Press Clippings September 25, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1977-George Foster is named National League Player of the Week, his second honor. Foster would collect three such honors throughout his career (5/30/77; 9/25/77; 8/31/80) MLB.COM Happy feat: Hamilton picks up pace after pickoff Errant Boston throw leads to run scored for Cincinnati By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 24th, 2017 + 20 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Red Sox don't see Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton very often. On Sunday, Boston learned something most National League teams have long understood.

Always have a plan for when Hamilton is on the bases, and don't assume he's done running. In a 5-4 Reds loss, Hamilton turned a pickoff play into a rundown that led to him scoring from first base after a defensive breakdown.

"That was amazing, I've never seen that before," Reds Eugenio Suarez marveled.

Facing reliever in the bottom of the seventh as Cincinnati held a 3-1 lead, Hamilton worked a one-out walk after falling into a 0-2 count. As Zack Cozart batted, Hamilton was caught too far off first base by Workman's pickoff throw and started running.

First baseman fired to Dustin Pedroia, but the second baseman made an errant throw that went to the first-base dugout rail. Hamilton turned and went to second base -- and then kept going.

"That's one thing about me when I run, I kind of run with my head up, so I can see what kind of play is happening," Hamilton said.

As Hamilton motored to third base, he saw no one was covering home plate.

Workman had already broke for first base to cover the rundown. Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez had gone to retrieve Pedroia's throw. Everyone else appeared to be standing around, and Hamilton kept going.

Third baseman Rafael Devers realized too late, and he tried running down the line to the plate.

"It was just a race between me and Devers," Hamilton said.

Vazquez tried to hustle back, and shortstop desperately ran to the plate. Everybody was too late.

Hamilton was easily safe at home, and the Reds had a 4-1 lead. An excited Hamilton got up and exchanged high-fives with teammate Joey Votto. He suffered a cut above his eye from his helmet as he slid, but he didn't care.

"Maybe my whole career, I think, that was one of the best ones," said Hamilton, who also hit an RBI triple in the fifth. "Especially when you get into a rundown and you don't even expect to get to second base, and you end up getting home. I was just mad because I got picked off, and I ended up scoring. I'll take it."

"It's remarkable in that he went from first to home where the ball was just so close to home plate," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I was amazed at his ability to actually make a play of that and to score."

Red Sox manager John Farrell was not pleased with what he saw.

"First of all, after three throws on the rundown, we have him by right in a position to record an out," Farrell said. "Brandon was late getting over to first base, Pedey's got to lead him, but unfortunately the throw was behind him a hair. And after the throw got to the screen, we left home plate vacant and a guy with lightning speed, he took advantage of it. We've got some things we've got to shore up defensively."

Hamilton didn't fault Boston's defense, however.

"You don't expect guys to actually run home in that situation," Hamilton said. "You don't expect guys to even think about that. For me, I like to run the bases and I like to do crazy things on the basepaths. I saw I had the chance, and I took it."

In the end, however, the Reds lost on a similar heads-up play. hit a three-run against Raisel Iglesias, and then he scored from second base on a two-out infield hit by Devers.

"All losses are deflating. We'd rather have a win in that situation," Hamilton said. "It's and things happen, and you can't fault anybody."

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs.

Hamilton's hustle not enough as Reds fall By Ian Browne and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | September 24th, 2017 + 107 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- A road trip defined by thrilling comebacks included one more for the rolling Red Sox, who came roaring back with four runs in the eighth to pull out a 5-4 victory over the Reds on Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

It was a fitting way for manager John Farrell's team to complete an 8-1 road trip and the 14th win in its past 17 games. Now the Red Sox head back to Fenway Park with the American League East title within their sights. The magic number is down to three, as the Red Sox extended their AL East lead to five games with the Yankees' loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday, and Boston can clinch the division as early as Tuesday.

