Press Clippings August 25, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 2007-David Concepcion’s number 13 is retired by the Reds. Five years later, 2012-Barry Larkin’s number 11 is retired by the Reds MLB.COM 'Miguel Angel' comes through in pinch for Reds By Mark Sheldon and Andy Call / MLB.com | August 24th, 2017 + 123 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- The Reds were able to contain the Cubs' bats for much of Thursday night, just long enough to get a big when they needed it most. Pinch-hitting in the bottom of the eighth, Jose Peraza (aka "Miguel Angel" on his Players Weekend jersey) drove a two-, two- that lifted Cincinnati to a 4-2 victory over Chicago at Great American Ball Park.

Pedro Strop worked the eighth for the Cubs and got two quick outs, including a nice diving from right fielder Jason Heyward that robbed Joey Votto of a hit. But Adam Duvall followed with a and Scooter Gennett added a double. Eugenio Suarez ran a 3-0 before given the intentional walk to load the bases.

Peraza hit a first- drive to center field that bounced on the just out of reach for Ian Happ before skipping over the wall for a ground-rule double.

"He's a really good . He's got a good . I was ready for that," Peraza said. "I was just working in the cage to be ready for this at-bat."

"I ran a pretty long way for it," Happ said. "I had an opportunity; I just couldn't haul it in."

When asked how close he came to the ball, Happ replied, "centimeters."

"That was the last thing we saw coming," Chicago manager Joe Maddon said. "Give [Peraza] credit."

A to Tucker Barnhart scored Suarez for an insurance run. The Cubs' five-game winning streak was snapped and they saw their Central lead shaved to three games over the idle Brewers.

Happ hit a solo in the second inning for the game's first run but it was Javier Baez's RBI single off Sal Romano in the sixth that snapped a 1-1 tie for the Cubs' go-ahead run.

In a no-decision, Romano allowed two earned runs over seven with six hits, three walks and seven . Jake Arrieta pitched 5 2/3 innings with one unearned run, four hits, three walks and eight strikeouts. Michael Lorenzen earned the win in the top of the eighth by striking out the side with one walk. Raisel Iglesias handled the top of the ninth for his 24th in 25 tries.

"They have a great lineup," Arrieta said of the Reds. "When Sal goes out and pitches the way he does, it makes them that much tougher. If he pitches like tonight, they're a really good team." Arrieta ("Snake") retired the first 10 batters he faced before Zack Cozart ("Coach") reached second base on an by third baseman on a ball down the line. Votto ("Tokki 2") followed with an RBI single to reach safely in his 28th consecutive game.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Nice relay to the plate: Cozart hit a leadoff single in the Reds' sixth inning before Votto drove a double to the left-field wall that Kyle Schwarber struggled to corral. Despite being under orders to not run at full speed on a sore right quadriceps, Cozart was waved around to the plate by third-base coach Billy Hatcher. Schwarber threw to Baez, who made a perfect relay throw to Rene Rivera that nailed Cozart for the first out. Cincinnati would go on to load the bases but come up empty.

Been : With one out in the ninth, Iglesias walked pinch-hitter Jon Jay and brought the tying run to the plate in pinch- hitter Alex Avila. On an 0-1 pitch, Jay attempted to steal second base but Barnhart reacted quickly and fired a perfect throw to second base that easily caught Jay for the second out. Avila was called out on strikes two pitches later from Iglesias to end the game. According to Statcast™, Barnhart's pop time was 1.94 seconds and his arm strength was 81.0 mph. The MLB-average pop time is 2.02 seconds. Barnhart's throw was the fifth-fastest tracked from him this season. His high is 83.5 mph.

QUOTABLE

"I think anyone that has listened to me talk looks at the Reds 20 games under .500 and is going to say, 'This guy is a nut case if he's going to talk about how great the team is.' But, what we do do is show up every day and play hard. Today we got a really nice start, really good work and some really phenomenal late-game heroics. … I think that's what the fans should expect and as we continue to tighten things up and get stronger and get healthier with our pitching. I think this is something that could happen rather quickly, where we start to become a team that isn't just talking about playing hard but talking about winning streaks and better positioning in the standings." -- Reds manager Bryan Price.

REPLAY CHALLENGE

In the seventh inning with Rivera on first base, pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella grounded to Votto, who fielded the ball and touched first base. Votto fired a throw to Cozart covering second base, who had to tag Rivera as he slid. Umpire Bill Miller made a call but the Reds challenged it and upon review, the replay official overturned it and Rivera was out in a .

WHAT'S NEXT

Cubs: The Cubs open a three-game Players Weekend at Philadelphia at 6:05 p.m. CT Friday. Jose Quintana ("Q") (4-2, 3.73) will start for Chicago against Jerad Eickhoff ("Eick") (3-7, 4.66). Quintana will be making his eighth start for the Cubs. He has a combined 8-10 record and 4.27 ERA with the White Sox and Cubs.

Reds: The homestand shifts to three games vs. the Pirates, with Friday's series opener set for 7:10 p.m. ET. While it will be Players Weekend and the Pirates will wear their special uniforms, the Reds are observing a military appreciation night and will don camouflage jerseys instead. Robert Stephenson will get the start for Cincinnati.

