds’ clubhouse just before 5 p.m.

“I packed and left,” he said.

Selsky’s wife, Brittany, and twin sister were both hoping to get flights into Cincinnati in time for at least Saturday’s game.

The 26-year-old Selsky was a 33rd round pick out of Arizona in 2011 and was hitting .275/.380/383 with one home run and 11 RBI in 35 games for the Bats this season. He played in just 55 games for the Bats last season, limited by injuries to his hamstring and knee.

“We talk about that all the time, timing, right place, right time,” Selsky said. “I’ve played with guys that are I think everyday big leaguers who are on the wrong team or the timing isn’t working out for them. I was just fortunate enough to be in this situation and put myself in a good situation to have things work out.”

Selsky’s stay in Cincinnati may not be long, the Reds will need another starter when Tim Adleman’s spot comes back up this week in Los Angeles. For now, he’ll be an early bat off the bench, Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Selsky has never been in big-league spring training camp, but he has appeared with the Reds in several Cactus League games.

“For the past couple of years I’ve been playing with them in spring training, you get the feel of it a little bit in there, but there’s probably no comparison,” he said.

For now, he’s another player achieving a life-long goal, making the big leagues.

“I was hoping (to get this chance) ever since I was little,” he said. “You want to play well, you want to do well, you want to help your team win and hopefully help these guys win a little bit. That’s just something you dream about.”

Before he was King

Even when he was a 19-year old rookie, Reds manager Bryan Price knew Felix Hernandez was special. Hernandez came up to the big leagues as a 19-year-old rookie when Price was in his last year as the Mariners’ pitching coach.

It was suggested to Price that Hernandez’s success in later years was all due to the four starts he made with Price as his pitching coach.

“I’m not going to say it, but you can,” Price laughed. “He’s made a lot of pitching coaches look really good, he really has.”

As a 19-year-old, Price said Hernandez was incredibly impressive, throwing three pitches – a fastball, and changeup – that were rated as an 80 on the 20-80 rating scale, the highest marks a player can get.

“That was a fastball at 97-99 mph – He’d throw eight innings without throwing a pitch below 97,” Price said. “He could sink it at 97. He didn’t throw the slider, he threw a traditional curveball, which was an 80 pitch and an 80 changeup. And he was 19. He went head-to-head with Randy Johnson and gave up two solo homers in eight innings in Seattle when I think Randy may have made his first return to Seattle that year with the Yankees. He didn’t back down to anybody. Just a dominant force. he threw strikes with three pitches that were as good as I had seen at the big league level from the very first game he threw for us.”

While Hernadnez isn’t throwing 99 anymore, he’s still impressive.

“His velocity has obviously come down a bit, but the thing that’s improved is that even the changeup — as good as it was — has improved to almost as a swing-and-a-miss split-finger type of pitch,” Price said. “He knows how to cut the ball now, he’s added the slider. He’s just continued to evolve as a pitcher. He’s also smart. As a 19-year old, you’re just trying to go after them with good stuff, now we’ve got a kid that knows the league and knows what it takes to be successful and utilizes that to go with a really nice mix of pitches.”

Reds' Brandon Phillips pulls fake hidden-ball trick on Juan Uribe Zach Buchanan, [email protected] 10:57 p.m. EDT May 20, 2016

“Make Baseball Fun Again,” reads a custom-made hat ordered by one of the Cincinnati Reds’ clubhouse attendants. The slogan is a riff off both the campaign slogan of Donald Trump and recent comments made by star Bryce Harper.

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is doing his best to answer the hat’s call, even in a week that hasn’t been much fun for his team. Cincinnati has dropped its last four games by a 43-16 margin, but Phillips is trying to keep things light.

“Regardless of what’s going on, I always play better and stay into the game just by having fun, instead of being serious and worrying about everything going on,” Phillips said. “That’s basically what I’ve been doing, just being funny.”

One of his efforts caught the attention of the Fox Sports Ohio cameras during the Reds’ 7-2 loss to the on Thursday. In the sixth inning, Phillips noticed Cleveland’s Juan Uribe not playing close attention while standing on second base in between pitches. So he tagged him with an empty glove.

Uribe was shocked, worried he’d been caught off the bag. A smile from Phillips let him know it was just a joke, and Uribe grabbed his chest in mock horror.

“I think he fell for it a couple years back,” Phillips said. “We were talking about it. I’m just glad he didn’t pass out at second base.”

