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Cincinnati Reds

Press Clippings

September 20, 2016

THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1956-Mt. Airy resident, James Denier, offers to sell 133 acres he owns at Compton and Pippin Roads in Groesbeck, to use as a site

for a new stadium for the Reds. Eventually the Reds move from Crosley Field to Riverfront Stadium in 1970.

MLB.COM Reds cruise early before Cubs rally late

By Brian Hedger and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 2:18 AM ET

CHICAGO -- As the Cubs spend the next two weeks preparing themselves for the postseason, the National League Central

champions were given a chance to inch closer to their 100th win against a Reds team they've had their way with most of this season.

By erupting for three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth, Chicago emerged with the 5-2 victory at Wrigley Field on

Monday night.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth inning for his 35th save as he faced his former team for the first time. Chapman was with

Cincinnati from 2010-15. Due to the Nationals' loss, the Cubs' magic number to clinch home-field advantage in the NL postseason

is five.

Cincinnati pitchers gave up three home runs late in the game to set a new Major League single-season record with 242 homers

allowed -- eclipsing the old mark held by the 1996 Tigers. The Cubs (95-55) have hit 35 homers vs. the Reds this season and also hit

at least one in 16 straight games.

Reds starter Tim Adleman carried a 2-0 shutout into the seventh when Addison Russell and Willson Contreras slugged solo home

runs. Reliever Blake Wood took over and couldn't keep the game tied as a Chris Coghlan double and Dexter Fowler's two-out RBI

single provided the go-ahead run.

"Addison hits the homer, and that one put a different thought in the pitcher's head," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "I mean, he's

been going so well, and then all of the sudden the ball goes far, and then you think differently."

With two outs against Wood in the eighth, Jason Heyward lifted a two-run homer to left-center field to ice the game and give the

Reds a dubious record. The Cubs have won 11 of 14 games vs. Cincinnati in 2016.

"We needed to outscore them today and not have to win a 2-1 or 2-0 game," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We were going to

have to put more runs on the board. Realistically, to ask Tim Adleman to throw a shutout or give up one run in seven innings would

have been a tall order against any team, but certainly a team like the Cubs that is as adept as they are at scoring runs."

Cubs starter Jason Hammel picked up the win with two earned runs allowed over seven innings with four hits, one walk and six

strikeouts. Adleman finished 6 1/3 innings with two earned runs, five hits, no walks and five strikeouts.

"I was happy that as the game went on, things got better," said Hammel, who improved to 15-9 and became the Cubs' fourth starter

to reach at least 15 wins. "This team continues to prove as long you hang around for a little while, they're going to put up something

and they'll make it exciting."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Digging the long ball: The solo homers by Russell and Contreras in the seventh each eclipsed 400 feet, according to Statcast™.

Russell's, his 21st of the season, traveled a projected 401 feet to left-center field to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Contreras

tied the game with a blast that landed on Waveland Ave. According to Statcast™, that one left the bat with a 109-mph exit velocity,

at a launch angle of 31 degrees, and traveled a projected 461 feet. It was the longest home run hit at Wrigley Field this season and

the longest by a Cubs player that wasn't hit at Coors Field. It was the hardest-hit homer of Contreras' career, too.

"I just didn't execute pitches on those two balls," Adleman said. "The first one to Russell was just a fastball over the plate that kind

of ran back up and in where he could sort of handle it. The changeup to Contreras was just kind of a cookie."

Phillips goes deep: Brandon Phillips put Hammel in an early 1-0 hole when he opened the second inning by hitting a 1-1 pitch into

the left-field bleachers. Phillips' long ball had an exit velocity of 104 mph, according to Statcast™, and traveled a projected 415

feet. It was Phillips' 11th homer of the season.

Nice audition: Maddon said Hammel shouldn't feel like the rest of his season is an audition to make the Cubs' postseason roster.

Regardless, this outing will give Chicago's decision-makers something to mull over. Hammel, who was 1-4 with an 8.61 ERA in his

previous five starts, kept the Reds guessing for most of his start. The only runs he allowed came on Phillips' homer and a bloop

single by Joey Votto, which followed Hernan Iribarren's triple in the sixth. There's no need for a fifth starter in the postseason, but

Hammel could earn a relief role.