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

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.

Andy Call is a contributor to MLB.com based in Cincinnati who covered the Cubs on Thursday.

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

Stephenson, Reds open Players Weekend Pirates righty Ivan Nova is set to pitch against Reds pitcher Robert Stephenson in Cincinnati By Adam Berry / MLB.com | August 24th, 2017 + 2 COMMENTS

The Pirates continue to play catchup in the race. One reason they've cited for their fall down the standings? Their performance against sub-.500 teams, particularly the division-rival Reds.

The Reds have won eight of their 10 matchups against the Pirates this season entering a three-game series at Great American Ball Park on Players Weekend, when the clubs will wear specially designed uniforms and caps -- with nicknames on the back of their jerseys -- to go along with more colorful gear.

The Pirates debuted the Players Weekend uniforms last Sunday at the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pa., and they will wear them again in Friday's series opener. The Reds won't wear the special gear Friday due to a prior commitment to Military Appreciation Day, but they'll sport the more relaxed look Saturday and Sunday.

The Reds swept the Bucs at PNC Park in April, took three of four in Cincinnati in May and then won a three-game set in Pittsburgh earlier this month.

The Pirates will try to solve the Reds on Friday behind right-hander Ivan Nova. Coming off what manager Clint Hurdle called a "gritty" start Sunday, Nova has struggled to a 5.25 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP in two starts against Cincinnati this season. He'll line up against right-hander Robert Stephenson, who limited Pittsburgh to one run over 5 2/3 innings on Aug. 2.

Things to know about this game • Nova has thrown just 5.1 percent of his pitches in three-ball counts this season, the lowest rate among all with at least 1,500 total pitches. However, he tied a season high by recording four outs in three-ball counts in his last start, his first time doing that since his season debut.

• Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez on Wednesday became the fourth player to hit at least 20 home runs in a single season at Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003. He enters the series .284 with 20 homers and 44 RBIs at home this season. The other Reds to slug at least 20 homers at Great American Ball Park are Adam Dunn (2004-06), Jay Bruce ('12) and Todd Frazier ('14).

• The Pirates' next 28 games will come against NL Central opponents, a stretch that will take them until Sept. 24. In addition to their nine matchups with the Reds, the Bucs will play the Cubs seven times, the Cardinals six times and the Brewers six times. Their final six games of the season are out of the division: two against the Orioles and four against the Nationals. Adam Berry has covered the Pirates for MLB.com since 2015. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook, read his blog and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Explaining Reds Players Weekend nicknames By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | August 24th, 2017 + 0 COMMENTS

CINCINNATI -- Some different-looking Reds uniforms will be on display for the inaugural Players Weekend when Cincinnati hosts the Pirates at Great American Ball Park. More notably, there will be an array of names and nicknames on the backs of the team's jerseys, and tributes on the right sleeves.

Many of the names and patches have an interesting story behind them.

While the rest of Major League Baseball is using the special uniforms beginning Friday, the Reds will wait an extra day. The club had already planned a military appreciation night and will don camouflage jerseys Friday and wear the Players Weekend gear Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to the uniforms, the Reds have tribute patches on their right sleeves where players will write the name of someone in their lives who has inspired them. The team also plans to show player nicknames with headshots on the videoboard, and will have the nicknames in parentheses on the lineups.

Not every player will sport a nickname. Some that were recently called up, such as pitchers Luke Farrell and Alejandro Chacin, will be given jerseys with their last names. Here is a look at those Reds who will be using nicknames and the reasons behind it.

Tim Adleman: "The Microwave" Adleman isn't known for throwing hard but a couple of players commented to him that if something is good, that's heat. Tribute patch: Mom and Dad

Homer Bailey: "Homer" Bailey's given name is David but he has always gone by Homer after his great-grandfather. Tribute patch: Diamond Warriors -- The name of the baseball team Bailey played for as a kid in Texas.

Tucker Barnhart: "Barney" Tribute patch: Indiana Bulls -- Because the weekend is dedicated largely to kids, Barnhart chose the travel team he played for from ages 11-17. "Every summer I played, that's who I played for, in all parts of the country," Barnhart said. "They helped me get seen by colleges and pro scouts, and they really helped me get here."

Luis Castillo: "La Piedra" Spanish for, "The rock." Teammates say the rookie is throwing really hard, or throwing rocks. Tribute patch: Mi Dios, Mami y Papi -- Besides thanking God, Castillo wanted to credit his parents at home in Bani, Dominican Republic.

Zack Cozart: "Coach" At 32 years old and with the club since 2011, Cozart is one of the longest-tenured Reds and his veteran status has been a beacon for younger players in the clubhouse. Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Cozart wanted to thank his father, David, and mother, Mary. Cozart's father was his coach from ages 8-12.

Adam Duvall: "Duvy" Tribute patch: Mom, Dad, Michelle, Austin -- "They took me to all the games; paid all the fees for AAU ball. They helped out a lot," Duvall said. Scooter Gennett: "Ryan" Gennett's given name. Tribute patch: Joe Guy -- Gennett's father has helped him with baseball for most of his life. "All of that work and sacrifice he made to allow me to be the best I can," Gennett said.