Phillips has garnered a reputation for being tricky, and outfielder Starling Marte tried to call him on it when Phillips tagged him trying to steal second a couple weeks ago. Marte claimed Phillips pushed him off the bag, and said it was not an isolated occurrence between the two.

Phillips doesn’t deny that. He’s just looking for an edge.

“He said it best,” Phillips said of Marte. “He said, ‘He always pushes me off the bag.’ Well, I’m just going to keep on putting the tag on you and I’m going to keep on pushing. Why not try it? There’s nothing wrong with trying. I’m just having fun out there.”

WCPO - Channel 9 Fay: This injury seems to haunt the Reds John Fay 6:04 PM, May 20, 2016

CINCINNATI — You could make an argument that nothing affected the Reds' recent history more than the oblique.

For you non-anatomy experts, here’s how medhealthdaily.com defines the oblique: “The oblique muscles are located in the core of your abdomen. There are two groups of oblique muscles: internal and external. These muscles are in the main base of your trunk along the sides of the abdomen. They are used to twist, bend, and they also help you breathe in some cases.”

In other words, throwing a baseball and swinging a bat involve the oblique to a great degree.

When Johnny Cueto strained his oblique in the first game of the 2012 National League Division Series against the , it drastically changed the Reds' pitching plans in an instant. They would go on to lose the series. The series changed the trajectory of the franchise.

“I’m not saying the Giants wouldn’t have won the World Series,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “But it would have been nice to have Cueto in Game 1 and Game 3.”

Price has been dealing with the oblique ever since — or at least it seems that way. This year has been especially difficult.

Anthony DeSclafani, the projected No. 1 starter, still hasn’t pitched after straining his left oblique in spring training. Right-hander Tim Adleman joined DeSclafani on the disabled list Friday after straining his left oblique in Thursday’s start. Jon Moscot missed two weeks with a strained intercostal, which is related to the oblique.

Price hadn’t even heard of the oblique until he was well along in his baseball career.

“It’s been the last decade, 15 years where you became aware of the oblique injury,” he said. “ when I with Seattle — I think it might have been ’04, ’05 — had an oblique injury in spring training. I don’t know that was first one heard of . . . ”

Stan Conte, former Los Angeles Dodgers trainer, had an explanation of why oblique injuries seem new.

“Until the late 1990s, they were called rib cage injuries or abdominal injuries or lower chest injuries,” he told the New York Times in 2012. “As MRI technology got better, the diagnosis became more particular, and we began to see them called oblique injuries.”

Adleman hurt his on one pitch. The Reds, with all the injuries this year, are looking at reasons why and prevention.

“If we identified it, we would fix it,” Price said. “Right now, for me, we’re just throwing stuff up against the wall to see if something sticks. I don’t assume anything. If it’s different training stuff, if guys have less body fat because they’re training year- round, that would seem to be a simple answer, but it probably has no truth to it.”

It’s an injury players fear.

“When you hear oblique, you kind of cringe a little bit because those can be kind of nagging,” Adleman said. “You never know if you try to get back in too soon, are you going to aggravate it more? I’ve heard it’s hard to tell if it’s 100 percent. You think you’re good to go, and then you go out and do something you don’t want to.”

DeSclafani had a setback well into his rehab. He threw a live batting practice session Friday. The next step is a rehab three-start assignment. The injury likely will cost him two months of his season.

“It’s frustrating,” he said.

Adleman asked DeSclafani how to proceed with the injury.

“His advice was listen to your body,” Adleman said. “Even if you think you should be back at a certain day or the doctor says you should be back at a certain day, if you’re not sure you’re 100 percent, keep treating it and get it where it needs to be.”

DAYTON DAILY NEWS Posted: 4:56 pm Friday, May 20th, 2016 Passing around the ‘oblique’ (whatever that is) By Hal McCoy

CINCINNATI — There is a thing called passing the torch, but whoever heard of passing the oblique. And what is an oblique? Anthony DeSclafani is apparently cured of his oblique injury and the word ‘apparently’ is used advisedly because the Cincinnati Reds have heard that word ‘cured’ before.

And if, indeed, he is cured, he has passed the injury onto fellow starter Tim Adleman, who was afflicted early in Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians and is now on the disabled list, where all Reds starting pitchers seem to land.

SO WHAT IS AN oblique, something baseball people never heard of until a decade or so ago. A Google search says: “A muscle neither parallel nor perpendicular to the long axis of a body or limb.”

OK, so that almost clears that up, right?

