Press Clippings July 21, 2018 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1977-Mario Soto makes his major league debut, allowing two runs in 2.0 innings of relief. Soto will spend all 12 years of his major league career with the Reds, amassing a 100-92 record, a 3.47 ERA, 72 complete games, 13 shut outs, 1449 and 1730.1 innings pitched MLB.COM For 2nd straight start, wheels come off for Mahle By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon 2:42 AM EDT

CINCINNATI -- During the Reds' recent winning surge, they haven't been on the wrong end of lopsided losses very often. A big reason for Cincinnati's revival from the rotation side has been rookie pitcher Tyler Mahle.

Following Friday's 12-1 defeat to the Pirates at Great American Ball Park in a lackluster opening to the second half -- which was just Cincinnati's third loss of more than four runs in the past month -- Mahle has now been on the hook for the last two rough games for the team. His six earned runs allowed were a season-high and they happened over 5 2/3 innings, when Mahle allowed eight hits (including two homers) and three walks against three strikeouts.

Mahle gave up seven runs (five earned) over 2 1/3 innings in a 19-4 loss to the Indians on July 11. That came after a seven-start stretch where he had a 2.04 ERA while going 4-0.

"Some bad luck involved, and bad pitching. It's nothing else to really say," Mahle said.

Pittsburgh already led, 2-0, when it opened the top of the sixth inning with a Colin Moran single and a Josh Bell walk. Pitching coach Danny Darwin paid a mound visit but on the very first pitch after the chat, Mahle left a slider up to Sean Rodriguez and gave up a three-run homer. With two outs and a full count, Corey Dickerson slugged another slider for a solo homer to make it a 6-0 game and end Mahle's night.

"A slider down the middle to Rodriguez. It was another slider down the middle, a full count. I had to throw a strike. Both sliders, both home runs that hurt real bad," Mahle said.

According to Statcast™, 22 of Mahle's 111 pitches in the game were sliders. It garnered three swings-and-misses, two called strikes and four foul balls. Rodriguez didn't hit a cheap homer, with an exit velocity of 103.7 mph and it traveled 407 feet.

If bad pitching does derail a Mahle performance, odds are that it could happen in the sixth inning. Including Friday, he has a 9.00 ERA in the sixth -- by far his worse in any inning of a game -- with four home runs.

"We've talked about it earlier in the year," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "We were getting past the point of that sixth inning. That sixth inning bit one of our starters again. He had given up a couple of runs before that but not many hard-hit balls. He was kind of cruising along. In the sixth, he kind of lost control a little bit.

"It's kind of a hurdle we've got to get over there."

The long night was made longer before Mahle could even throw a pitch. Rain forced a two-hour, 55-minute delay of the game's start.

"Once it got closer to the game time was supposed to be, I didn't go through my whole routine but I just started to warm up again and went out and played catch and went into the bullpen and did all of that stuff," Mahle said.

It was scoreless in the top of the fourth when Mahle threw a wild pitch to Bell that moved Moran into scoring position. After Bell walked, Rodriguez's RBI single to left field plated the game's first run. A squeeze bunt by Pirates pitcher Jameson Taillon scored Bell for a two-run deficit.

A Jesse Winker RBI double in the sixth ended Taillon's night, but Pittsburgh added a run in the seventh inning when Gregory Polanco hit a leadoff triple against reliever Austin Brice and scored on an Elias Diaz single. In the eighth inning against Jackson Stephens, Starling Marte slugged a grand slam to left field to turn the game into a blowout.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

The game was out of hand when an unfortunate incident happened in the top of the ninth. As backup infielder Alex Blandino turned a at second base, Max Moroff rolled into his right knee in an unsuccessful attempt to break up a double play. Blandino immediately grabbed his knee and would have to be helped off the field. With the Reds out of middle infielders on their bench, backup catcher Curt Casali replaced Blandino at second base -- his first time at that position, coming immediately after he made his first career appearance as the first baseman to open the ninth.

"Hopefully, it's something that will not be too devastating for him. But it's certainly very unfortunate," Riggleman said of Blandino's injury.

SOUND SMART

Winker had two hits on Friday to extend his career-high hitting streak to 11 games. It's tied for the longest hit streak among National League rookies with the Padres' Christian Villanueva, who did it April 13-28.

UP NEXT

Coming off his poorest outing of the season to conclude the first half, Anthony DeSclafani will make the start on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET at Great American Ball Park, opposite Pirates pitcher Nick Kingham. DeSclafani gave up a season-high six earned runs over 3 1/3 innings during Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Cardinals. He is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in seven career starts vs. Pittsburgh.

Blandino injured during DP breakup attempt By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon 2:57 AM EDT

CINCINNATI -- The final inning of a lopsided defeat for the Reds became even more unfortunate when a right knee injury forced Alex Blandino out of the game vs. the Pirates in the ninth inning of a 12-1 loss.

Runners were on first and second base with no outs when grounded to second base. Blandino, who pinch-hit for starting second baseman Scooter Gennett in the bottom of the eighth and remained in the game, fielded the ball and touched second base.

As Blandino threw to first base, runner Max Moroff tried to break up the double play. Moroff rolled directly into Blandino's knee, and the result was grisly. Blandino immediately grabbed his knee and was in obvious pain on the ground.

"I think what the young man did there was he tried to slide early and not hit Blandino," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "It's muddy and he kind of stuck and rolled. I'm sure he feels terrible about it. We feel terrible about it with Blandino. Hopefully, it's not extremely serious. I don't have much to say about it. The kid wasn't trying to hit him, maybe he could have peeled off or something. But I certainly don't believe he had any attempt to hurt anybody."

Blandino was helped off the field by two trainers. He is expected to undergo an MRI on Saturday to learn the full extent of the injury.