Billy Hamilton: "Bone" Hamilton went with a shortened version of another one of his nicknames, "Ham-bone." Tribute patch: Jim Ford -- Hamilton credits Ford for getting him into baseball as a little kid in Taylorsville, Miss. Ford's family eventually became a second family to Hamilton and they remain close.

Raisel Iglesias: "El Ciclon" The Spanish word for hurricane, the nickname was given to Iglesias by his teammates for the way he disrupts hitters with his pitches.

Patrick Kivlehan: "Believe" Kivlehan was a football player for Rutgers University and teammates with Eric LeGrand, who became paralyzed after making a tackle in a 2010 game. Now an inspiration for others with spinal cord injuries, LeGrand uses "believe" as a mantra. "We were in the same recruiting class and came in at the same time," Kivlehan said. "I was on the field with him when he got injured." Tribute patch: West Nyack Little League -- The Little League where Kivlehan played in his New York City-area hometown as a kid.

Michael Lorenzen: "Zen Master" Derivative of the final three letters of Lorenzen's last name. Tribute patch: Mom, aka "Sarge" -- It's a nod to Lorenzen's mother, Cheryl, who got the nickname in their Anaheim, Calif., neighborhood. "She bossed everyone around on my block, in a good way," Lorenzen said. "She was the rule-maker."

Wandy Peralta: "La Grasa" The Spanish term translates to "The Fat," but Peralta might be going more for "Phat," because he says the nickname means he has swagger. Tribute patch: Mi Dios, Mami y Papi -- The left-handed reliever chose to thank God and his parents in San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic.

Jose Peraza: "Miguel Angel" Peraza said it was the name of a close friend in Venezuela who died of cancer about three weeks ago. Tribute patch: Mama y Papa -- "They helped me a lot," Peraza said.

Bryan Price: "BP" Price went the conventional route with his initials, but many in the clubhouse call him "Vanilla Price." Tribute patch: Mill Valley Little League -- Price grew up in Mill Valley, Calif., and wanted to thank the coaches who helped him get started in baseball.

Sal Romano: "Big Sally" Not much to explain. Romano's first name is Sal and listed at 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, he's big. Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Romano thanked his parents back in Connecticut.

Scott Schebler: "Scheb" Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- Growing up in Iowa, Schebler's parents split the duties to get him to his baseball games and his older sister to her softball games. "She ended up keeping score for all of our games," Schebler said of his mother, Deb. "The whole journey with them has been amazing. I obviously can't thank them enough."

Kevin Shackelford: "Shack" It's simple and it's what everyone calls the right-handed pitcher, not to be confused with "Shaq."

Robert Stephenson: "Bob" Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- A thank you to his parents in Martinez, Calif.

Drew Storen: "Homage" Storen said it's an homage to all of the players in the Major Leagues that came before him, but namely Andy Messersmith, a pioneer of the free-agent movement in the 1970s. Tribute patch: Mom, Dad and Jay Lehr -- Lehr was Storen's pitching coach starting at age 8 in Indiana. "He's a quality figure in my life, on and off the field," Storen said.

Eugenio Suarez: "Nicolle" Suarez and his wife are awaiting the arrival of their first daughter, who will be named Nicolle. Tribute patch: Mom and Dad --"They are my everything, my support," Suarez said. "They did everything for me when I was young. They have to know how important they are in my life."

Stuart Turner: "Stu" Tribute patch: Mom and Dad -- A thank you to his parents back in Louisiana. He will miss this weekend's games on paternity leave as he becomes a new parent.

Joey Votto: "Tokki 2" In 2013, Votto and then-teammate Shin-Soo Choo referred to each other as the Korean word for rabbit. Votto felt he was chasing Choo in trying to be a better hitter. Choo is going with Tokki 1 on his jersey for the Rangers. "He's the No. 1 tokki. I'm the No. 2 tokki. And numbers matter," Votto said. "I'm trying to keep up with Shin-Soo Choo, Tokki 1." Tribute patch: My Dad -- Votto's father, Joseph, died in August 2008.

Asher Wojciechowski: "Wojo" Wojciechowski is one of the longest last names in baseball and tough to fit on the back of a jersey. Wojo is an easy nickname to say, and spell. Tribute patch: DAD

Jesse Winker: "Wink"

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 After two strong starts, Romano could be putting it together Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 11:20 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017 | Updated 11:37 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017

The 23-year-old right-hander allowed just two runs over seven innings, walking three and striking out seven. The Enquirer/Zach Buchanan

It’s easy to break a big-league starting pitcher's life down into 32 pieces, one for each big-league start in a season. Cincinnati Reds catcher Tucker Barnhart prefers a more granular measure of growth for rookie right-hander Sal Romano.

“It’s an inning-to-inning thing, I think, even more than game-to-game,” Barnhart said.

Romano has been different versions of himself over the course of his 10 big-league starts this year, and he’s often run through those permutations within the same start.

There have been starts when Romano didn’t need his nascent change-up, relying only on his fastball and . Other times he’s been too mistrustful of the third pitch to use it, and has paid a heavy price. In some starts, he’s avoided the change-up only to be cajoled into using it as the game progressed.