What it means to a baseball player, according to Reds manager Bryan Price: “Something with which you can neither pitch nor hit.” Price said the first time he heard the word oblique was back in 2004 or 2005 when he was pitching coach in Seattle and catcher Dan Wilson injured his. And, of course, Johnny Cueto was knocked out of the World Series last year with an oblique injury when he pitched for the .

AS HE TALKED ABDOUT DeSclafani, who hasn’t thrown a pitch in anger since spring training, Price said, “These injuries we’ve had are just stunning stuff, just stunning to see this for three years.”

And it is why over his three-year tenure as manager, his first job as manager, Price has not had a chance to show if he can manage or if he can’t manage. He has not had an equal opportunity to match wits and pieces with opposing managers.

IT WAS DRIZZLING steadily Friday afternoon when DeSclafani threw three simulated innings on the Great American Ball Park mound — what, you expected sunshine to beam down on the unfortunate DeSclafani? He threw 45 pitches and declared himself ready to go out on minor-league rehab. And where have we heard that one before?

“I felt good, but I feel like I say that every time,” said DeSclafani. “Everything went well and this should be the last time, knock on wood. I hope to get back here soon. I don’t even think about it (the oblique) when I’m doing bullpens or throwing or BP. I am able to focus on mechanics and feeling good about my mechanics, making sure my pitches are working.

“This is it,” he said with insistence. “I’m not thinking about the past or the other times. It is not a factor any more and I can just keep progressing now. Everything was as good as it possibly could be today for not throwing off the mound a lot. It’ll get better as I get more repetitions and get into a game situation and get some adrenaline.”

Price said the plan for DeSclafani is pretty much the way it was a couple of weeks ago when he had his setback, “Three rehab starts to stretch him out and prepare him to join us.’

MEANWHILE, THINGS weren’t as upbeat in the clubhouse where Adleman stood in front of his locker and played Meet the Press.

Asked about how long he expects to fight the oblique battle, Adleman said, “I was told to listen to my body, even if you think you should be back a certain day, a day the doctors tell you, if you aren’t absolutely sure you are 100 per cent it would be time to keep resting it, keep treating it and keep icing it.”

His oblique bit him, if obliques can bite, in the third inning of a 2-2 tie with Cleveland.

“That was very difficult to have an in-game situation like that,” said the pitcher who the Reds found two years ago pitching for the of the independent Canadian-American League. “You put the team and the bullpen in a tough spot, but it is something completely out of your control. You never plan to come out of a game like that.”

As of now there is no indication or announcement as to whom will take Adleman’s next scheduled start Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Bull penner Keyvius Sampson is a possibility after he was stretched out while he pitched at Class AAA Louisville

IN OTHER roster shuffling, a daily ritual with the Reds, outfielder/first baseman Steve Selsky, a non-roster player, was brought up from Class AAA Louisville and pitcher Drew Hayes was designated for assignment.

Selsky, 26, was a 33rd round draft pick by the Reds in 2011 out of the University of Arizona. He was hitting .275 with one home run, 10 doubles and 11 RBI.

“He is an extra position player who has been a real nice offensive player in our system,” said Price. “He is healthy now and had a tough time staying healthy through the years (he’ll fit right in)but he is a heck of player who will help us as an early-game bench bat.”

Posted: 4:34 pm Thursday, May 19th, 2016 Are the Reds on their way to 100 losses? By Hal McCoy

CINCINNATI — The 2016 baseball season for the Cincinnati Reds is nearly one-fourth completed and there are those who say, “Why finish the season?”

They have to finish the season because they have to play teams who are winning, who are in contention for titles, and the Reds have to do their best to try to beat them.

At their current rate the Reds are on a sluggish pace to lose 101 games this season, which would match the worst record in franchise history.

WHAT IS MOST disheartening to manager Bryan Price and everybody wearing a Reds uniform, other than enough injuries to bankrupt an insurance company, is the less-than-pedestrian work of the bullpen. It is almost unfathomable to believe, but it’s true — the bullpen has had 13 save opportunities and has blown nine. They’ve converted only four — the same number of saves Aroldis Chapman has for the after missing the first 30 days of the season.

After losing to the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night, 8-7, in 12 innings, somebody mentioned how tough it had to be to lose a game that way.

“Yes,” said Price softly. “It is. It is. It is.” At this point he appeared near tears. And who could blame him. His position gives him an exemption to the phrase, “There is no crying baseball.”

“ It has been a rough first 40,” Price added. “It won’t be like this all season but it has been a rough first 40.”