"Hopefully. it's something that will not be too devastating for him," Riggleman said. "But it's certainly very unfortunate."

Cincinnati was out of middle infielders because Riggleman had already taken Gennett and third baseman Eugenio Suarez out of the game.

Backup catcher Curt Casali replaced Blandino at second base -- his first time at that position, and it came immediately after he made his first career appearance as the first baseman to open the ninth. Joey Votto, given the night off from the starting lineup, came in to man first base.

The first batter after the injury, Corey Dickerson, hit a routine ground ball to Casali that was booted for a run-scoring error.

Blandino, 25, notched a single batting for Gennett, which gave him a team-leading nine hits as a pinch-hitter this season. Overall, in 69 games, the rookie is batting .234 with one and eight RBIs.

Cincinnati has Dilson Herrera who can play second base. But Blandino is their only true shortstop to play behind starter Jose Peraza. If Blandino has a short-term injury, Peraza could play second base and Suarez, a former shortstop, could slide over from third. But if Blandino needs to go on the disabled list, the Reds have no other shortstops currently on their 40-man roster to take his place. At Triple-A Louisville, shortstop Blake Trahan is batting .224 this season.

Bailey due back Tuesday; what will rotation be? Reds debating going with 6 starters; Ervin recalled for Schebler; Votto gets recovery day Friday By Mark Sheldon MLB.com @m_sheldon Jul. 20th, 2018

CINCINNATI -- Assuming there are no setbacks, the Reds plan to activate Homer Bailey from the disabled list for Tuesday's game vs. the Cardinals. What remains to be seen, however, is whether Bailey will be part of a five-man or six-man rotation.

Sal Romano is going to be available from the bullpen this weekend against the Pirates, but he could still start on Wednesday after Bailey. It will depend on if he's used as a reliever before then, and how much.

"He's the most useable guy in the bullpen, as opposed to the other guys," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said of Romano. "We can use him in the bullpen for a couple of days and then use him on that sixth day. The other guys, we were a little more reluctant to do that with. It's more that than anything [else]. He's been throwing the ball well. We're anxious to get him out there starting."

Bailey has been out with right knee inflammation since June 2. He made his last big league start May 28 vs. Arizona and is is 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA in 12 starts this season. The club planned on moving him to the bullpen before the injury and had him try a relief appearance during his rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville, before reversing course.

In his sixth start for Louisville on Wednesday, Bailey pitched seven scoreless innings with four hits, three walks and three strikeouts while throwing 110 pitches vs. Rochester. In the start before that, he notched 10 strikeouts over six innings while allowing four earned runs.

"The report was really positive on what he did," Riggleman said.

Bailey, 32, is making $21 million this season, and is owed an additional $23 million for '19. He has a $25 million club option for '20 that has a $5 million buyout.

Riggleman plans to have Luis Castillo start the series opener vs. St. Louis on Monday, after Tyler Mahle, Anthony DeSclafani and Matt Harvey work the series vs. Pittsburgh.

Harvey, of course, is front and center in Reds trade rumors leading up to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. Even if Cincinnati has a six-man rotation, it might not be for very long, depending on what the club decides to do in the trade market.

Ervin recalled

The Reds recalled outfielder Phillip Ervin from Louisville on Friday to take the roster spot of Scott Schebler. The right fielder was placed on the 10-day DL on Thursday with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. The move was retroactive to Sunday.

"He's feeling much better," Riggleman said. "And really, because of the four-day All-Star break and not playing the last game Sunday, that's five of the 10 days right there. I don't think he would have been ready to play today, but he's not far away. I don't think it will be much more than the 10 days."

Ervin opened this season on the big league club and batted .205 in 19 games. He returned for three days in June while Schebler was on the bereavement list, but did not play. In 48 games for Louisville, Ervin batted .289 with five home runs and 38 RBIs.

"He sat a lot here, just like [Brandon] Dixon did. They needed to go down and play," Riggleman said. "Dixon's doing well down there now. Phil was doing well down there. Instead of letting them sit too much, let them go down and they can come up and help us."

Votto enjoyed sixth All-Star experience

On the first day of the second half, Reds All-Star first baseman Joey Votto was out of the starting lineup. It wasn't because of an injury.

"I could use a little bit of a breather," Votto said.

"Give him a break after all of the travel and hoopla and everything that took place in Washington and the travel out of there," Riggleman said.

Votto snapped a 0-for-12 mark in All-Star Game at-bats Tuesday with a 10th inning solo home run for the National League in an 8- 6 loss to the American League. It was a Scooter Gennett two-run homer in the ninth that forced extras and gave Votto a third chance to bat in the game.

"It was a cool experience all the way around," said Votto, a six-time NL All-Star. "I get real excited getting picked for the All-Star team and being on the bench when Scooter had that big moment in the ninth inning. I think most guys in here that play with him on a daily basis, we weren't surprised. It was really a fun game."

The Reds' All-Stars were recognized in front of the home crowd and Joey Votto was very Votto about it By Jessica Kleinschmidt @KleinschmidtJD July 21, 2018 at 12:52am

While the All-Star festivities have come and gone, the Reds' fans hadn't had a chance to wish their elected All-Stars congratulations -- that was until they returned from the break on Friday night. Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suarez were on the field prior to the Pirates-Reds game to receive recognition for their selections. And Votto seized the opportunity to be well -- very Votto about it.

As the names were announced, the first baseman posed for the camera and the crowd:

He smiled big and waved to fans as Suarez stood next to him calmly:

The Reds had a lot of fun in Washington. Gennett's game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth made the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard a bit more interesting and gave us more , which we love. Not too far after, in the bottom of the 10th, Votto hit a homer of his own -- that was his first hit in an All-Star Game ever. That's crazy, right?