Mookie Betts led the charge back with a game-tying three-run double with one out in the eighth. With two outs, Rafael Devers hit a roller to third and beat it out for an infield hit. The throw by third baseman Eugenio Suarez was a little wide, and Betts alertly soared all the way around from second for the go-ahead run.

"Raffy busted his tail down the line to beat out an infield single," said Farrell. "Mookie never broke stride. Certainly, it was an exciting play and an exciting player that you saw all dimensions from today."

Just a half-inning earlier, Billy Hamilton made a similarly electrifying play on the bases for the Reds. He was caught in a rundown between first and second. As he retreated back, Dustin Pedroia's throwing error hit the dugout railing. Hamilton turned on the jets and scored from first to give the Reds a 4-1 lead.

But the Red Sox would quickly erase that against Raisel Iglesias, who came up short in his bid for a ninth six-out save this season.

"I was really hoping we could get an out or two in that inning before using Iggy," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "[We're] trying to win every game you have a chance to win. It's been a long year. When you're in a situation to try to win a game, you get your best guy out there. I know it's been a long season for Iggy. He threw a lot of multiple-inning games. It's unfair to constantly ask him to have to dig us out of these situations with two-inning saves. It didn't work out at all today."

Of the Red Sox's eight wins on their road trip, four occurred by overcoming deficits of three runs or more.

"It just shows that we're resilient," said Betts. "We play 27 outs, sometimes more. It just kind of shows that you have to play a complete game against us."

Doug Fister had a nice bounceback effort for Boston after two tough starts, striking out nine and allowing three runs over 5 1/3 innings.

"Team win. That's what it comes down to right there," said Fister. "The guys kept fighting all day and battled through some stuff and put up a W in the end. That's what we need right now. We're teaching a lot of things about ourselves to one another. We can lean on one another, and that's a huge pick-me-up right there."

Jackson Stephens was strong for Cincinnati, holding the Red Sox to two hits and a run over six innings.

"All losses are deflating," Hamilton said. "We'd rather have a win in that situation. It's baseball and things happen, and you can't fault anybody."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Betts ropes 46th double in big spot: Iglesias was down in the count 2-0 to Betts in the pivotal at-bat of the game, and then got back to 2-2. Betts then unloaded on a 96.2-mph fastball for a drive that had plenty of distance to be a , but it sailed about 15 to 20 feet foul down the line. Two pitches later, he got an 87.6-mph slider and slammed it just over the glove of Reds left fielder Phillip Ervin.

"Just trying to put a good swing on a good pitch," said Betts. "I know Iglesias is pitching there so it's going to be a tough at-bat. Slipped in some good sliders, and I was trying to hit a fastball there, but I was able to get a hanger."

Abad picks up Fister: Lefty Fernando Abad came on in relief of Fister in the bottom of the sixth in a tough spot. The Reds had runners on first and second with one out and a 3-1 lead, but Abad prevented the deficit from getting any bigger. He got Scott Schebler and Tucker Barnhart on groundouts and brought his team back to the dugout within striking distance, which loomed large later in the game.

QUOTABLE

"It [stinks] because with the exception of a half-inning, we played a pretty darn good ballgame. You want these guys rewarded for the commitment and the effort. They haven't been rewarded enough. So it [stinks]. Losing [stinks]. Plain and simple. You guys know it, you've watched it. You lose a game like this where you have a lead late, just because we're 20 games under [.500], it [stinks] worse, truth be told." -- Price, on the frustration of Sunday's loss -- the Reds' sixth in a row

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

One ingredient most successful October teams have is a shutdown bullpen. The Red Sox are building momentum in that regard. Their relievers have allowed no earned runs over 21 2/3 innings. It is the fourth time this season they've had a streak of 15-plus innings without allowing a run.

WHAT'S NEXT

Red Sox: Left-hander begins a seven-game homestand that will complete the regular season for the Red Sox, facing the Blue Jays on Monday at 7:10 p.m. ET. Pomeranz has been Boston's most consistent starter since late May, going 13-2 with a 2.62 ERA in his past 22 starts.