PRICE, MORE THAN LIKELY, is whistling past the tombstones when he says it won’t be this way all season, because there are no indications of a cavalry charge from behind the bleachers. One-fourth of the season is gone without a pitch being thrown in anger by Homer Bailey or Anthony DeSclafani or Michael Lorenzen. Raisel Iglesias hasn’t been seen much, nor has Jon Moscot. Catcher is gone for the rest of the season.

Every time one of the injured starting pitchers appears on the brink of returning a setback arrives. Who knows for sure when any will be back and how effective they will be when they do return. There is also the distinct possibility that more veteran pieces will disappear at or near the trade deadline.

The last 120 could be just as ugly as the first 40 and could be worse.

IF JAY BRUCE continues his offensive aggression he will be a marketable commodity at the trade deadline, or before. In the first three games against the Cleveland Indians Bruce hit .636 (7 for 11) with two homers, four RBI and three runs.

He has pushed his batting average to .290 with eight homers and a team-leading 27 RBI. AS A VETERAN WHO has worn a Reds uniform for nine years, what he sees has to be painful.

“This whole clubhouse has an expectation of themselves to come to work every day, do their job, prepare,” he said. “But it is tough. Yes, very tough losing. It is tough having leads and losing them. It also tough when we don’t hit very well. We just haven’t matched up (pitching with hitting and hitting with pitching) much this year.

“That’s in the past and the only option for us is to look forward,” Bruce added. “Nobody is feeling sorry for us and we can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to do better on both sides of the ball.”

IN AN EFFORT to do better, before Thursday’s game slump-infected Joey Votto (.214) was on the field early taking extra batting practice, with special advisor Lou Piniella watching intently. And third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who made two errors Thursday night, was on the first honing his skills at third base.

“Suarez is not even close to being a finished product at third base simply because he is a shortstop playing third base,” said Price. “The ball gets on him a lot quicker and he is trying to learn what his footwork should be.

“You can’t drop to you knee to block a ball at shortstop,” said Price. “No time. At third base there might be times when you can take a knee and keep the ball in front of you.”

Price said infield coach Freddie Benavides works almost daily with Suarez on positioning, knowing the hitters and defending bunts. “The best thing about the situation we are in currently (last place, going nowhere) is the fact he has the freedom to learn the position without feeling like whatever his shortcomings might be won’t play a huge part in our ability to win the World Series.”

AND THIS SAYS it all about where Price and the Reds stand on the injury charts. Price said it humorously and facetiously, but what he said has a point, too.

Center field Billy Hamilton crashed hard into the wall chasing a double Wednesday night and hit the ground hard on his ricochet. But he stayed in the game and was in Thursday’s lineup.

When Price was asked if Hamilton is OK, he smiled and said, “Sometimes you get to the point with injuries that you don’t want to ask any more. ‘He looks OK to me. He is on his feet. He’s fine.’ I say that tongue-in-cheek.” But it’s true.

Ask Hal: Dragons fans deserve much better from Reds SPORTS By Hal McCoy - Contributing Writer Posted: 12:00 a.m. Saturday, May 21, 2016

Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy knows a thing or two about our nation’s pastime. Tap into that knowledge by sending an email to [email protected].

Q: The Reds ran Drew Stubbs out of town due to low offensive output despite great defense and speed. Doesn’t this also describe Billy Hamilton? — DAVE, Miamisburg/Centerville/Beavercreek.

A: That’s true, but the Reds gave Stubbs four years before shipping him to Cleveland. This is Hamilton’s fourth year, so maybe it is his do-or-die year. Who knows? What I do know is that players with the speed and defense of Stubbs and Hamilton are always usable. Stubbs is still at it. After playing for Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Texas, Atlanta, he is back in Texas. Speed may kill, but it also saves baseball careers.

Q: If the Reds farm system is so talented, why do the stink so bad? — PATRICK, Dayton.

A: Who says the Reds’ farm system is talented? Most rating systems have them right in the middle of the pack and that is because of strong pitchers like Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed and Amir Garrett. Bats are few. And there is no better proof of it than when you see their minor league affiliates struggle. The Reds should be ashamed of the team they’ve given the great Dragons organization and the fabulous and loyal fans. They deserve much better.

Q: Do you think the Reds have second thoughts about the short outfield fences, because lots of visitors hit home runs, too — MIKE, Cincinnati.

A: They had no choice because of the small parcel of land on which Great American Ball Park is built. They had to wedge it into a space bordered by the Ohio River, an arena next door and streets and freeways. They could have built less seats in the outfield, but they didn’t want to cut down on capacity. So there it is — Great American Small Park.