Nevertheless, never stop being you, Votto. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Cincinnati Reds fall 12-1 to the after rookie Tyler Mahle's rough start John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 1:32 a.m. ET July 21, 2018 | Updated 2:55 a.m. ET July 21, 2018

During the 21-10 roll, the Cincinnati Reds took into the All-Star Break, the starting pitching wasn’t always great. But it kept the Reds in the game nearly every night.

It didn’t do that in the first game out of the break.

Rookie right-hander Tyler Mahle allowed six runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 12-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates before a crowd of 20,726 on a rainy night at Great American Ball Park.

Rain delayed the game for two hours and 55 minutes before the start, and it was played in a steady drizzle.

The game got away from Mahle in the sixth. The killer blow: Sean Rodriguez’s three-run homer. Rodriguez, activated earlier in the day, drove in four runs. He came in hitting .145.

"Slider down the middle," Mahle said.

It was the second straight rough start for Mahle. He gave up a career-high seven runs (five earned) in a 19-4 loss to the Cleveland on July 11. Mahle was 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA in the seven starts before Cleveland.

The difference?

"There's some luck involved," Mahle said. "Some back luck involved and bad pitching. There's nothing else really to say."

Utility man Alex Blandino had to leave the game in the ninth after he and Max Moroff collided as Blandino turned a double play.

"He was really sore," Reds manager Jim Rigglemn said. "He'll get x-rays, MRI (Saturday). Hopefully, it's something that will not be too devastating for him. It's unfortunate."

Riggleman had no problem with Moroff's slide.

"I think what he did was try to slide early and not hit Blandino," Riggleman said. "It's muddy. He stuck and rolled. I'm sure he feels terrible about it. We feel terrible for Blandino."

The Reds only had Joey Votto left on the bench when Blandino was injured. Catcher Curt Casali, who was playing first base, finished the inning at second base with Votto taking over at first. Corey Dickerson, the first batter up after Casali moved, hit a ball to him. It went off Casali's glove for an error.

Mahle had to pitch out of quite a jam in the second. Elias Diaz and Colin Moran led off with back-to-back singles. Mahle struck out Josh Bell. The runners moved up on Mahle’s errant pitch-off throw to second.

Rodriguez hit a scorcher on which the third baseman Eugenio Suarez made a diving stop. Diaz held at third. Suarez threw out Rodriguez by a step. After the Reds intentionally walked Jordy Mercer, pitcher Jameson Taillon grounded out to end the inning.

The Reds started the second with two hits as well – from Suarez and Jesse Winker. Winker extended his career-high hitting streak to 11 games. Taillon got the next three hitters on groundouts.

The Reds threatened again in the third. Jose Peraza and Tucker Barnhart singled with one out, but they were left stranded.

The Pirates broke through in the fourth. Moran led off with a single. Bell walked. Rodriguez singled to left to get Moran in. After Mercer grounded into a fielder’s choice with Rodriguez out at second, Taillon pulled off the suicide squeeze to make it 2-0.

The sixth started just like the fourth. Moran singled, and Bell walked. Pitching coach Danny Darwin made a mound visit at that point.

Rodriguez hit the next pitch Mahle threw out to left field to make it 5-0. Mahle got the next two hitters but then gave up a home run to Corey Dickerson. That ended Mahle’s night.

"We talked about earlier in the year, we were getting past the point of that sixth inning," Riggleman said. "The sixth inning bit one of our starters again. He had given up some runs before that, but not many hard-hit balls. He was cruising along. He lost control in the sixth – a walk and the big homer.

"We've got to get over that."

The Reds finally scored in the sixth. Gennett led off with a walk. He scored an out later on Winker's double.

Jackson Stephens, the Reds fourth pitcher of the night, gave up a grand slam to Starling Marte in the eighth.

Alex Blandino's injury: 'You hate to see that at the end of a lopsided game' Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 2:54 a.m. ET July 21, 2018 | Updated 2:56 a.m. ET July 21, 2018

Cincinnati Reds infielder Alex Blandino appeared to suffer a knee injury in a collision - as he attempted to turn a double play - with the Pittsburgh Pirates' Max Moroff as Moroff slid into second base during the top of the 9th inning of an 11-1 game at GABP on Friday night.

Blandino was helped off the field and apparently couldn't put any weight on his injured leg.

"You hate to see that at the end of a lopsided game. You hate to see that in any game," FOX Sports Ohio analyst Dan Hoard said after the Reds' 12-1 loss.

"He was really sore. And he'll get some X-rays tomorrow, I believe get an MRI tomorrow. Hopefully it's something that will not be too devastating for him but certainly it's very unfortunate," Reds manager Jim Riggleman said after the game. "I think what the young man there did was he tried to slide early and not hit Blandino. That's what I think happened. You know it's muddy, he kinda stuck and rolled. I'm sure he feels terrible about it. We feel terrible about it with Blandino. Hopefully it's not extremely serious. I don't have much to say about it. The kid wasn't trying to hit him. You know maybe he could've peeled off or something. He certainly I don't believe had any intent to hurt anybody."

Was it a dirty play by Moroff? It was far from Hal McRae taking out Willie Randolph, Chase Utley injuring Ruben Tejada or Matt Holliday vs. Marco Scutaro, but when any collision happens during a 10-run game in the 9th, it's going to raise eyebrows and draw reactions.

Here's what FOX Sports Ohio play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman and analyst had to say just after the play happened:

Welsh: "Blandino got it at second base. I mean he got uploaded big time."

Brennaman: "We'll have to take a look at this one. Because this is the kind of thing ... well, we'll take a look. You don't want to rush to any judgment here."

Welsh: "Oh boy."

Brennaman: "Oh boy is right."