Thursday against the , Romano tried a fourth iteration. He forced the change-up even though it wasn’t sharp. He failed to record a strike with it in 10 tries, but it kept Cubs hitters honest.

In the process, he held Chicago to just two runs while striking out seven over seven innings in a 4-2 win.

“That’s how I matured a little bit as a pitcher up here, not giving up on it so early,” Romano said. “I continue to keep throwing it and throwing it and throwing it until I figure it out.”

Romano’s start against the Cubs continued the momentum he began last weekend on the road against the . After allowing 15 earned runs in his previous three starts, Romano held the Braves to just one run while completing seven innings for the first time in his young career.

He used the change-up heavily in that start as well. His first two months in the majors, he threw the pitch only 3.2 percent of the time. Since, his usage has been in the double-digits.

“He’s starting to look comfortable,” Reds manager Bryan Price said, “like he belongs there.”

Cincinnati Reds recap: Jose Peraza a pinch-hit hero vs. Chicago Cubs Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 10:04 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017 | Updated 11:19 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017

The Cincinnati Reds came from behind to beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Thursday at Great American Ball Park. Here are the main storylines.

Box score:Reds 4, Cubs 2

Jose Peraza came up with a big pinch hit. The Reds trailed 2-1 and had the bases loaded with two outs when Peraza came to the plate to pinch-hit for the pitcher in the eighth. Adam Duvall had singled, Scooter Gennett had doubled and the Cubs had intentionally walked Eugenio Suarez.

The first pitch to Peraza was a 97 mph fastball at the top of the zone, and the Reds infielder attacked it. The ball soared over the head of Happ in center and bounced to the grass landing beyond the fence for a go-ahead ground-rule double.

Suarez later scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2.

Sal Romano had his second strong outing in a row. Romano gave up one run in a career-best seven innings his last start, and did nearly as well against the Cubs on Thursday. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed just two runs over seven innings, walking three and striking out seven.

Romano’s first five innings were fairly stress-free. He retired nine of his first 11 batters, with only a solo shot by Cubs center fielder Ian Happ hurting him. In the fourth, he stranded a runner in , and he struck out the side in the fifth.

The sixth was dicier. Kris Bryant hit a one-out double, but Romano rebounded to get Anthony Rizzo on an pop. Romano then fell behind Happ 3-0, and Reds manager Bryan Price signaled for an intentional walk. That backfired immediately when Javier Baez singled to left to drive in a run, putting the Cubs up 2-1.

Romano allowed a leadoff walk in the sixth, but erased it with a double-play ball that required a replay review to count as such. Ben Zobrist followed with a double that would have scored a run, but Romano got out of the inning without any damage.

The Reds missed a big scoring chance in the sixth. The Reds trailed 2-1 to start the bottom of the sixth, but fumbled a chance to tie it and maybe take the lead. Shortstop Zack Cozart singled to start the inning, and then Votto doubled on a ball that went over the head of Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber. Cozart, who is under instructions not to sprint all-out to avoid aggravating his quad injury, steamed to third

Reds third-base coach Billy Hatcher waved the shortstop home, but Schwarber hit his cutoff man in Baez at short, and Baez delivered a dart to the plate to nail Cozart. Instead of two runners in scoring position with no outs, the Reds had a runner at second and one down.

That wasn’t their only shot of the inning, though. Gennett drew an intentional walk with two outs, and Suarez walked to load the bases. But rookie Jesse Winker bounced out to first to end the inning.

Joey Votto broke up a no-hitter and tied the game with the same swing. Cubs ace Jake Arrieta no-hit the Reds last season, and cruised in his first chance against the Reds lineup Thursday. Arrieta struck out six of the first nine Reds hitters he faced, and got a lineout, flyout and groundout on the other three.

Reds shortstop Jake Arrieta seemed to break up the no-hit bid with one out in the fourth when he pushed a grounder past third, but it was ruled a two-base error. Votto made it a moot point in the following at-bat, smacking a hit to right to score Cozart and tie the game at 1-1.

Reds notes: 1 baby down, 2 to go for Reds C. Trent Rosecrans, [email protected] Published 6:49 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017 | Updated 7:52 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017

Sierra Barnhart may be the most important member of the Cincinnati Reds’ catching staff this week. Tucker Barnhart’s wife is due with the couple’s first child next week, just days after the wife of fellow Reds catcher Stuart Turner is scheduled to be induced.

Turner is scheduled to head home to Louisiana on Friday to be with his wife Danielle. They will induce birth that day if the baby has not come by then.

The Reds will call up a catcher for Friday’s game. Reds manager Bryan Price said the team has decided on a catcher from the organization, but he wasn’t sure if that player had been told, so he didn’t announce it on Thursday.

Devin Mesoraco, whose wife Kira gave birth to their first son earlier this month, is currently on the disabled list, leaving Barnhart and Turner as the only two catchers on the team’s 40-man roster.

Players can spend three days on the paternity list, so Turner will miss all three games this weekend with the Pirates. If Tatum Elliott Barnhart can hold out until at least Monday, the Reds should have no problem with their catching situation.

“We'll hope that while Stuart's away that the Barnharts don't have their kid during that time,” Price noted. “It's one of those things that's not in my control.”