Q: Any chance the Cincinnati City Council will expand the street car to Louisville to accommodate all of the personnel changes in the Reds’ bullpen? — MARK, Titusville, FL.

A: If they do, they’ll have to expand it to Pensacola, too, because the Reds are running out of bullpen personnel in Louisville. But the Cincinnati City Council already is under heavy fire for how many millions the street car project has gone over budget. Things sort of got off track, just like the Reds’ bullpen.

Q: As much as I like to see Bartolo Colon and Noah Syndergaard hit home runs, isn’t it time to adopt standardized rules and for the National League to adopt the DH? — JOHN, Schenectady, NY.

A: Yes, it is time for baseball to standardize its rules. No, it is not time for the NL to take on the DH. Make the AL drop the DH. That, though, won’t happen because the players union won’t let it. Eliminating the DH eliminates jobs. But the DH takes away so much strategy and baseball needs strategy. Plus AL pitchers can fire away at batters with knockdown pitches and never have to get into the batter’s box and face their own music.

Q: In all your years as a baseball writer can you remember any pitcher walking four consecutive batters with the bases loaded? — JEFF, Troy.

A: I can’t remember a pitcher getting the opportunity to walk four straight with the bases loaded. Most pitchers would be gone after walking two with the bases loaded. But when Cincinnati’s Steve Delabar did it against the Indians the Reds were so far behind and the bullpen was so taxed and overused that manager Bryan Price just had to sit in the dugout and let steam escape his ears. And if there had been a trap door leading to a tunnel on the mound, Delabar would have used it after the first two bases-loaded walks.

Q: How does this Reds team compare to those of the early 1980s? — ALAN, Sugarcreek Twp.

A: I assume you mean the 1982 team that lost 101 games. They are polar opposites. That ’82 teram, led by Mario Soto, Tom Seaver, Tom Hume, Joe Price, Jim Kern, Bruce Berenyi and Brad ‘The Animal’ Lesley, had good pitching. Most of their games were low- scoring because the offense couldn’t hit its way out of soggy tissue paper. This year’s team has some hitting and scores some runs but the pitching is as leaky as a pair of jeans with holes in all the pockets. Which only proves there is more than one way to lose a lot of baseball games.

Q: I agree that Bryan Price does not have the horses to run the race this year. But he didn’t do anything the previous two years, so where is Jack McKeon when you need him? — RICK, Vandalia.

A: It isn’t so much that Price doesn’t have the horses, it is just that most of his horses are either broken down or are oft-injured or couldn’t run in the first place. And that was true his first two seasons, too. Injuries, injuries, injuries. Trader Jack McKeon is 86 and still going strong, working for the , mostly from his home in Elon, N.C., where he still cuts the grass on his riding mower. And if anybody gave him a call in the morning and asked him to manage, he’d be in uniform that afternoon.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK Q: How can sidestep baseball and be enshrined in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame when his permanent ban from the sport includes team honors? — FUDD, Cedarville.

A: Pete was great at sidestepping on the basepaths, but he didn’t sidestep this one. Commissioner Rob Manfred gave the Reds permission to induct Pete. But he did not give them (or any team) the right to hire Rose in any capacity. Manfred also could give the Cooperstown Hall of Fame the right to induct Rose but the Hall won’t consider him unless Manfred lifts the lifetime ban. And that won’t happen.

Posted: 11:15 p.m. Friday, May 20, 2016 Reds’ bullpen lets another one slip away By Mark Schmetzer Contributing Writer

CINCINNATI — The Seattle Mariners have a maritime-oriented nickname, but they have been as comfortable on the road this season as a long-distance trucker.

The Mariners went into Friday night’s interleague series opener against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park with 15 road wins, most in the majors and as many away from home as the Reds had logged overall.

That road success had helped push Seattle into first place in the American League West, a half-game ahead of the , and the Mariners needed only to get to the Reds bullpen to keep rolling.

Blake Wood opened the seventh with a 3-1 lead, but he allowed all four batters he faced to reach base, including a bases-loaded walk. Manager Bryan Prince brought in left-hander Tony Cingrani, who hit Robinson Cano — also with the bases loaded — to tie the game and allowed Dae-Ho Lee’s pinch-hit, two-run go-ahead single as Seattle turned a 3-1 seventh-inning deficit into an 8-3 win.