"I worked real hard on my slider in the [bullpen] between the last game and this one, and that's my bread and butter," Hammel said.

"I have to get that pitch back. It had much better shape today, much better command."

Quality start for Adleman: With the Reds facing a Tuesday game to be pitched by all relievers, it was paramount for Adleman to

have a deep performance to preserve the bullpen. Adleman obliged with the quality start, but he could not hold the Cubs down when

he returned for the bottom of the seventh with just 79 pitches thrown. The 6 1/3 innings were a career high for the rookie.

"I was really proud [of] innings one to six," Adleman said. "Against a good lineup like that, you have to attack because when you

get into the 2-1, the 1-0, the 3-1 counts where you've got to throw the ball over the plate, they're really good at taking advantage of

pitches that they can handle. … I felt pretty good out there for the most part but was really disappointed in the way it ended tonight."

QUOTABLE

"I wonder how many guys from Georgetown have pitched in the big leagues? I know they've been Chief Justices of the Supreme

Court, but I don't think they've ever been that good of a right-handed pitcher. Really interesting. Good kid. Threw strikes, knew

what he was doing, but I think the home run [by Russell] turned it around." -- Maddon, on Adleman, who was drafted out of

Georgetown in 2010

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Cubs are the only team in the Majors with four pitchers who have at least 15 wins this season. The Cubs haven't had four

pitchers reach the 15-win mark in the same season since 1935. They're the first team in the Majors with four 15-game winners since

the Cardinals in 2004.

UNDER REVIEW

In the ninth, Scott Schebler thought he was hit on the arm by a 1-0 Chapman fastball up and in, while home-plate umpire Mike

Estabrook thought otherwise. The Reds challenged, and after a review, it was determined that the call stands.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: Reliever Josh Smith will get his first start of the season when he steps in for Tuesday's 8:05 p.m. ET game as the series

continues. Smith threw 62 pitches over 3 2/3 innings on Saturday in relief vs. the Pirates. He was 0-4 with a 6.82 ERA in seven

starts for Cincinnati last season.

Cubs: Jon Lester, who has won eight straight decisions, gets a chance to add to his bid for the NL Cy Young Award during

Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. CT contest. Lester has held opponents to just one or zero runs in each of his past six starts. He is 1-0 with a

2.18 ERA against the Reds in three starts this season.

Reliever Smith to make spot start for Reds

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | September 19th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Because of injuries, a doubleheader on Saturday and some short starts from the rotation recently, the Reds find

themselves a little shorthanded for starting pitchers. For Tuesday's game, they are turning to the bullpen and reliever Josh Smith in a

spot start vs. the Cubs and Jon Lester.

It will be Smith's first start of the season after 29 relief appearances. Although manager Bryan Price will let the right-hander go as

long as he can, it could amount to being a bullpen day to fill the innings.

"We'll keep a mind's eye on him, simply because he hasn't been a starter for a while," Price said on Monday. "I don't expect him to

finish the game, but he'll certainly be the one starting it."

Smith threw 62 pitches over 3 2/3 innings with one run allowed in Saturday's 7-3 loss in Game 2 of a doubleheader vs. the Pirates.

Originally expected to get the start on Tuesday, Keyvius Sampson was needed in Game 1 that day and threw 54 pitches over 1 2/3

innings.

"He didn't bounce back as well as Smitty did after those long outings the other day," Price said of Sampson. "I think we've got the

ability to get more out of Smitty than we do out of Keyvius. It just made it a simpler decision. I didn't want to go out there and have

a guy go into the second [inning]. I feel comfortable with him pitching into the game somewhat."

Smith has a 4.97 ERA this season and four appearances lasting three or more innings. Last season, he made seven starts (nine games

overall) and was 0-4 with a 6.82 ERA, 38 hits, 21 walks and 27 strikeouts over 30 1/3 innings.

"The biggest thing last year was walking guys, which is something I usually don't do," Smith said. "This year I've been able to come

in and really attack guys with all of my pitches for strikes. I will take that same approach for tomorrow."

Smith was looking forward to getting a chance to start, and naturally hopes it could lead to more chances.