Reds: Following Monday's off-day, the final six-game road trip of the season begins with Tuesday's series opener vs. the Brewers at Miller Park. In the 7:40 p.m. ET game, right-hander Deck McGuire gets his first big league start. McGuire will be the 16th to start a game this season for Cincinnati.

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

Ian Browne has covered the Red Sox for MLB.com since 2002. Follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne and Facebook.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

McGuire to spot-start for Davis in final week Starter will be Reds' 16th this season; DeSclafani throws simulated game By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 24th, 2017 + 2 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds will hand the ball to their 16th starter this season when Deck McGuire takes the mound on Tuesday to open a three-game series vs. the Brewers.

Reds manager Bryan Price revealed on Sunday that Rookie Davis has been dealing with a right hip injury.

"His hip is a little cranky. We decided to shut him down," Price said.

Davis has been bothered by soreness for about three weeks as he wrapped up his season at Triple-A Louisville.

"But it didn't seem to be as big of a hindrance as it was in his last game," Price said.

Davis is 1-3 with an 8.63 ERA in seven games, including six starts, over his two callups. In a 9-2 loss vs. the Cardinals on Wednesday, he allowed five earned runs and five hits -- including three home runs -- over three innings.

A 28-year-old former first-round Draft pick of the Blue Jays in 2010, McGuire is making the most of his time as a September callup. Since his big league debut on Sept. 12, he has pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, yielding two hits and four over four relief appearances.

"He's been great," Price said. "He makes the most sense to start right now. We've seen him out of the bullpen. He's been very impressive. It would be nice to see him for a longer stint and get an opportunity to see what he's all about. He'll be a guy we'll certainly have discussions going into the offseason about on what type of fit he is for our club moving forward -- starter or reliever."

McGuire had bounced between Double-A and Triple-A for multiple organizations the past few seasons until the Reds signed him in February. He subsequently spent 2017 with Double-A Pensacola, going 9-9 with a 2.79 ERA in 28 games (27 starts).

"I think [it was] just challenging people and throwing strikes," McGuire said of his late-career success. "It's something I've definitely struggled with at points in my career. I think what set this year apart from those other years was just challenging guys and trying to get ahead."

The Reds like that McGuire throws four different pitches for strikes and how he competes and controls the running game.

"Maybe he's just a guy that blooms late," Price said.

DeSclafani progressing in Arizona

Injured Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (right elbow) threw 64 pitches over four innings on Saturday during a simulated game with Reds instructional league players.

"He threw his full complement of pitches, all of his pitches -- fastball, slider, change," Price said. "He'll throw five innings and somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-85 pitches next time out [Thursday]. He's come through everything really well. We'll continue to take that workload and see how he holds up over the course of instructional league."

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

McGuire faces Crew for first Majors start By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 24th, 2017 + 1 COMMENT

With the "Cincinnati sweep" still fresh on their minds, the Brewers will begin their final push for a postseason berth with a rematch against Joey Votto and the Reds beginning on Tuesday at Miller Park.

"It's been a fun September already, and now it's going to be a race to the end," said Brewers 17-game winner Zach Davies, who will start against rookie Deck McGuire for Cincinnati.

When these teams last met from Sept. 4-6 at Great American Ball Park, the Reds took all three games while outscoring the Brewers, 21-8. The Brewers can't afford another such setback. After dropping Sunday's finale to Chicago and with an off-day Monday, second-place Milwaukee is 5 1/2 games back in the division. The deficit is in the Wild Card battle -- the Crew is two games behind the Rockies.

"You want to look back and be mad about [the sweep], but at the same time, no matter who we're playing, all of these games matter right now," said Davies. "We just have to play winning baseball now, no matter who it is."

In his past four games, beginning with when he previously faced the Reds on Sept. 5, Davies is 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA. He gave up two earned runs and seven hits over seven innings in a 5-3 loss to the Cubs on Thursday for a no-decision.