“I have no problems (with Cingrani),” manager Bryan Price said. “He comes in in a nearly impossible situation. If he comes away with the score tied or we’re down one, that’s a good job. He was coming in attacking people. He hits Cano with a backdoor slider. Then he gets (Nelson) Cruz and (Kyle) Seager with two beautiful pitchers and Lee does a good job getting his bat on a fastball out over the plate.

“We’re doing all we can to win games. We’re having too many problems finding that magic potion to finish the ninth.” The latest bullpen blowup — perhaps the relief corps could be sponsored by Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks — sent the Reds to their fifth consecutive loss, all in interleague play, and wasted another solid start by Dan Straily.

Straily escaped a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the third and got some helpful glove work from shortstop Zack Cozart and center fielder Billy Hamilton to allow one run in six innings, the right-hander’s fourth start out of seven in which he’s lasted at least six innings.

Cozart flagged down Chris Iannetta’s one-out line drive and doubled Kyle Seager off first base to end the fourth inning. Hamilton made a backhanded diving catch that carried him to the warning track in left-center field, robbing Adam Lind of a one-out double in the sixth.

“I didn’t have my best stuff,” Straily said. “I worked with what I had to get as deep into the ballgame as I could. I’ve got to work on cutting down my pitch count early in the game to I can go deeper into the game.”

The Reds got a gift run to take a 1-0 lead in the first. Joey Votto was on first base after drawing a two-out walk when Brandon Phillips banged a drive off the left-center field wall. Third-base coach Billy Hatcher ill-advisedly waved Votto around third, and shortstop Ketel Marte’s throw had Votto beat by 30 feet, but Iannetta, the catcher, somehow dropped the ball.

Phillips snapped a 0-for-11 slump with the double.

Cozart led off the third with his fifth homer, a 410-foot shot to center field.

Adam Duvall, who also was hitless in his previous 11 at-bats, singled in his first two trips Friday, and the second hit helped the Reds increase their lead to 3-0 in the fourth. He followed Eugenio Suarez’s one-out walk with a hit to left, setting up Tucker Barnhart’s RBI groundball single through the right side, improving Barnhart’s average with runners in scoring position to .381 (8- for-21).

Barnhart finished with three hits, including a bunt single up the third-base line and a lined single to left, both while batting left- handed and beating a Seattle shift.

The Mariners snapped Straily’s streak of consecutive scoreless innings at 10 over his last two starts with a sixth-inning run. Straily hit Cano leading off and he scored from first on Seager’s one-out double between Votto and the first base bag and down into the right-field corner.

“He was wonderful,” Price said of his starter. “He did a nice job. He was really good. He battled in the sixth inning. We thought he might be losing it, but he had to get Iannetta, and he made some good pitches to end the inning.”

The Mariners added a run in the eighth on Marte’s sacrifice fly off of JC Ramirez and two in the ninth against Jumbo Diaz on Nelson Cruz’s ninth homer of the season, a mammoth no-doubter into the second deck in left field, and Lee’s sixth of the season.

ESPN.COM

NL Central: Team needs, possible fits for 2016 MLB draft 10:26 AM ET Eric Longenhagen Special to ESPN.com

For the fourth straight year, we're doing a comprehensive audit of every organization in baseball leading up to the MLB draft.

By examining where each team's strengths and weaknesses lie -- and with a working knowledge of its typical draft strategy and tendencies -- we can get a sense of which player each team will select when the draft begins.

Click on the player names of the possible fits to get a full scouting report for that player (if we have one). Also, the number in parentheses in the bonus-pool area is their rank among MLB teams, from most money (Reds are 1st) to least (Cubs at 30th).

Cincinnati Reds

First pick: No. 2

Bonus pool: $13,923,700 (1st) System strength: The Reds have several middle infielders who project as useful big leaguers: , Jose Peraza and Blake Trahan. The Reds are expected to sign slick-fielding SS Antonio Rodriguez during the July 2 international signing period. With the largest draft bonus pool and the second-largest international bonus pool, they have a chance to load up the farm in a hurry.

System weakness: The Reds have targeted pitchers in trades/drafts/free agency that most of the industry considers to be relievers. Raisel Iglesias, Tony Cingrani, Michael Lorenzen, Keury Mella, and Nick Travieso are all relievers for me, and always have been.

Recent top picks

2015: , C, No. 11

2014: Nick Howard, RHP, No. 19

2013: Phil Ervin, OF, No. 27

2012: Nick Travieso, RHP, No. 14

2011: Robert Stephenson, RHP, 27

Possible fits

Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer: The Reds are heavily linked to Mercer, who has the most upside in the draft among college bats, with easy plus power projection and the chance for five average or better tools.