"It's a good opportunity," he said. "I enjoy starting. It's what I was used to until this year. Now I will just get back into that routine,

go back tomorrow, challenge those guys. It will be fun."

Injury report:

• Shortstop Zack Cozart remained in Cincinnati to continue rehab for his sore right knee. Cozart hasn't played since Sept. 10, but the

club hasn't given up on him returning. The Reds will reassess in the coming days.

"We haven't put the kibosh on his season. But we're certainly not going to rush him through the rehab process," Price said. "Right

now, it doesn't seem like he's getting markedly better."

• Pitcher Homer Bailey (right biceps tenderness) will throw a third bullpen session on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. Encouraged that

Bailey is feeling better, the Reds are hopeful he could possibly make one or two starts before the season ends -- if he comes through

the next mound session without problems.

• Rookie pitcher Cody Reed (lower back spasms) will not pitch again in 2016. Reed had been throwing on the side but hasn't pitched

in a game since Aug. 29 for Triple-A Louisville.

"He's just too far away removed from pitching now," Price said. "That's one that feels like, by now, we'd be forcing that to happen.

We don't want to do that."

Reds set season record for homers allowed

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 1:18 AM ET

CHICAGO -- When the Reds' pitching staff broke the single-season record for home runs allowed Monday, it fittingly happened

against the team that has stung them the most this season with the long ball.

In a 5-2 loss at Wrigley Field, the Cubs banged out three homers over the seventh and eighth innings as they scored five unanswered

runs. That gave Cincinnati 242 homers allowed, eclipsing a record previously held by the 1996 Tigers.

Full Game Coverage

"You want to associate yourself with all of the positive records, but if you're going to do this, you're going to get associated with

some negative ones, too, if you do it long enough," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "It's certainly not good enough.

"The bane of our season has been base on balls as a pitching staff and home runs as a pitching staff. It's reflected in the team ERA

and our won-loss record. That's not to hang a season on the pitching staff, but it does mean that we see where our strengths and

weaknesses lie and we have to have more depth in our rotation and our bullpen. We know moving forward that will be a focal

point."

The Cubs have hit 35 home runs this season vs. the Reds, with Kris Bryant's nine leading the team and all opposing hitters. Bryant

actually had a quiet 0-for-4 night on Monday, but starter Tim Adleman's 2-0 lead was erased quickly in the seventh by others.

Addison Russell led off by hitting a 1-0 fastball to left field for homer No. 240, which set a new National League record. Two

batters later, Willson Contreras tied the '96 Tigers record when he hit the longest homer at Wrigley Field this season. It was a solo

shot that landed on Waveland Ave. and went a projected 461 feet, according to Statcast™.

In the eighth, with the Reds down by a run, reliever Blake Wood's 3-1 pitch was lifted by Jason Heyward to left-center field for the

new record.

"We don't pay attention to that stuff. I don't think you can," Wood said. "It's one of those things where obviously we've given up a

lot this year. I've been giving up a lot more lately than I have earlier in the season. Honestly, I couldn't tell you why. For whatever

reason, they seem to be going out a lot more."

Other items of note that led to the record being broken:

• Starting pitcher Brandon Finnegan leads the NL with 29 homers allowed this season. Teammate Dan Straily is in second place

with 28.

• The bullpen's 95 homers allowed in 2016 is also a single-season record. The previous record of 92 was held by the 1964 Kansas

City Athletics.

• Of those 95 homers, 26 allowed by Reds relievers came vs. their first batter faced in a game.

• The Reds have 10 pitchers this season with double-digit homers allowed. The '96 Tigers had 10, led by the 30 given up by Felipe

Lira.

It's time to meet the 2016 MLB Fans of the Year

By: Cut4 Staff

Posted: 6:18 PM

American League

@MLB Orioles Fan of the Year: Romeo Santos

Romeo Santos runs a marathon every year while carrying an O's flag, and he even named his son "Camden."

@MLB Red Sox Fan of the Year: Daniel Pelkey

Daniel Pelkey is a K9 police officer with an entire room of his home dedicated to Red Sox memorabilia.

@MLB Yankees Fan of the Year: Mark Gordon

Mark Gordon has been a Yankees fan since the late 1940s, and even though he now lives in Iowa, he still has season tickets.