Welsh: "Well he went up in the air to try to get over the runner. It wasn't a bad or a vicious slide at all by the runner. At least it didn't look like it at first look. But it looked like his foot was planted on the ground when the runner ran into his knee."

Brennaman: "Well I'm not sure you can have that kind of slide anymore though. I think that's one of the things they try to avoid. That basically was a shoulder to the knee. He wasn't in the act of sliding. He was almost on one knee when the contact was made. He pops up five feet short of the bag and then rolls right into the middle infielder."

Welsh: "That was a legal slide because he got on the ground prior to getting to the base. And the fact that you go down and then pop up is not an illegal slide. ... Let's hope he's alright."

Brennaman: "He is clearly in some pain. And I'm sure no one feels worse about it than Max Moroff. Didn't appear to be in any way, shape or form a dirty play - you didn't think so, right Chris?"

Welsh: "I did not think it was a dirty play at all. ... Let's hope that it's not as bad as it looks."

Cat running on field at GABP shows impressive speed Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 12:47 a.m. ET July 21, 2018 | Updated 1:33 a.m. ET July 21, 2018

As if a Cincinnati Reds home game starting at 10:05 p.m. Eastern wasn't bizarre enough ...

A cat running on the field as Jesse Winker caught the third out of the top of the fourth inning of the Reds' game Friday night against the Pirates was a winner on Twitter, showing impressive speed as it sprinted behind home plate and up the third-base line and darted into the stands.

Play-by-play man Thom Brennaman's call: "And apparently there's a tiny little kitten that got into this playing field. Hopefully they can find that little one a home - scared to death. 2-0 game."

And color analyst Chris Welsh, as FOX Sports Ohio showed a replay coming back from commercial: "And you saw it right as the pitch came - a furry feline running behind home plate. Eventually that little kitty cat jumped into the stands ..."

Rain delays loom as Cincinnati Reds begin weekend series Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 4:28 p.m. ET July 20, 2018 | Updated 8:06 p.m. ET July 20, 2018

With the Reds back from the All-Star break, there’s a chance for rain throughout the weekend at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds dealt with two postponements because of rain earlier this season, including Opening Day.

Entering Friday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Reds have sat through 10 rain delays totaling more than 11 hours. Eight of the delays were home games.

In 2015, the Reds had 18 weather delays at GABP, which totaled 26 hours and 57 minutes. It was the highest total of delays at home since the Reds started tracking delays in 1978.

According to MLB rules, the home team decides whether a game should be delayed at the start of a game because of unsuitable weather conditions unless it’s the second game of a doubleheader.

Games are official after five innings – or if the home team is winning following 4 ½ innings.

Cincinnati Reds hope to keep rolling after All-Star break John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 7:17 p.m. ET July 20, 2018

The Reds know they are considered to be sellers as the trade deadline approaches.

Despite the 21-10 run leading into the All-Start break, the Reds remain 10 games out of the National League Wild Card. It’s widely assumed that it’s just a matter of time before Matt Harvey gets a traded. Plenty of others are on the rumor mill as well.

“When you dig yourself a little bit of hole, there’s more of a tendency to subtract as you get closer to the trading deadline,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.

The Reds dug a little bit more than a little bit of a hole. They started the season 3-18. They went into Friday 40-35 since the abysmal start.

“I think with the energy the ballclub has played with, I know our owner and the front office sees it,” Riggleman said. “I think there’s a general feeling of ‘let’s try to keep this ballclub together as much as possible.’ I think our players sense that. We’re looking forward to these next couple of weeks to maybe put a stamp on that. As opposed to selling, let’s play good enough to force our front office to say: Let’s leave it together.”

The Reds took the third-best record in the NL since May 7 into Friday.

“We’ve played well over the last month or so,” Joey Votto said. “It would be really good to see that continue. Our next step is getting up to .500 and going from there.

“We've got two months to make that happen. I think what we’ve done lately is really pretty impressive. Guys around the league have commented on it – managers and coaches. I think the next step is .500.”

The turnaround started just after Riggleman took over for Bryan Price, but Riggleman has consistently deflected credit. He was asked about accountability Friday.

“I never used that word,” Riggleman said. “I hear that word a lot. I think we just ask our players to play hard, be professional and get after it each day and good things will happen. They’ve always done that.

“Inexplicably, we came out and had a bad start this year. We didn’t swing it the way we swung it last year. The starting pitching was struggling a little bit. The result was a lot of losses. The quality of the players has come out. We’re a tougher club to deal with.”

The winning has bred confidence. The Reds start the second half with a 10-game homestand. That would seem to an ideal time to keep the roll going.

“We’ve played well on the road also," Votto said. “I don’t think it matters – home or the road. Guys are excited to play ball. We’ve played better.

“We need to continue to play well. We’ve done a little bit. We haven’t really done hardly anything yet. I think continuing a trend upward, getting to .500 would be a cool step and then go from there."

Homer Bailey will return to Cincinnati Reds rotation Tuesday John Fay, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 5:54 p.m. ET July 20, 2018

Homer Bailey will return the rotation Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Bailey, the 32-year-old right-hander, has been rehabbing a right knee injury at Triple-A Louisville. He went 2-2 with a 4.78 ERA over six starts and one relief appearance for the Bats.

Right-hander Sal Romano will go to the bullpen to open a spot for Bailey. There’s a possibility Romano could start Wednesday, which would give the Reds a six-man rotation.

“These first couple of days, we’re going to use Sal out of the bullpen and have him available for a couple of days,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said. “Based on if he’s in those games, and how much he’s in those games, does he then start that next day after Homer? Or do we not start him that day? It could be six, but it depends on these next two days with Romano’s usage.”

Romano, the 24-year-old right-hander, has been up and down all year. But he’s been good lately. He’s 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA over his last seven outings.