A.J. Puk, LHP, Florida: If something odd happens at No. 1 or Puk looks great for the next few weeks, he could force his way into consideration at No. 2.

Injured or enigmatic arm: The Reds pick at Nos. 2, 35 and 43. The No. 2 pick will likely sign for below slot, giving Cincy extra money to spend with each of their next two picks. That could net them one of the high school or college arms who has fallen because of injury or wildness, such as Daulton Jeffries, Reggie Lawson, Jesus Luzardo, Alec Hansen or Matt Krook.

ASSOCIATED PRESS MLB's worst bullpen no match for Mariners Joe Kay, AP Sports Writer 11:30 PM, May 20, 2016

CINCINNATI -- Dae-Ho Lee's bases-loaded single completed Seattle's late rally against the major leagues' worst bullpen on Friday night, and he later added a solo homer as the Mariners pulled away to an 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Seattle opened a weekend dedicated to Ken Griffey Jr. by getting four runs in the seventh inning against a bullpen that has blown 10 of its 14 save chances. Overall, the Mariners piled up seven runs and two homers against Reds relievers over the last three innings.

Blake Wood (3-1) relieved in the seventh and loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Wood walked Seth Smith to force in a run, and Tony Cingrani came on and hit Robinson Cano with his first pitch to tie it. Lee's pinch-hit single with two outs knocked in the go-ahead runs.

Nelson Cruz and Lee homered in the ninth off Jumbo Diaz, the 35th and 36th homers allowed by Reds relievers this season.

Hisashi Iwakuma (2-4) gave up three runs in six innings, including Zack Cozart's solo homer.

Griffey grew up in Cincinnati and became a star with the Mariners before being traded to his hometown team, which is honoring his career this weekend. He will be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame this summer.

Junior's first team improved to 11-2 all-time against the Reds.

The Reds have lost five straight and 10 of 12, done in by a rotation that can't get deep into a game and a bullpen that gives up runs nearly every game.

The start of the game was delayed by 45 minutes because of rain.

Brandon Phillips snapped an 0-for-11 slump with an RBI double in the first inning. Cozart led off the third with a homer, and Tucker Barnhart singled home another run in the fourth.

Reds starter Dan Straily didn't allow a run until Kyle Seager's RBI double made it 3-1 in the sixth. Only two Reds starters have gone seven innings this season, compounding the bullpen's problems.

The Mariners got at least one runner aboard in all but one inning. Reds pitchers have gone 46 innings in the last five games and retired the side in order only seven times.

Trainer's Room

Mariners: Reliever Joaquin Benoit got the day off after he made his first appearances in 28 days on Thursday in Baltimore. He had been sidelined by a sore shoulder.

Reds: Tim Adleman went on the 15-day DL with a strained left oblique, suffered during the fourth inning of a 7-2 loss to Cleveland on Thursday night. ... Anthony DeSclafani (oblique) threw 45 pitches in batting practice on Friday. He's expected to make at least three minor league rehab starts. ... RHP Jon Moscot (sore left shoulder) gave up four homers and nine runs in four innings of a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville.

Up Next

Mariners: Felix Hernandez (3-3) will make his second career appearance against the Reds. On June 19, 2010, he got his ninth career complete game by throwing a five-hitter and allowing one run.

Reds: LHP John Lamb (0-1) is coming off a 15-6 loss in Cleveland on Monday, when he gave up seven runs in four innings. The Reds lost all of his three starts this season.

Posted: 11:54 p.m. Friday, May 20, 2016 Mariners rally vs Reds' bad bullpen for 8-3 win By JOE KAY The Associated Press

CINCINNATI — Dan Straily got the Reds in position to finally win a game, and then the bullpen got involved. Oh, that bullpen! Dae-Ho Lee's bases-loaded single completed Seattle's late rally against the major leagues' worst bullpen on Friday night, and he later added a solo homer as the Mariners pulled away to an 8-3 victory over Cincinnati.

Seattle opened a weekend dedicated to Ken Griffey Jr. by getting four runs in the seventh inning against a bullpen that has blown 10 of its 14 save chances. Overall, the Mariners piled up seven runs and two homers against Reds relievers over the last three innings. "We're having too many problems finding that magic potion to finish the ninth," manager Bryan Price said.