@MLB Rays Fan of the Year: Irving Dupre

Rays fan Irving Dupre has also passed his love of baseball down to his 11-year-old granddaughter.

@MLB Blue Jays Fan of the Year: Mateo Alvarez

Six-year-old Mateo Alvarez loves the Blue Jays, and gets emotional thinking about Edwin Encarnacion's future with the team.

@MLB White Sox Fan of the Year: Laura Williams

Passionate fan Laura Williams has attended 600 consecutive White Sox games.

@MLB Indians Fan of the Year: Nate Crowe

You may know Nate Crowe as the fan whose sign originated the phrase "Party at Napoli's."

@MLB Tigers Fan of the Year: Mary Weider

Mary Weider went to her first Tigers game in 1926, and was 24 when they won their first World Series in 1935. At nearly 105, the

Tigers are still her favorite team.

@MLB Royals Fan of the Year: Paul Long and John Stoner

It's hard to think about Royals fans without thinking of Paul Long and John Stoner, AKA the "Cat Suit Guys."

@MLB Twins Fan of the Year: Darrin Holland

Darrin Holland has been to more than 2,000 Twins games, and when he lost his foot to diabetes, he made sure his prosthetic was

adorned with a Twins logo.

@MLB Astros Fan of the Year: Susan and Mike Welbes; Barbara and Jimmy Moon

The Welbes and the Moons have been Astros fans since the '70s, and even bring signs for other people to wave at Astros games.

@MLB Angels Fan of the Year: Steve and Zac Baker

Zac and his dad Steve follow the Angels all across the country.

@MLB A's Fan of the Year: Connie Amarel

Connie Amarel takes care of her team -- she brings homemade cookies for the broadcasting staff and front office every time she

attends a game.

@MLB Mariners Fan of the Year: Amy Franz

Amy Franz has been a Mariners fan for a long time, but you might recognize her as the creator of the "Ichi-meter" sign, which is

now displayed at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

@MLB Rangers Fan of the Year: Amber McDonald

Miracle League player Amber McDonald has been a Rangers fan since she was 7 years old.

National League

@MLB Braves Fan of the Year: Jonathan Howard

Jonathan Howard loves the Braves so much he refers to Turner Field as his "summer home."

@MLB Mets Fan of the Year: M.J. Lupton

M.J. Lupton has been a Mets fan since 1979, and even plans family vacations around the Mets' road trips.

@MLB Phillies Fan of the Year: Riley Marciante

Four-year-old Riley Marciante is the Phillie's No.1 fan, and the No. 1 Mini-Phanatic.

@MLB Marlins Fan of the Year: Julio Rodriguez

Julio Rodriguez says he "basically stops working for six months," just so he can watch the Marlins.

@MLB Nationals Fan of the Year: B.J. Treuting

B.J. Treuting, AKA "Bam Bam," has vowed not to shave his beard until the Nationals win a World Series.

@MLB Cubs Fan of the Year: Natalie Adorno

Fourteen-year-old Natalie Adorno is better known as "Superfan Natalie."

@MLB Reds Fan of the Year: Tim Ashburn

Tim Ashburn has been to 33 consecutive Reds Opening Days.

@MLB Brewers Fan of the Year: Ian and Kelly Forbes

Kelly tosses candy into the dugout at every home game she attends, and her husband Ian proudly sports his Brewers tattoos.

@MLB Pirates Fan of the Year: Chris Miller

Chris Miller is more commonly referred to as "Captain Chris," and leads a cheering section at PNC Park known as the Renegades of

the Rotunda.

@MLB Cardinals Fan of the Year: Gertrude Slama

Gertrude Slama has loved her teams since she was young, and remembers "yelling [her] fool head off for the Cardinals" when they

won the World Series in 1926.

@MLB D-backs Fan of the Year: Julius Ingram

Marine Corps veteran Julius Ingram makes his booming voice heard at as many D-backs games as he can.

@MLB Rockies Fan of the Year: Josh Pugh

This Rockies fan's name is Josh Pugh, but you probably known him as the "Mile High Mohawk."