Over 21 plate appearances vs. Davies, Votto is 8-for-20 (.400) with a . Votto leads the Majors in reaching base this season, and he has started all 156 games Cincinnati has played in 2017.

McGuire has made four relief appearances since getting his first callup from Double-A Pensacola, and he has recorded 5 2/3 scoreless innings with two hits and four strikeouts. This will be his first Major League start.

Three things to know about this game

• On the road, Votto has had some of his best success at Miller Park. In 70 games there, he's a .340 hitter with a 1.085 OPS, 17 home runs and 49 RBIs.

• Brewers first baseman Eric Thames has 10 homers this season vs. Cincinnati, tied for the second-most all-time by an opposing player in a single season.

• Brewers mainstay Ryan Braun has clobbered Reds pitching for much of his career. Lifetime vs. Cincinnati, Braun is batting .285 with 41 homers and 94 RBIs in 152 games.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Bryan Price: “Losing sucks. Plain and simple.” Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 5:54 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2017 | Updated 6:54 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2017

For the Cincinnati Reds, there was plenty to find frustrating about Sunday’s 5-4 loss to the . For Reds manager Bryan Price, all of it sucked.

There was the fact that the Reds led 4-1 after the seventh, the inning ending on a high note when Billy Hamilton managed to score despite being picked off at first. There also was the fact that the game fell apart in the hands of the Reds’ top relievers, including closer Raisel Iglesias.

There was the harsh reality that it was Cincinnati’s sixth loss in a row, all of them against contenders whose postseason dreams the Reds had hoped to rattle. Then, of course, there was the certainty that the Reds, now 24 games under .500, will finish with at least 90 losses for the third-season.

It all sucked, so much that Price dropped the phrase into one answer seven times.

“This loss sucks and it sucks because we had the lead,” Price began. “And we walked two guys and they ended up scoring and we ended up losing the game by a run. It sucks that it’s against a really good team. And it sucks because, with the exception of a half- inning, we played a pretty darn good ballgame.

“You want these guys rewarded for the commitment and the effort,” he continued. “They haven’t been rewarded enough. So it sucks. Losing sucks. Plain and simple. You guys know it, you’ve watched it. You lose a game like this where you have a lead late, just because we’re (24) games under, it sucks worse.”

Price would have been in a better mood if the game had ended with Hamilton’s heroics in the seventh. The Reds already led 3-1 when the Reds center fielder drew a one-out walk, but the chances of adding on seemed to go down when Red Sox reliever Brandon Workman caught Hamilton leaning off second with the last of three straight pickoff attempts.

Hamilton made a dash toward second, but Boston first baseman Mitch Moreland threw to Dustin Pedroia to start a rundown. But as Hamilton made a jab step to change direction, Pedrioa misfired on a toss back to Workman at first.

As the ball skidded to the wall, Hamilton rounded second for third. He noticed nobody was covering home. There was only rookie third baseman Rafael Devers – hardly a speedster – to beat. Hamilton slid headfirst over the plate, as Devers and catcher Christian Vazquez converged on his position a beat too late.

“It was just a race between me and Devers,” said Hamilton, who suffered a cut near his right eye on the slide that went unnoticed until later. “I think I’ll take my chances with that one.”

The Red Sox don’t have any players as fast as Hamilton, but they had two – Devers included – who were just fast enough to sink the Reds an inning later. After Michael Lorenzen put two aboard with no outs in the eighth, Price turned to Iglesias. The Reds closer wound up loading the bases before surrendering a bases-clearing double to Mookie Betts that tied the game.

Iglesias rebounded for the second out of the inning, but then Devers nubbed a slow-roller toward third base. As Eugenio Suarez charged, Betts took off for third. Suarez barehanded the ball and fired to first, but his throw was a tad late and also pulled Joey Votto off the bag. The extra motion cost Votto too, as he couldn’t fire home in time to nab Betts, who’d rounded third and scored the go- ahead run.