“He’s the most usable guy in the bullpen as opposed to the other guys,” Riggleman said. “We can use him in the bullpen for a couple of days and then use him on that sixth day. The other guys, we were a little more reluctant to do that with. It’s more that than anything. He’s been throwing the ball well. We’re anxious to get him out there starting. But we have him for these first two, just like he was available in St. Louis.”

Bailey did pitch well at Louisville over his last four outings for the Bats. He put up a 2.08 ERA over 21 ⅔ innings, allowing 19 hits, eight walks and striking out 22.

“The report was really positive on what he did,” Riggleman said. “He had a lot of strikeouts. In the bigger picture, you want to get outs. But that was something he was doing a lot. He wasn’t getting strikeouts. It may indicate he’s fine-tuning a put-away pitch for Strike 3.”

SCHEBLER UPDATE: Right fielder Scott Schebler expects to come off the 10-day disabled list July 25, the first day he’s eligible. He’s dealing with a right shoulder injury suffered in the second-to-last game before the break.

“I took some swings and threw,” Schebler said Friday. “It’s much better. I’m expecting to be back after the 10 days. I don’t know what the rehab situation is.”

“He’s feeling much better,” Riggleman said. “And really, because of the four-day All-Star Break and not playing the last game Sunday, that’s five of the 10 days right there. I don’t think he would have been ready to play today, but he’s not far away. I don’t think it will be much more than the 10 days.”

The Reds called up Phillip Ervin to take Schebler’s spot on the roster. Ervin started Friday in right field with Adam Duvall starting at first base in place of Joey Votto.

Going forward, Duvall, Billy Hamilton and Jesse Winker will likely start until Schebler returns.

This Ervin’s third stint with the Reds. He was hitting .384 with five home runs and 23 RBI in his last 23 games at Louisville.

“He’s a good player,” Riggleman said. “He sat a lot here, just like (Brandon) Dixon did. They needed to go down and play. Dixon’s doing well down there now. Phil was doing well down there. Instead of letting them sit too much, let them go down, and they can come up and help us.”

VOTTO OFF: Votto was out of the lineup Friday to give him some rest. Votto played in the All-Star Game.

“Give him a break after all of the travel and hoopla and everything that took place in Washington and the travel out of there,” Riggleman said. “It’s a 10-day homestand. It will probably be the only day off he takes during this homestand.”

Votto was OK with not being in the lineup.

“I could use a little bit of a breather,” he said.

Joey Votto: 'We don't appreciate how spectacular (Mike Trout) is' Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer Published 2:58 p.m. ET July 20, 2018

Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout's greatness has been the topic of much debate this week. But for Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto, there should be no debate at all.

On Tuesday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said the outfielder would be an even bigger star if he spent more time marketing himself.

The Angels came to Trout's defense, and Trout responded as follows: "I do as much as I can. But it's a long baseball season. I got to pick and choose when I want to do things and go from there."

When Votto was asked about Trout by USA TODAY Sports' Ted Berg, he insisted that it's a mistake to underappreciate Trout:

Possession is a big part of it. You see him on camera, or he has the ball in his hand, on a daily basis maybe for less than three, four, five minutes. Maybe as much as 10 minutes. But even if those 10 minutes are him hitting, he can go 0-for-4 and you don’t get to appreciate his greatness. For me, to really recognize how good he is — any of us — you have to watch in month spurts.

Baseball’s more of a daily thing. You’re having dinner, you’re sitting down at the end of a long workday or you’re doing chores, and it’s in the background. It’s part of the daily routine. If you’re watching Tom Brady or you’re watching Usain Bolt or you’re watching the World Cup, you sit down and you’re dedicated to it, whereas baseball’s just part of the flow of the day.

I don’t mean to speak for everybody here. I think, watching a guy like Trout, because he doesn’t hit 60 home runs, we don’t appreciate how spectacular he is. But really if you watched him over the course of the summer, and you compared him to other athletes, it’s just impossible not to say he’s the best.

Both Trout and Votto homered during Tuesday's All-Star Game.

Trout leads this season with a .454 on-base percentage. Votto ranks third (behind Trout and Boston's Mookie Betts) with a .422 OBP. THE ATHLETIC To add insult to injury, Alex Blandino gets hurt in freak play late in the game By C. Trent Rosecrans July 21, 2018

CINCINNATI — Pirates infielder Max Moroff stood at second base helpless. He knew he was out, but he wanted to wait to say something to Reds second baseman Alex Blandino, who was on the ground writhing in pain.

The score was 11-1, neither Moroff nor Blandino had started the game and were in only because of the changes that go into an 11-1 game that was still going after 1 a.m. because of a nearly three-hour rain delay to start.

So there he stood, at 1:20 a.m., waiting to say something, anything to Blandino, the player he’d just run into on an awkward double play.

“I knew right away he was hurt because he was screaming,” Moroff said after the Pirates’ 12-1 victory early Saturday morning.

But he stood there as Blandino continued to scream in pain, clutching his right knee.

Finally, Blandino was helped off the field, one arm draped over the shoulder of athletic trainer Tomas Vera and another over the shoulder of interim manager Jim Riggleman.

Blandino held his right foot in the air as he hopped off the field, handed off from Riggleman to head trainer Steve Baumann.

With the game ending at 1:32 a.m., Riggleman said Blandino will be examined further in the morning, getting X-rays or an MRI to see the extent of the damage to his knee.

“Hopefully it’s something that will not be too devastating for him, but it’s certainly very unfortunate,” Riggleman said.

Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen was enlisted into mop-up duty after long reliever Jackson Stephens gave up five runs in the eighth inning. Lorenzen walked the first two batters he faced, including Moroff, before getting Jordan Luplow to hit a grounder to Blandino just to the right of the bag.