@MLB Dodgers Fan of the Year: Emma Amaya

Emma Amaya is known as "Crazy Blue," and keeps score at every Dodgers game she attends.

@MLB Padres Fan of the Year: Amelia Haarer

Amelia Haarer loves showing off her dance moves on the Jumbotron almost as much as she loves the Padres.

@MLB Giants Fan of the Year: Michael and Angela Simon

Michael and Angela Simon love the Giants, and even say their two sons learned to write by keeping score at games.

Smith faces tough Cubs club in first 2016 start

By Brian Hedger / Special to MLB.com | 12:09 AM ET

Jon Lester gets another chance to bolster his bid for the National League Cy Young Award when he takes the mound Tuesday

against the Reds at Wrigley Field. The left-hander, who has won eight straight decisions, will reach at least 30 starts for the ninth

consecutive season.

He threw eight scoreless innings in his last outing, a 7-0 Cubs victory against the Cardinals, and has allowed one or zero runs in his

past six outings. Lester is 2-0 with a 3.02 ERA in seven career starts against Cincinnati, including 1-0 with a 2.18 ERA in three

starts this season. The Cubs' magic number to clinch home-field advantage in the NL postseason is five games over the Nationals.

Right-hander Josh Smith will start for the Reds, who are using their 15th starting pitcher this season -- two away from their single-

season record of 17 set in 2003. The outing will be Smith's 30th appearance this season and first start, after making the previous

seven starts of his Major League career in 2015.

Smith has carved out a niche in the Reds' bullpen as a reliever who can handle more than one inning per appearance. He's made 20

appearances of more than an inning this year, including his most recent outing in Cincinnati's loss to the Pirates on Saturday in the

second game of a doubleheader. Smith allowed one run in 3 2/3 innings.

Smith is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in three career appearances (one start) against the Cubs.

Three things to know about this game

• Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler might be available to pinch-hit Tuesday. Soler hasn't played since Friday, when he left a game against

the Brewers early because of soreness in his right side.

• Lester won't have to worry about facing Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton, who is on the disabled list with an oblique strain.

Hamilton holds a .600 batting average against Lester (6-for-10), with a double, two home runs and two RBIs. Hamilton's

replacement, rookie Jose Peraza, is 3-for-4 with a double and RBI in his only game against the lefty.

• Reds first baseman Joey Votto is hitting .416 following the All-Star break. Votto is trying to become the first Major League player

to hit .400 after the All-Star Game since Ichiro Suzuki did it in 2004 for the Mariners.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Reds set unwanted record in loss to Cubs

Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 9:58 a.m. EDT September 20, 2016

CHICAGO – The 2016 Cincinnati Reds have given up more home runs than any team in baseball history.

That sentence might as well have been written in June. The Reds’ undesired quest for the major-league home run record has been

inevitable for at least that long. You can’t give up 137 homers in the first three months of the season and expect to steer clear of

history. Not when the record is 241.

The only remaining mystery would be how the record fell. So here are the identifying details:

On Monday, Sept. 19 at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs hit three home runs to give the Reds 242 for the season. Reds starter Tim

Adleman gave up two – to Addison Russell and Willson Contreras – to tie the record. Reliever Blake Wood served up the record-

breaker to Jason Heyward. The Reds lost 5-2.

The Reds have 12 games to go. They are on pace to finish with 261.

“We certainly have to improve the quality of the talent and we have to get guys who can get the ball on the ground more often than

we have this year,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “We’ve got a lot of fly-ball pitchers. It hasn’t worked.”

The numbers are truly staggering, and any notion that the Reds have been better in the second half seems to be a mirage. They

allowed just 34 home runs in July, but that month consisted of only 24 games thanks to the All-Star break. They gave up 43 in

August. They are on pace to allow 46 in the final month, including the first two days of October.

As Price noted after the game, the Reds have allowed at least one home run in every park they’ve played in this season. The Cubs

have hit 14.5 percent of them with 35.

“We haven’t missed a stadium with home runs,” Price said. “That’s just a part of the game that in our situation has just gone through

the roof. We just have to be better in commanding the zone. I make it sound simple; it’s not.”

The Reds’ historic pace has certainly given Price time to dig into the problem. He sees some extenuating circumstances.