Both Price and Suarez said it was the right decision to go for the out at first.

“Devers is not a really good runner,” Suarez said. “I don’t pay attention to the runner behind me because we’ve got two outs. If we got the out, inning over.”

The loss sends the Reds into their final road trip at 66-90, needing to win three games out of their remaining six in order to surpass last year’s record. They’ll face the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers, the former having all but clinched the division title and the latter 1.5 games back of the final Wild Card berth.

Earlier in the week, Price talked about his team showing up against contenders down the stretch. After sweeps at the hands of the Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, he placed the focus more on the players in his clubhouse.

“We’re not in the pennant race. We’re not in any playoff race,” he said. “We’re in the let’s-finish-strong race.”

Reds recap: Cincinnati blows lead for sixth consecutive loss Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 4:51 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds wasted a three-run lead, falling 5-4 to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday at Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati’s sixth consecutive loss. Here are the main storylines.

The Reds bullpen blew a three-run lead. The Reds were up 4-1 to start the eighth inning, and had right-hander Michael Lorenzen on the mound. Lorenzen had rescued left-hander Wandy Peralta from a jam the previous inning, but walked his first batter of the eighth and gave up a single to the next one.

That led Reds manager Bryan Price to pull a double switch, bringing in closer Raisel Iglesias and putting Phillip Ervin in left.

Iglesias didn’t have a single easy at-bat. Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia battled for seven pitches before grounding out. Then drew a seven-pitch walk. Iglesias then locked himself into a battle of wills with Mookie Betts, who shot the seventh pitch he saw over the head of Ervin. That cleared the bases and tied the game at 4-4.

Iglesias bounced back to get Mitch Moreland on an infield pop, but then third baseman Rafael Devers nubbed a slow-roller to third. As Eugenio Suarez charged the ball, Betts took off for first. Suarez barehanded it and fired to first, but was too late. By that point, Betts had rounded third and would up just beating a throw home to score the go-ahead run.

Billy Hamilton turned a pickoff into a run. The Reds led 3-1 when Billy Hamilton worked a one-out walk off Brandon Workman, and the score probably should have stayed that way. But things that are supposed to happen often don’t when Hamilton is on the bases.

Workman threw over twice to try to keep Hamilton close to first, and on the third time actually caught Hamilton about to head to second. The Red Sox had him in a run down, but as Hamilton jab stepped to return to first, Pedroia misfired on his throw to Workman, who was covering first.

The ball skipped toward the stands, and Hamilton jolted around second to third. As he approached, he saw no one was covering home, a fact Devers realized just as Hamilton passed him. Both Devers and catcher Christian Vazquez tried in vain to beat the speedy outfielder to the plate, but Hamilton slid head first to score one of the most unlikely runs of his career.

As Hamilton greeted teammate Joey Votto in celebration, an elderly male fan raised both of his hands in the air and bowed down in respect.

Jackson Stephens was pretty good. The rookie right-hander was making just his third big-league start, and just his second since begin recalled from Triple-A at the beginning of September. His first start back lasted only 3 2/3 innings, but Stephens was much better Sunday.

The 23-year-old allowed just one run in six innings, coming on a game-tying solo homer by Rafael Devers to start the fifth. To that point, he’d given up only a walk and a double, neither in the same inning. Stephens walked his first batter after the homer, but rebounded to retire the next three batters. The Red Sox also went down in order in the sixth.

Stephens struck out three and gave up just two hits while getting eight of 18 outs on the ground. He threw 90 pitches, 56 of which were strikes.

The Reds finally figured out Doug Fister. Fister confounded the Reds early on, racking up seven strikeouts through three innings. Six of those strikeouts were of the looking variety, with Fister scoring a whopping 13 called strikes on his sinker to that point in the game.

The Reds had a couple opportunities that they wasted with bad baserunning, but broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run fifth. Adam Duvall started things off with an infield single, then scored when Stephens singled and Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. airmailed a throw to third. Stephens then scored on a Billy Hamilton triple to give the Reds a 3-1 advantage.