Blandino stepped on the bag and threw on to first to complete the double play.

Moroff, running in from first, tried to slide early, but his cleat got stuck in the mud. The infield dirt, Moroff said, had gotten clumpy because of the rain that the teams played through for most of the three hours and 27 minutes of the game that had already been delayed nearly three hours by rain. After his cleat stuck, Moroff rolled over and felt Blandino’s knee hit him in the back.

Immediately, he knew something bad had happened.

Afterward, Riggleman defended Moroff when asked if the slide was too aggressive in the ninth inning of an 11-1 game.

“I think what the young man there did is he tried to slide early and not hit Blandino, that’s what I think happened,” Riggleman said. “It’s muddy, he kind of stuck and rolled. I’m sure he feels terrible about it, we feel terrible about it with Blandino, hopefully, it’s not extremely serious. … The kid wasn’t trying to hit him, maybe he could have peeled off or something, but he certainly didn’t have, I think, any intent to hurt anybody.”

Blandino, a first-round pick by the Reds in 2014, made his big-league debut earlier this season and had found himself in a nice role with the Reds, a backup infielder who has played seven different positions this season, including an inning of scoreless relief on the mound. He had come into the game in the bottom of the eighth, recording his ninth hit in 24 at-bats as a pinch hitter (.375), a one- out single as a replacement for Scooter Gennett.

Riggleman had given Joey Votto a day off after the All-Star break and when the game got out of hand, he relieved his other two All- Stars, replacing Gennett with Blandino and pulling third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the game and moving Adam Duvall from first (where he started in place of Votto) to third base and put backup catcher Curt Casali at first base, a position he played in college at Vanderbilt.

When Blandino went out, Votto was the last man on the bench and went to first base and Casali was moved to second, a position he hadn’t played before.

The first batter with Casali at second, of course, found him, as Corey Dickerson hit a ball right at the catcher, who was in position but it bounced off his glove (actually, he was using Blandino’s glove) into right field, allowing a run to score.

Starling Marte flew out to mercifully end the inning, but with Blandino out, the Reds may have a difficult time finding someone to backup starting shortstop José Peraza.

Peraza is hitting .293/.338/.390 and is in no danger of losing his job. He’s started 90 of the team’s 97 games this season at shortstop, but Blandino was really the team’s only backup shortstop since Cliff Pennington was released earlier this season. Suárez, who started his career at short, is the only player other than Peraza, Blandino or Pennington, to play shortstop for the Reds this season, logging an inning there so far this year.

“Suárez, certainly if Alex has a serious injury, we’d have to bring somebody up from down below and figure that out, but Suárez can play there, we know that,” Riggleman said. “But Peraza, unless he gets hurt, he plays pretty much every inning.”

The team’s bench currently has one infielder, Dilson Herrera, but he’s limited to second and third base. He last played shortstop in 2014 at Double-A.

The only other infielders on the 40-man roster are second baseman Shed Long and utility man Brandon Dixon. Long, a converted catcher, has two innings at shortstop as a professional, those coming in a game at low- Dayton in 2015. Dixon has played six different positions in his professional career and shortstop isn’t one of them.

The team’s shortstop in Triple-A is 24-year-old Blake Trahan. However, Trahan was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Bats’ game on Friday and was removed from the game in the fourth inning. Josh VanMeter moved from second to short in the game. VanMeter, 23, at least has 89 career starts at shortstop in the minors, including five this year between Double-A Pensacola and Triple-A Louisville. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Votto gets an extra day off; Gennett reflects on All-Star experience By Mark Schmetzer - Contributing Writer Posted: 8:40 a.m. Saturday, July 21, 2018

CINCINNATI — Joey Votto wasn’t in Friday’s starting lineup for the Reds game against Pittsburgh. He was sitting at his Great American Ball Park cubicle, wearing no team gear and with a big cardboard packing crate on the floor.

To some, the circumstances and timing – with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline looming – might’ve added up to Cincinnati pulling off a blockbuster trade.

Well, not quite. The first baseman simply was getting an extra day of rest after traveling from St. Louis to Washington, playing in an extra-inning All-Star Game and traveling to Cincinnati. The box contained all of his All-Star swag.

“I could use a little bit of a breather,” said Votto, who entered the All-Star Game in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement and went 1-for-3 with a home run and an error.

“We have a 10-day home stand,” interim manager Jim Riggleman pointed out. “He’ll probably play the rest of the games on the home stand.”

The All-Star Game was Votto’s sixth, the most by a Canada native, but it was the first for second baseman Scooter Gennett, who hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the ninth in his only at bat, and third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who went 0-for-1 and was hit by a pitch.

“It was a great time,” said Gennett, a Lebanon native and the first Reds player to be leading the National League in hitting at the All-Star break since George Foster in 1979. “It was nice having Joey and ‘Gino’ (Suarez) there representing the Redlegs. I think we did a pretty good job.”

While Gennett savored the entire experience, he mostly enjoyed the opportunity to talk with players more extensively than just the brief conversations on the field during games – especially St. Louis catcher , who usually is booed in Cincinnati.

“He’s a Hall-of-Famer,” Gennett said. “We talked and laughed about some of the things that have happened. It was good to get to pick his brain a little bit.”

Gennett found fans asking him for his autograph in the hotel elevator to be, in his word, “weird,” and he was intrigued by many of the behind-the-scenes activities, such as the extensive security.

An enduring memory will be his pinch-hit, two-run homer, an experience he described as a bit surreal.

“It was loud,” he said. “The fans were excited that we tied the game up. The cool part was many of my family members and friends were there. They were waiting for me to get in the game. I knew I was going to get to hit, but they were getting a little frustrated.”