Blake Wood (3-1) took over for Straily in the seventh and loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. Wood walked Seth Smith to force in a run, and Tony Cingrani came on and hit Robinson Cano with his first pitch to tie it 3-3. Lee's pinch-hit single with two outs knocked in the go-ahead runs.

Nelson Cruz and Lee homered in the ninth off Jumbo Diaz, the 35th and 36th homers allowed by Reds relievers this season. It was Cruz's 250th career homer.

Hisashi Iwakuma (2-4) gave up three runs in six innings, including Zack Cozart's solo homer.

Griffey grew up in Cincinnati and became a star with the Mariners before being traded to his hometown team, which is honoring his career this weekend. He will be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame this summer.

Junior's first team improved to 11-2 all-time against the Reds. Seattle is an AL-best 16-7 on the road.

The Reds have lost five straight and 10 of 12, done in by a rotation that can't get deep into a game and a bullpen that gives up runs nearly every game. They have been outscored 51-19 in the last five games.

Straily didn't allow a run until Kyle Seager's RBI double made it 3-1 in the sixth. Only two Reds starters have gone seven innings this season, compounding the bullpen's problems.

"I didn't have my best stuff," said Straily, who needed 110 pitches to get through six innings. "I worked with what I had to get as deep into the ballgame as I could. I've got to work on cutting down my pitch count early in the game to I can go deeper into the game."

The Mariners got at least one runner aboard in all but one inning. Reds pitchers have gone 46 innings in the last five games and retired the side in order only seven times.

The start of the game was delayed by 45 minutes because of rain.

Brandon Phillips snapped an 0-for-11 slump with an RBI double in the first inning. Cozart led off the third with a homer, and Tucker Barnhart singled home another run in the fourth.

GREAT PLAY Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton made a diving catch at the edge of the warning track to rob Adam Lind of what would have been a run-scoring hit in the sixth.

TRANSACTIONS 05/20/16 New York Yankees optioned James Pazos to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. New York Yankees activated LHP CC Sabathia from the 15-day disabled list. New York Yankees sent Phil Coke outright to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. designated RHP Danny Reynolds for assignment. sent RHP Shane Greene on a rehab assignment to West Michigan Whitecaps. Los Angeles Angels optioned Jefry Marte to Salt Lake Bees. Los Angeles Angels sent OF Craig Gentry on a rehab assignment to Inland Empire 66ers. optioned Scott Oberg to Albuquerque Isotopes. Colorado Rockies recalled Jordan Lyles from Albuquerque Isotopes. Colorado Rockies recalled Miguel Castro from Albuquerque Isotopes. Colorado Rockies placed RHP Christian Bergman on the 15-day disabled list. Strained left oblique Texas Rangers activated RF Shin-Soo Choo from the 15-day disabled list. optioned John Gant to Gwinnett Braves. Atlanta Braves selected the contract of RHP Joel De La Cruz from Gwinnett Braves. signed free agent RHP Gage Smith to a minor league contract. Miami Marlins activated RHP Edwin Jackson from the 15-day disabled list. placed RF Josh Reddick on the 15-day disabled list. fractured left thumb Oakland Athletics recalled Jake Smolinski from Nashville Sounds. Tampa Bay Rays signed free agent C J.P. Arencibia to a minor league contract. Milwaukee Brewers recalled Keon Broxton from Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Milwaukee Brewers placed RF Domingo Santana on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 19, 2016. right shoulder strain Cincinnati Reds sent Drew Hayes outright to Louisville Bats. Cincinnati Reds placed RHP Tim Adleman on the 15-day disabled list. strained left oblique Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of Steve Selsky from Louisville Bats. Los Angeles Angels signed free agent RHP . signed free agent 2B Ed Lucas to a minor league contract. Philadelphia Phillies traded 2B Ryan Jackson to Los Angeles Angels for cash. recalled Noe Ramirez from Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox recalled Blake Swihart from Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox placed LF Brock Holt on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to May 19, 2016. mild concussion Boston Red Sox placed RHP Carson Smith on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 15, 2016. right elbow soreness Minnesota Twins sent RHP Kyle Gibson on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Miracle. Minnesota Twins sent SS Eduardo Escobar on a rehab assignment to Fort Myers Miracle. Colorado Rockies optioned LHP Tyler Matzek to Modesto Nuts. Kansas City Royals signed free agent LHP Kyle Bartsch to a minor league contract. St. Louis Cardinals sent SS Jhonny Peralta on a rehab assignment to Peoria Chiefs.