Turner’s hoping that Hurricane Harvey doesn’t hinder his ability to get home to Louisiana in time.

Turner said he got nervous Wednesday when he arrived at the ballpark before Barnhart.

“I thought he got the call (Wednesday) because he usually gets here first,” Turner said.

All three couples are having their first children and all three are boys.

“It'll be something we remember forever, once the babies are old enough to comprehend, you can talk to them and tell them this is what happened,” Turner said. “It'll be a story to tell for years to come.”

Kivlehan finding versatility

Before Thursday’s game, Patrick Kivlehan took ground balls at second base – one of four positions he hasn’t played this year. The 27-year-old has played all three spots for the Reds this season, as well as first base and third base.

“I think it's more of an emergency thing, especially now that we don't have (Arismendy Alcantara) anymore,” Kivlehan said. “I'm the guy who has to be ready to do it all, so I've just got to be ready.”

That includes catching, if necessary, he said. Knowing the situation with the Reds catchers, Kivlehan put on catching gear in the Reds’ clubhouse after his session at second. His inexperience showed, though, as Barnhart pointed out he put the shin guards on the wrong legs (the buckles go on the outside).

“You never know what kind of crazy things can happen,” Kivlehan said, noting the left-handed Anthony Rizzo played third base for the Cubs on Tuesday. “I'm the guy who has to be ready to do it all, so I've just got to be ready.”

He did note that reliever Kevin Shackelford caught in college at Marshall, where he was a teammate of former Reds pitcher Dan Straily, as well as Luke Farrell’s older brother, Shane.

Kivlehan said he’s never caught or pitched, but he thought he may get the call in Wednesday’s loss to the Cubs.

“But they brought in (Raisel) Iglesias (for the ninth inning),” he said. “So that's better than me.”

Rotation status quo

The Reds will keep their rotation intact at least through Sept. 1 when rosters expand, Price said. Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski will start Tuesday against the Mets, even with an off day on Monday.

“We're going to stay on turn now as it stands," Price said. "Everyone would pitch every fifth day. Nothing's changed. We played the 37 (games) in 38 days, so when we have the available off days like we did this past Monday, I'd like to be able to utilize that to give these guys the extra days when possible."

Rookie right-hander Luis Castillo will have at least two more starts, Price said. Castillo has already thrown 150 2/3 innings this season between Double-A Pensacola and the big leagues. Last year he threw 131 2/3 innings in the Marlins’ minor-league system.

Price had said the team would like him to throw just 30-35 more innings than he did last season, a number he should eclipse in two starts. However, Price said it’s not a hard limit, that they’ll instead give him some leeway based on how he looks, leaving open the possibility of more starts in September.

Eugenio Suarez no longer just a bundle of potential Zach Buchanan, [email protected] Published 6:42 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017 | Updated 6:56 p.m. ET Aug. 24, 2017

Ever since Eugenio Suarez caught fire when serving as an injury replacement shortstop in 2015, the Cincinnati Reds have talked about his tantalizing potential. But for the last two seasons, potential was what it mostly remained.

Suarez had stretches where his bat and surprising power could carry the offense, but then he’d lose himself at the plate and go into deep slumps. He moved from short to third last season and hit 21 home runs, but was a butcher in the field in the first half and finished as a below-average hitter.

But as the 2017 season prepares to enter its final month, Suarez seems to have overcome the charging and receding tides of his performance. Renewed attention to fundamentals has made him a standout at third base. On top of that, he entered Monday hitting .269/.379/.499 with a career-best 24 home runs.

He’s been worth 4.2 , according to Baseball-Reference. Reds manager Bryan Price thinks there’s even higher heights to be reached on Suarez’s growth chart.

“I think he still has plenty of room to continue to improve,” Price said. “He was a really fast starter, and things dropped and now they’re coming back up again. There’s a bit less ebb and flow this year than there was last year.”

There still was an ebb for the 26-year-old Suarez this year, but it wasn’t nearly as painful as it could have been thanks to an improved two-strike approach. Suarez steadily has improved his walk rate to an impressive 13.8 percent – up from 4.3 percent in 2015 – and at no time was it more key than when he wasn’t hitting in June.

Suarez began that month hitting .288 and finished it with an average of .257. He hit .190 over the course of June, but still maintained an above-average .343 on-base percentage. He had just 16 hits in 105 plate appearances, but managed to draw just as many walks.

He said he mimics Joey Votto’s approach of looking only for a pitch to hit in the exact spot he wants it. Suarez also has made a smaller mechanical change, keeping his feet and knees pointing toward each other in his stance, which puts his head in a better position to track the ball longer.

“Right now, I see the ball better,” he said.

Suarez hasn’t needed to walk in order to keep his head above water in the second half. He’s hit .303/.423/.636 since the All-Star Break, and his second-half OPS of 1.060 is the fourth-best in baseball, trailing only slugger Giancarlo Stanton and teammates and Nolan Arenado.

Suarez has been hot before, but there’s reason to think it’s more sustainable this time. Last year, his approach was to hit everything as hard as he could, no matter where it went. Such a blunt-force tack worked for a time, but not always. As he’s learned now, the majority of balls hit in the air go for outs. The majority of balls hit on a line go for hits.