Bailey back: Riggleman is penciling in right-handed pitcher Homer Bailey, who’s been on the disabled list since June 2 with right knee inflammation, as Cincinnati’s starter on Tuesday in the second game of a three-game series against St. Louis.

Bailey has made six starts and one relief appearance during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. He allowed four hits and three walks with three strikeouts while throwing 110 pitches over seven innings on Wednesday at Rochester. He racked up 10 strikeouts in six innings against Columbus in his previous start on July 13. Riggleman took that as a hopeful sign.

“The reports were more positive on what he did,” the manager said. “It looks like he’s been able to fine-tune that putaway pitch for strike three.”

To make room for Bailey in the rotation, right-hander Sal Romano will work out of the bullpen, Riggleman said. Roman’s relief workload will determine whether he starts Wednesday’s series finale, which would at least temporarily create a six-man rotation. He made his first career major league relief appearance and just his second in seven professional seasons in the series finale on Sunday in St. Louis.

“He’s the most usable guy to come out of the bullpen,” Riggleman said. “He could pitch a couple of days and we might be able to start him in that sixth game. With the other guys, we were reluctant to do that.”

Riggleman also said right-hander Luis Castillo is scheduled to start Monday against the Cardinals. The slot previously was listed as to be announced.

Schebler close: Outfielder Scott Schebler, who went on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday, with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, feels much better, Riggleman reported

“I don’t think he’d be ready to play (Friday), but he’s close,” Riggleman said.

Phillip Ervin was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to replace Schebler on the 25-man roster.

Numbers game: Losing the last game before the All-Star break left the Reds with a 21-10 record since slipping a season-high 21 games below .500 and season-worst 17-1/2 games out of first place in the National League Central Division. If they maintain that pace over the remaining 66 games of the regular season, which is unlikely, they would go 44-22 and finish with an overall 87-75 record.

They entered the proverbial second half with an overall .448 winning percentage (43-53). Maintaining that pace would lead to a 73- 89 final record, which would represent the kind of improvement over back-to-back 68-win seasons the franchise was hoping for before the season.

Votto’s goals are somewhere in between.

“Let’s get to .500 and go from there,” he said.

Amazing stat explains just how good this Reds player is at the plate Votto has rarely popped up in the infield throughout his career By David Jablonski July 20, 2018

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto pointed to his ability to hit the ball hard and where he wants to on a consistent basis as his greatest strength last week.

“If I want to hit fly balls all the time, I can,” Votto said. “If I want to hit line drives all the time, I can.”

The numbers prove that. According to FanGraphs.com, Votto has popped out on the infield only 16 times in his career and not at all in 2018. Jeremy Frank, of NGBaseball.com, brought this stat to everyone’s attention this week on Twitter.

Votto has popped out in the infield only seven times since 2010, and according to Frank, the average player with the same number of plate appearances (5,341) would have popped up in the infield 127 times.

Votto and the Reds return to action Friday in their first game after the All-Star break, playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park. Votto leads the National League with a .422 on-base percentage. He’s hitting .289 with nine home runs and 55 RBIs. ASSOCIATED PRESS Rodriguez, Marte power Pirates past Reds 12-1 after delay Today

CINCINNATI (AP) — Time on the disabled list did as much for Sean Rodriguez’s bat as it did for his leg.

Rodriguez homered and drove in four runs, Starling Marte hit a grand slam and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their winning streak to a season-high seven games with a 12-1 rout of the Cincinnati Reds after a long rain delay Friday night.

“Every swing, you’re not going to get exactly what you want,” said Rodriguez, who snapped an 0-for-17 skid with a fourth-inning RBI single after being activated before the game. “You’re trying to put the ball in play as much as you can. I was able to go up and execute what I’ve been working on.”

Corey Dickerson had a solo homer for the Pirates, who finished with 16 hits — their most in a nine-inning game this year.

In the fourth, however, it was a daring cat that stole the show.

The feline appeared on the field from the first base side, scampered behind the plate to the third base side and twice almost jumped into the stands before finding an unoccupied spot on the third attempt.

The cat escaped, according to a Reds spokesman.

The start was delayed by a thunderstorm for 2 hours, 55 minutes, and rain continued intermittently throughout a game that ended at 1:32 a.m. But the Pirates hardly seemed to mind.

“When you sign up for this, you know what can happen,” Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. “You just do it. There’s lots of things you can’t control, and one of them is the weather. We stayed focused, stayed ready, guys did their work, and when they said ‘Play ball,’ we went out and did.”

The win streak is the Pirates’ longest since a seven-game run from June 29 through July 6, 2016. Pittsburgh has won nine of 10, including a five-game sweep of Milwaukee that knocked the Brewers out of first place in the NL Central.

Jameson Taillon, who threw a one-hit shutout against the Reds on April 8, allowed six hits and a run with six strikeouts and one walk in 5 1/3 innings. Taillon (7-7) also drove in a run with a safety squeeze.

Rodriguez, who had been sidelined since June 25 with a right quadriceps strain, added his drive into the left-field seats in the sixth on the first pitch after Cincinnati pitching coach Danny Darwin visited Tyler Mahle on the mound.

Marte’s eighth-inning slam was the second of his career.

Mahle (7-8) set a career high by allowing six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Pittsburgh reached him for eight hits and three walks.

“We were talking earlier in the year about getting past that sixth inning,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. “The sixth inning bit one of our starters again. He had given up a couple runs, but not many hard-hit balls. He was kind of cruising right along, but he lost control there. A couple walks. Later in the inning he hung a slider. It is a hurdle we’ve got to get over.”

SPEAKING OF STREAKS

Marte extended his hitting streak to 13 games, tying a career high. He is tied with Houston’s Yuli Gurriel for the longest active streak in the majors.