The Reds kept the pressure on Fister in the sixth, starting the inning with two singles and ultimately loading the bases with a two- out intentional walk, but reliever Fernando Abad entered and got Tucker Barnhart to ground out to end the inning.

Rookie Davis shut down with hip issue, and surgery is an option Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 12:55 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds have shut down rookie right-handed starter Rookie Davis due to a right hip impingement, Reds manager Bryan Price said Sunday. Surgery is being looked at as a possible solution, per a team source, but has not been decided upon yet.

Davis said the issue has been bothering him off and on this season, but Price said it’s mainly been nagging the 23-year-old right- hander for the last three weeks. That would coincide with a drop in Davis’ fastball velocity, from an average of 94 mph earlier in the season to 91 mph this month.

Davis said he doesn’t feel any pain, but that he feels that he doesn’t have the strength to push off of his right foot in order to drive the ball downward when he pitches.

“It’s just one of those things where I tried to pitch through something that I shouldn’t have pitched through,” Davis said. “That’s just the competitive nature that I have. This time, I pushed it a little too far.”

Davis already has met with team medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek and had medical images taken of the joint, and will get a second opinion when he meets with Dr. Brian Kelly in New York on Tuesday. Davis wants to decide on a plan of action to deal with the injury by Wednesday, he said.

The right-hander was noncommittal when asked if surgery was on the table, but said he’s looking forward to solving issue for good.

“We know what we’re dealing with, and unfortunately it’s not a flexor strain or something like that,” Davis said. “It’s a little more significant.”

Despite barely having pitched about Double-A before this season, Davis won a spot in the rotation out of . He posted a 7.58 ERA in five starts before being sent back to Triple-A, where he added a splitter to his repertoire but missed a month with a back injury.

He had a 4.77 ERA in 11 Triple-A starts and made two appearances – one relief outing and one start – for the big-league club in September.

Davis will be replaced in the rotation by 28-year-old right-hander Deck McGuire, a former first-round pick who signed with the Reds as a minor-league free agent and enjoyed a strong year at Double-A. McGuire has not allowed a run in four relief appearances since being promoted earlier in the month.

“He’s been very impressive,” Price said. “It would be nice to see him for a longer stint and get an opportunity to see what he’s all about. He’ll be a guy we’ll certainly have discussions going into the offseason about on what type of fit he is for our club moving forward – starter or reliever.”

Mesoraco at ease

Despite ending the year on the disabled list for the third straight season, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is much more upbeat about heading into the offseason. The last two winters, he’s been saddled with rehab exercises for surgically repaired hips and a shoulder. Now, all he’s dealing with is a broken foot that is nearly healed.

For the first time since after his All-Star year in 2014, he’ll be able to have a normal offseason and come into spring training at full strength.

“I couldn’t swing pain-free until like two weeks left in spring training,” Mesoraco said. “I usually start hitting around Christmas. I wasn’t able to lift and I wasn’t able to do catching stuff. All that stuff, there’s a reason that we have so much spring training and there’s a reason that we have an offseason to recoup and get your body to where you want it to be.”

Next year is the final year on Mesoraco’s contract, and he’ll command a salary of $13 million. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Reds lose home finale, was it Zack Cozart’s last game at GABP? Mark Schmetzer Contributing Writer 4:53 p.m Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017

CINCINNATI - If Sunday was, indeed, Zack Cozart’s last game in Cincinnati as a Red, the memories definitely will be bittersweet at best.

The sixth-year shortstop, who can be a free agent after the season, had two hits and scored a run, but he also was guilty of a baserunning gaffe that might’ve cost the Reds a run in a game they ended up losing, 5-4.