Now he’s focused on hitting line drives. His line-drive and flyball rates are essentially unchanged from a year ago, but he’s lowered his average launch angle nearly two degrees.

“I know what I kind of hitter I am,” he said. “I put it in practice every day.”

On both offense and defense, Suarez’s numbers place him in the upper echelon of major-league third basemen. But the Reds also have one of the top prospects in baseball playing that position right now in Nick Senzel. Now at Double-A Pensacola, Senzel has climbed four minor-league levels since being drafted a year ago.

Unless the Reds want to get truly wild and field two players at third, someone will have to move positions or move teams. Price kicked comment on that decision up to the front office, but made it clear how much he likes Suarez’s status quo.

“I don’t even really want to talk about it because it starts to put the question on of if he’s the movable piece,” Price said. “The only thing I want to say to it is I like him at third base.” WCPO - Channel 9 Fay: Now is the time to give Reds prospect Tyler Mahle a chance in the starting rotation John Fay 12:00 PM, Aug 24, 2017

CINCINNATI -- The question was about September pitching call-ups. Reds manager Bryan Price’s answer was about Amir Garrett, Cody Reed and Rookie Davis.

“The biggest challenge is having guys come up who are throwing the ball well consistently in -A, ” Price said. “We’d really like to see the guys performing and performing well. I know they’re doing a lot of work there. Amir’s been throwing the ball better. Cody’s been throwing the ball better, Rookie as well.

“That’s a good thing. I’d like to see that trend continue and put ourselves in the position where we’re champing at the bit to see all of them, pitching as starters. It’s unlikely and unrealistic that they all will. But you still want to see a competition for the opportunity.”

By that measure, the competition is over.

Tyler Mahle won.

Give the kid the ball, call him in September -- or sooner -- to get him acclimated to the big leagues and to see what you’ve got.

Mahle, 22-year-old right-hander, has earned an extended look in September. He was better than Luis Castillo at Double-A Pensacola. And look what Castillo has been -- the Reds’ best starter.

“(Mahle’s) been our best performer in the organization all year,” Price said. “I think that’s more of a question for the front office, simply because of the effect it will have on the roster.

“That may be the biggest challenge, also getting to exceeding his innings limit. What would September provide him as far as opportunities?”

Mahle threw 150 2/3 innings last year. He’s at 144 1/3 this year. He can reasonably be expected to get to 180. I’d make sure most of those 46-odd innings are with the Reds, even if that means pre-September call-up.

As for the roster spot, Scott Feldman had surgery Tuesday and is out for year. Put him on the 60-day disabled list and you’ve got a spot for Mahle. The Reds can’t worry about starting Mahle’s clock. They’ve got to worry about winning enough games in ’18 to sell tickets.

Mahle is 10-7 with a 2.06 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A stints. He struck out 138 and walked 30. Opponents are hitting .208 off him.

He may or may not be ready for the big leagues. But, aside from Castillo, you clearly can’t count on any of the other young pitchers as locks for the ’18 rotation. Robert Stephenson and Sal Romano have been very inconsistent. Reed, Garrett and Davis haven’t put up numbers that are close to Mahle’s in Triple-A.

Price said Asher Wojciechowski will replace Feldman in the rotation for now.

“We’ll get to September and take a look,” Price said. “There’ll be some inevitable changes. Unless we really abbreviate Castillo’s outings, I don’t think he’ll be able to pitch to Oct. 1. We’ll just kind of see. I’d like to have guys who kind of pitched their way into the mix.”

“Wojo’s been one of our most reliable arms. I like looking at (Tim) Adelman out of the bullpen to see where the best fit moving forward is. I think Wojo would prefer to start.

“I don’t know how to answer the question. I can’t pencil anyone in for September.”

Fair enough, but again, if the Reds don’t pencil Mahle into the rotation in September, that is a huge mistake, in my humble opinion.

The Reds are going to have the spots. As Price mentioned, Castillo has an innings limit, probably 30 to 35 more. Feldman is finished for the year. Wojciechowski has a 5.36 ERA and he’s 28.

If he’s in the rotation for 2018, you’re looking at repeat of ’17.

“We have to make strides,” Price said. “I don’t think we can say in 2018 we can have another in 2017. We have to move the needle forward. We have to create a pitching staff that gives us the promise of a much better season in the win column.

“We can’t continue to run these numbers -- the ERA, the walks and home runs and the overall numbers of runs we’ve allowed. It’s bound to happen that we rely completely on the youth.

“An open tryout in 2018 would be a big mistake for us... If we have three spots in our rotation and three spots in our bullpen open, I think we’re moving in the direction of having a repeat performance.”

So give Mahle his tryout now.

John Fay is a freelance sports columnist; this column represents his opinion. Contact him at [email protected] DAYTON DAILY NEWS Peraza’s pinch-hit double sends Reds past Cubs Mark Schmetzer Contributing Writer 10:11 p.m Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017 Sports SPORTS

CINCINNATI Pinch-hitting was for the most part unfamiliar for Jose Peraza this season.

The middle infielder went into Thursday’s series finale hitless in four at-bats off the bench.