DISTURBING TREND

Mahle was coming off a start at Cleveland in which he lasted a career-low 2 1/3 innings and set career highs by allowing seven runs, five earned.

FAMILIAR FACE

Cincinnati recalled OF Phillip Ervin from Triple-A Louisville to replace injured OF Scott Schebler on the 25-man roster. The recall was Ervin’s second since opening the season with the Reds. Schebler went on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday, with a sprained joint in his right shoulder after running into the wall to make a catch in St. Louis last Saturday.

BEAT THE CURFEW

The Reds went ahead with their postgame fireworks show during the storm that delayed the first pitch. Local curfew regulations prohibit fireworks shows starting after midnight.

EXTENDED BREAK

Reds All-Star first baseman Joey Votto, 34, didn’t start to help him get over traveling from St. Louis to Washington to Cincinnati this week.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: 2B Josh Harrison worked out in the outfield before the game but wasn’t in the starting lineup after leaving Sunday’s game with left hamstring discomfort.

Reds: 2B Alex Blandino, just inserted into the game in the ninth, had to be helped off with an apparent right knee injury after colliding with Max Moroff while turning a double play.

UP NEXT

Pirates: Rookie RHP Nick Kingham (4-4) is 0-3 in his last three road starts.

Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (4-2) allowed five hits and six runs in 3 1/3 innings during his last start Sunday in St. Louis. TRANSACTIONS 07/21/18 New York Yankees recalled RHP Domingo Acevedo from Trenton Thunder. optioned CF Ryan LaMarre to . New York Yankees optioned RHP Domingo German to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

07/20/18 New York Yankees recalled 3B Brandon Drury from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Seattle Mariners sent C Mike Zunino on a rehab assignment to Tacoma Rainiers. San Francisco Giants placed 1B Brandon Belt on the paternity list. San Francisco Giants sent 3B Evan Longoria on a rehab assignment to Sacramento River Cats. Pittsburgh Pirates optioned RHP Tanner Anderson to Indianapolis Indians. Pittsburgh Pirates activated 2B Sean Rodriguez from the 10-day disabled list. activated C Manny Pina from the 10-day disabled list. Houston Astros recalled 3B J.D. Davis from Fresno Grizzlies. Detroit Tigers optioned Mikie Mahtook to Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers activated CF Leonys Martin from the 10-day disabled list. Cincinnati Reds sent RHP Rookie Davis on a rehab assignment to Pensacola Blue Wahoos. transferred RF Lonnie Chisenhall from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Left calf strain. Detroit Tigers recalled RHP Victor Alcantara from Toledo Mud Hens. Detroit Tigers placed RHP Michael Fulmer on the 10-day disabled list. Left oblique strain. Kansas City Royals recalled SS Ramon Torres from Omaha Storm Chasers. SS Adalberto Mondesi roster status changed by Kansas City Royals. Tampa Bay Rays designated RF Johnny Field for assignment. Tampa Bay Rays selected the contract of C Adam Moore from Durham Bulls. Cleveland Indians activated RHP Adam Cimber. Cleveland Indians activated LHP Brad Hand. Cleveland Indians optioned LHP Tyler Olson to Columbus Clippers. Cleveland Indians optioned RHP Adam Plutko to Columbus Clippers. Cleveland Indians recalled 3B Yandy Diaz from Columbus Clippers. Cleveland Indians selected the contract of OF Melky Cabrera from Columbus Clippers. San Diego Padres recalled RHP Robert Stock from El Paso Chihuahuas. San Diego Padres recalled RHP Colten Brewer from El Paso Chihuahuas. Toronto Blue Jays recalled SS Richard Urena from Buffalo Bisons. Seattle Mariners recalled RF John Andreoli from Tacoma Rainiers. Seattle Mariners recalled 1B Daniel Vogelbach from Tacoma Rainiers. Seattle Mariners sent RHP Mike Morin outright to Tacoma Rainiers. Texas Rangers recalled LF Willie Calhoun from Round Rock Express. Texas Rangers placed RF Nomar Mazara on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to July 17, 2018. Right thumb sprain. Philadelphia Phillies optioned RHP Enyel De Los Santos to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Philadelphia Phillies recalled 3B Mitch Walding from Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Toronto Blue Jays recalled SS Richard Urena from Buffalo Bisons. Philadelphia Phillies sent RHP Luis Garcia on a rehab assignment to Reading Fightin Phils. Los Angeles Dodgers activated SS Manny Machado. Washington Nationals optioned RHP Wander Suero to Syracuse Chiefs. Washington Nationals activated RHP Stephen Strasburg from the 10-day disabled list. Washington Nationals activated 1B Ryan Zimmerman from the 60-day disabled list. designated RHP Chris Tillman for assignment. Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of 3B Renato Nunez from Norfolk Tides. Chicago White Sox signed free agent RHP Mauricio Cabrera to a minor league contract. activated LF Yoenis Cespedes from the 10-day disabled list. New York Mets recalled RHP Drew Smith from Las Vegas 51s. New York Mets optioned 1B Dominic Smith to Las Vegas 51s. New York Mets optioned RHP Corey Oswalt to Las Vegas 51s. Chicago White Sox activated LF Nicky Delmonico from the 10-day disabled list. recalled SS Taylor Motter from Rochester Red Wings. San Francisco Giants recalled 3B Ryder Jones from Sacramento River Cats. Cincinnati Reds recalled LF Phillip Ervin from . Detroit Tigers sent RHP Johnny Barbato on a rehab assignment to GCL Tigers East. optioned Sam Travis to Pawtucket Red Sox. New York Mets signed RHP Zachary Hammer. Seattle Mariners sent RHP Erasmo Ramirez on a rehab assignment to Tacoma Rainiers. Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent RF Rymer Liriano to a minor league contract.