Entering the day, there had already been more home runs hit this year across the majors than any time in the past 10 years. Before

Monday, big-league hitters were on pace to hit 5568 home runs, the second-most ever. Ninety-seven of those hitters had at least 20

home runs, the third-most ever.

“Whatever the reason, a lot of balls are going out, and we’re certainly setting records ourselves,” he said.

Price has tackled the question of the home-run boom at various points this year, and his position is that pitchers have become too

enamored with velocity. Too few have actually learned the art of pitching.

So it’s cruelly ironic that the two pitchers who pushed the Reds into new long-ball territory were a starter who’d dominated for six

innings and a reliever who’d been one of the team’s best at keeping the ball in the park.

It certainly can’t be said that Adleman has overpowering stuff, or else the 28-year-old wouldn’t have had to spend 2012-13 in the

independent leagues. But through six innings against the Cubs on Monday, he’d allowed just three hits and four baserunners.

There were warning signs in the sixth as the Cubs started squaring the ball up, but Adleman took the mound with a 2-0 lead in the

seventh having thrown just 67 pitches. His 69th was a fastball down the middle to Russell, who planted it in the left-field seats to

give the Reds sole possession of the National League record. Two batters later, Contreras destroyed a change-up for a 461-foot

missile that tied both the game and the big-league record.

Adleman was replaced by Wood, who was probably the team’s best bet of preventing further home-run damage. He entered with the

third-best homer rate (2.3) and second-best groundball-to-flyball ratio (1.18) of the team’s relievers.

But he gave up a double and then a go-ahead single to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead before escaping the seventh. He remained in the

game in the eighth, serving up a double to Russell followed by Heyward’s record-breaking smash.

“We don’t pay attention to that stuff,” Wood said when asked about the record. “I don’t think you can.”

They certainly don’t have to anymore. The Reds officially have the most homer-prone pitching staff in baseball history. The rest is

just a matter of degree.

Homer Bailey progresses, Zack Cozart stays home

Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 9:53 p.m. EDT September 19, 2016

CHICAGO – Both right-hander Homer Bailey and shortstop Zack Cozart could appear in a game for the Cincinnati Reds before

season’s end, although Monday those chances looked better for Bailey than for Cozart. Bailey’s injured bicep responded well after

throwing a bullpen session Sunday, while Cozart did not make the trip to Chicago with the team as he deals with lingering knee

soreness.

Bailey is set to throw another bullpen Wednesday, after which the team will look into getting him another start. It’s possible he

could make two starts before the end of the year, provided he finds his way back on the mound during the team’s 10-game road trip.

“We’ll ramp up a little bit what we want to accomplish on (Wednesday),” manager Bryan Price said of Bailey. “He’s been throwing

the ball hard. He’s throwing the ball pretty loose and free. But we want to have more than a couple of good days where he’s feeling

like normal. We want him to feel like he’s whole, feel like he’s healthy.”

Bailey hasn’t pitched since Aug. 28, while Cozart hasn’t played since Sept. 10. The shortstop also missed more than a week in the

middle of August to knee and Achilles tendon soreness.

It’s the same surgically repaired knee that continues to bother him now, although the Reds are confident that the issue is not serious.

Cozart has had an x-ray and MRI performed on the joint, which was found to be structurally sound.

“His knee came back as good or better than we thought,” team medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek said in a text message. “Just

like a pitcher with shoulder or elbow surgery, we do not want to overdo it.”

Cozart is essentially in the same boat as center fielder Billy Hamilton, who has not progressed as hoped from an oblique strain

suffered earlier in the month. Both players are running out of runway to return to the field, but the Reds won’t give up trying.

“We haven’t put the kibosh on his season,” Price said of Cozart. “But we’re certainly not going to rush him through the rehab

process. Right now, it doesn’t seem like he’s getting markedly better.”

Notes: Josh Smith to start Tuesday

Zach Buchanan, zbuchanan@enquirer.com 9:50 p.m. EDT September 19, 2016

The Reds initially slotted right-hander Keyvius Sampson to start Tuesday’s game against the Cubs, but will instead use right-hander

Josh Smith in his first start of the season. Both pitchers appeared in Saturday’s doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with

Sampson throwing 52 pitches in 1 2/3 innings in the early game and Smith throwing 62 pitches in 3 2/3 in the nightcap.