He made the fifth one count, launching the first pitch he saw from Chicago Cubs reliever Pedro Strop for a bases-loaded, two-run ground-rule double with two outs that bounced into the Reds bullpen in left-center field and gave the Reds a 3-2 lead.

Eugenio Suarez scored on a Strop (3-4) wild pitch and the Reds went on to avoid their second three-game sweep at the hands of the Central Division-leading Cubs with a 4-2 win.

Michael Lorenzen (8-2) took over the club lead in wins with a scoreless eighth. Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 25 tries. He gave up a one-out single to pinch-hitter Jon Jay, who promptly was thrown out by Tucker Barnhart trying to steal second. He completed the win by striking out pinch-hitter Alex Avila.

The Cubs swept the Reds in Chicago in mid-May.

Jake Arrieta’s first three innings of work against the Reds looked vaguely familiar.

The veteran Chicago right-hander looked dominant, retiring the first nine Cincinnati batters, six by . The memories of some onlookers started drifting back to April 21 of last season, when Arrieta crafted a no-hitter in the most lopsided no-hit win in modern (since 1900) major league history, a Chicago 16-0 win.

Leave it to Joey Votto to break up the suspense – and the no-hitter. Votto followed a two-base error by Cubs’ third baseman Kris Bryant on Zack Cozart’s sharp bouncer with a clean, run-scoring single to right field that tied the score at 1-1.

Votto almost tied the game again in the sixth, but the iffy right quad that Cozart has been nursing since June might’ve cost the Reds a run. Cozart tried to score from first on Votto’s double to left that got away from left fielder Kyle Schwarber. He scrambled after the ball and fired it to shortstop Javier Baez, whose nifty relay throw cut down Cozart at the plate.

Arrieta went on to load the bases with two walks, but Jesse Winker grounded into an inning-ending force out.

Baez had given the Cubs a 2-1 lead in the top of the inning with an RBI single to left.

Manager Bryan Price, hoping that rookie right-hander Sal Romano could build on the strong start he put together last Friday in Atlanta, watched as Romano (3-6) allowed six hits and two runs – one on Ian Happ’s 19th homer with one out in the second inning – with three walks and seven strikeouts in seven innings. Romano, who matched his career high in strikeouts, also went seven against the Braves, allowing five hits and one run with two walks and three strikeouts. ESPN.COM Vote: Which is your favorite Reds Players Weekend nickname? 9:00 AM ET SN Staff

Cincinnati Reds players will get a chance to have some fun this weekend.

From Friday-Sunday, players will wear alternate jerseys inspired by youth league designs, and they can also replace last names with nicknames on jersey nameplates.

Here's a complete listing of the nicknames Reds players will be sporting.

Reds Players Weekend Jerseys

PLAYER JERSEY Tim Adleman The Microwave Arismendy Alcantara Arismel Bronson Arroyo Free Love Homer Bailey Homer Tucker Barnhart Barney Lisalverto Bonilla Papi Bog Austin Brice Bear Jake Buchanan Buck Luis Castillo La Piedra Zack Cozart Coach Adam Duvall Duvy Scott Feldman Fuego Brandon Finnegan Finny Amir Garrett AG Scooter Gennett Ryan Billy Hamilton Bone Ariel Hernandez El Fai Raisel Iglesias El Ciclón Patrick Kivlehan Believe Michael Lorenzen Zen Master Devin Mesoraco Rocko Wandy Peralta La Grasa Jose Peraza Miguel Angel Sal Romano Big Sally Scott Schebler Scheb Kevin Shackelford Shack Robert Stephenson Bob Drew Storen Homage Eugenio Suarez Nicolle Stuart Turner Stu Scott Van Slyke Van Slyke Joey Votto Tokki 2 Jesse Winker Wink Asher Wojciechowski Wojo Blake Wood Blake

Which Reds nickname do you like best?

It won't be just jerseys this weekend: Players will also be permitted to wear custom-designed flashy equipment, from batting gloves to bats, that shows their personalities. ASSOCIATED PRESS Peraza's pinch-hit double in 8th rallies Reds over Cubs 4-2 11:08 PM ET Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- Center fielder Ian Happ ran a long way and thought he had a chance to catch Jose Peraza's fly ball. He stretched his glove and just missed.

"Close," Happ said. "Centimeters."

Peraza's long fly ball landed for a bases-loaded double in the eighth inning on Thursday night and rallied the Cincinnati Reds to a 4- 2 victory over the Chicago Cubs that avoided a series sweep.

Despite the loss, the defending champions headed for Philadelphia optimistic about how the second half of the season is turning out so far. They're 25-13 since the All-Star break -- second only to the Dodgers -- and lead Milwaukee by three games in the NL Central.

"Lost a tough one tonight, but we go into Philly still feeling pretty good about the way we're throwing the ball, the way we're swinging the bats, the way we're catching the ball," Jake Arrieta said.

They were on target for a sixth straight win Thursday, up 2-1 with two Reds out and nobody on in the eighth. The Reds then loaded the bases on a pair of hits and an intentional walk from Pedro Strop (3-4). Peraza was 0 for 4 off the bench this season when he pinch-hit and made solid contact on the first pitch, sending it high and deep to center.