“We’re not in a pennant race,” manager Bryan Price said. “We’re not in a playoff race. We’re in the finish-strong race. This loss sucks. It sucks because we had the lead. It sucks because we were beating a really good team. It sucks because, except for a bad half-inning, we played a really good game and you want to be rewarded. It doesn’t hurt less because we’re 20 games under .500. It hurts worse.”

Second baseman Scooter Gennett and Billy Hamilton each drove in a run and Hamilton scored in the seventh on a sequence that electrified the Fan Appreciation Day crowd of 25,545, but the usually reliable Raisel Iglesias (3-3) picked up his second blown save of the season while trying for his ninth two-inning save of the season.

“We were really hoping to get an out or two before bringing in Iglesias,” Price said. “It’s been a long season, and it’s unfair for us to keep asking him to get us out of jams with those two-inning saves.”

Mookie Betts tied the game with a bases-loaded, three-run double and scored the go-ahead run on third baseman Rafael Devers’ infield single to third to extend the Reds losing streak to six games, all at home and their longest since a six-game losing streak from July 24 through July 29.

Boston’s bullpen retired the last eight batters for the Reds, who finished 39-42 at home. They are 1-12 against Boston in interleague play and finished 5-15 in interleague play this season.

After walking with one out, Hamilton was trapped in a rundown between first and second, but he escaped when second baseman Dustin Pedroia committed a throwing error. As the ball rolled toward the first base dugout, Hamilton headed to third. Seeing the plate unguarded as catcher Christian Vazquez was retrieving the ball, Hamilton sped home, completing the trip with a dusty headfirst slide.

“I was just trying to get to second base,” Hamilton said. “When I’m running the bases, I keep my head up to see what’s happening. When I got to third, I saw there was nobody at the plate. At that point, it’s a race between me and Devers. I’ll take my chances with that.”

Hamilton avoided being the third Reds runner to be thrown out on the basepaths. Two were thrown out between second and third in the first four innings. Gennett was caught in a rundown as Cozart scored on his double into the right field corner in the first. Cozart singled to lead off the fourth and was thrown out at third on Joey Votto’s single to right after stopping a couple of steps around second base.

Rookie right-hander Jackson Stephens, who retired the first 10 batters he faced in an 8-7 10-inning loss to St. Louis on Tuesday, allowed two baserunners through the first four innings of his sixth career major league appearance and third start on Sunday. Third baseman Rafael Devers got the Red Sox on the board and tied the game 1-1 with his 10th home run of the season and second of the series leading off the fifth.

Adam Duvall, who took one of those called third strikes to end the second inning, snapped a career-worst 19 at bat hitless stretch in the fifth with a one-out infield single, a dribbler up the third base line on which Devers was unable to make a barehand grab and throw. One out later, Stephens blooped a single into short center field and Duvall scored when center fielder Xander Bogaerts throw sailed over Devers’ head into the visitor’s dugout on the third base side.

Hamilton followed with a line drive, RBI triple into the right field corner.

Stephens (3-0), aided by some flashy glove work, finished six innings. Former shortstop Eugenio Suarez, playing as part of a shift where Cozart normally plays, made a diving backhand stop in the hole and threw out Mitch Moreland leading off the second inning.

Gennett dove to his left to snare Pedroia’s sharp one-hopper, scrambled back to his feet and threw out his Red Sox counterpart.

Stephens limited the Reds Sox to two hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts.

“He was really good,” Price said. “He was aggressive in the zone and had good command. He threw some really good glove-side sinkers, and he just learned that three days ago. Good learnability, and the defense played well behind him”

Red Sox starter Doug Fister’s first six strikeouts all were called before Hamilton went down swinging to end the third inning. The Reds piled up nine hits and struck out nine times in 5 1/3 innings against Fister (5-9), who didn’t walk anybody.

RedsFest is scheduled for Dec. 1-2 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati. TRANSACTIONS 09/24/17 Atlanta Braves traded 3B Connor Joe to for Future Considerations. Atlanta Braves selected the contract of C Tony Sanchez from Gwinnett Braves.