"I was in and over a little bit," Happ said. "He put it right in no-man's land. I ran a pretty long way for it. I just couldn't haul it in."

The Cubs intentionally walked Eugenio Suarez to load the bases and bring up Peraza.

"As soon as I saw that, I said, `I've got to make good contact," Peraza said through a translator. "I got a good pitch to hit in the middle of the plate."

Strop let in another run with a wild pitch.

Michael Lorenzen (8-2) fanned three of the four batters he faced. Raisel Iglesias picked up his 24th save in 25 chances.

Happ -- a star at the University of Cincinnati -- hit a solo homer, and Arrieta gave another solid performance , allowing only one unearned run in 5 2/3 innings. Arrieta is 5-1 in eight starts since the All-Star break.

Kris Bryant was back at third base after missing one game. He was hit on the side of the left hand by a pitch on Tuesday night and got one day off. The National League's MVP set up Cincinnati's first run with a fielding error, and had a hand in the Cubs' go-ahead run. Bryant doubled in the sixth and came around on Javier Baez's single for a 2-1 lead.

BAD CHOICE

Jon Jay singled with one out in the ninth and was caught stealing.

"He went on his own," manager Joe Maddon said. "He's thinking they're playing behind him, he's thinking they're not going to throw and they did."

ANOTHER GREAT PLAY

Baez nailed Zack Cozart at the plate with his perfect relay throw as the Reds shortstop tried to score from first base on Joey Votto's double to left in the sixth inning, preserving the 2-1 lead.

STILL HAS GOOD HANDS

Reds third base coach Billy Hatcher made a barehanded catch of Cozart's broken-bat foul in the first inning.

VOTTO'S STREAK

Votto has reached safely in 28 straight games, the longest active streak in the majors. His career high is 48 straight games reaching base in 2015.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: SS Addison Russell's strained right foot is improving, Maddon said, but "he still feels it a little bit when he moves in a certain direction." He's been on the DL since Aug. 3.

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey is expected to make his next scheduled start on Sunday against Pittsburgh. He left his start last Tuesday after three innings because of discomfort in the back of his shoulder, but hasn't had any lingering problems.

UP NEXT

Cubs: LHP Jose Quintana opens a series in Philadelphia, making his eighth start with the Cubs. He's 4-2 with a 3.73 ERA since moving to the Cubs from the White Sox. Jerad Eickhoff (3-7) starts for the Phillies.

Reds: Robert Stephenson (1-4) opens a series against the Pirates at Great American Ball Park, facing Ivan Nova (11-10). It'll be Stephenson's fifth start and 19th appearance. He's 1-2 with a 4.43 ERA as a starter. TRANSACTIONS 08/25/17 Miami Marlins sent LHP Wei-Yin Chen on a rehab assignment to GCL Marlins. 08/24/17 sent LHP Adam Liberatore on a rehab assignment to AZL Dodgers. optioned RHP Eduardo Paredes to Salt Lake Bees. signed free agent RHP Johnny Hellweg to a minor league contract. optioned OF Orlando Calixte to Sacramento River Cats. sent RHP Lance McCullers Jr. on a rehab assignment to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros sent RHP Will Harris on a rehab assignment to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros sent SS Carlos Correa on a rehab assignment to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros sent RHP Michael Feliz on a rehab assignment to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros sent LHP Tony Sipp on a rehab assignment to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros optioned C Juan Centeno to Fresno Grizzlies. Houston Astros activated C Brian McCann from the 10-day disabled list. Colorado Rockies sent 1B Ian Desmond on a rehab assignment to Albuquerque Isotopes. Los Angeles Dodgers sent RF Andre Ethier on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City Dodgers. recalled CF Zack Granite from Rochester Red Wings. Minnesota Twins placed C Jason Castro on the 7-day disabled list. Concussion. activated CF Rajai Davis. Boston Red Sox activated RHP Blaine Boyer from the 10-day disabled list. Boston Red Sox optioned RHP Hector Velazquez to Pawtucket Red Sox. Boston Red Sox optioned 2B Deven Marrero to Pawtucket Red Sox. St. Louis Cardinals sent LHP Kevin Siegrist on a rehab assignment to Palm Beach Cardinals. recalled RHP Tom Koehler from Dunedin Blue Jays. Toronto Blue Jays optioned RHP Chris Rowley to Buffalo Bisons. Los Angeles Angels recalled RHP Troy Scribner from Salt Lake Bees. signed free agent LHP Raymond Kerr to a minor league contract. selected the contract of RHP Zac Reininger from . Detroit Tigers optioned LHP Chad Bell to Toledo Mud Hens. optioned RHP Ricardo Pinto to Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Philadelphia Phillies recalled RHP Jake Thompson from Lehigh Valley IronPigs. optioned RHP Matt Koch to Reno Aces. Arizona Diamondbacks activated LHP Robbie Ray from the 10-day disabled list. recalled RHP Chih-Wei Hu from Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays activated RHP Alex Cobb from the 10-day disabled list. Tampa Bay Rays optioned RHP Andrew Kittredge to Durham Bulls. Tampa Bay Rays optioned RHP Chase Whitley to Durham Bulls.