The Reds feel Smith bounced back better over the last two days and that he can handle a higher workload at the moment.

“I think we’ve got the ability to get more out of Smitty than we do out of Keyvius,” Price said. “It just made it a simpler decision.”

Smith said he feels reasonably stretched out, although Price admitted Tuesday’s game will “probably have a little bit more of a

bullpen flavor to it.”

Smith made seven starts and nine total appearances in his first taste of the majors in 2015, but struggled with walks and posted a

6.89 ERA. He’s improved in both categories this year, although still has just a 4.97 ERA in 50 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

Smith feels he’s learned to attack hitters more aggressively since last season, and hopes to prove that Tuesday against one of the

best lineups in baseball. He wouldn’t be upset if it led to another start down the road.

“Obviously, it would be nice to go out tomorrow and have a good one and at least put that thought in their minds,” he said.

Reed’s mission

The back tightness that has ended the season for pitching prospect Cody Reed will likely be resolved with an offseason of rest, but

the 23-year-old will have another mission before he reports to spring training in 2017.

The back problems arose when the Reds had Reed focus on getting more extension on his delivery, and the left-hander will train to

improve the strength of the affected muscle groups so he can continue that mechanical work next year.

“He needs to improve the strength and the flexibility in his hamstrings, glutes and lower back,” Price said. “So that will be an area

of focus for him in the offseason as far as conditioning goes.”

BAR: When Reds' losses are wins

C. Trent Rosecrans, crosecrans@enquirer.com 1:51 p.m. EDT September 19, 2016

At this point in the season, every Reds loss is a win.

With 13 games remaining, I’m once again looking at where the Reds could end up in next year’s draft. After a 3-4 week, the Reds

moved up one spot from (tied for) fifth - now they’re tied for fourth. The Reds will have the tie-breaker over every team except the

Phillies in the event of a tie.

This is a point that shouldn’t be lost — it’s not just the draft position that’s important, but also the signing pool money. The exact

dollar amounts haven’t been decided yet this year because the Collective Bargaining Agreement expires this year. The competitive

balance lottery has been postponed until January of 2017. Last year, the Reds won the lottery, so they had the highest bonus pool of

any team in baseball. The difference between the third team (Braves) and the fourth team (Padres) was nearly $2 million between

the draft and the international pool. The difference between the fourth team and the eighth team (White Sox) was nearly $4 million

($16,091,400 to $12,237,500).

Also keep in mind, competitive balance picks (and pool money) are the only kinds of picks that can be traded.

So — here are the standings as of now (from the bottom):

1. Twins 55-95 (.367)

2. Braves 58-91 (.389)

3. Padres 62-87 (.416)

4. Reds 63-86 (.423)

5. Diamondbacks 63-86 (.423)

6. Rays 64-85 (.429)

7. Angels 65-84 (.436)

8. Athletics 66-83 (.443)

9. Phillies 67-83 (.447)

10. Brewers 68-82 (.453)

The Reds players have talked about trying to catch the Brewers for fourth place in the NL Central — as they should. Players should

play to win at all times. But that’s not what’s best for the organization, especially with the huge difference between the fourth pick

and 10th pick, not just in first-round talent, but also in spending pools.

The schedule helps the Reds – they have three games this week against the Cubs with two rookies and a TBA starting against three

of the Cubs' best starters. After three games in Milwaukee, there are four in St. Louis against a Cardinals team still in the playoff

hunt and then finishing with three at home against the Cubs.

• ICYMI: Dan Straily got his first hit on Sunday, and everyone’s a comedian.

• Unpopular opinion: There wasn’t sufficient evidence on the replays to overturn the call on the field of a fumble. I don't think it was

a fumble, but I don't think the video showed it wasn't.

MINOR LEAGUE ROUNDUP

Rookie: Orem 3, Billings 2 (Friday): The Mustangs were swept in the best-of-three Pioneer League Championship. Starter

Wennington Romero gave up two runs on five hits in five innings. RF Jose Siri was 2 for 3 with a double, a stolen base and was

caught stealing. His double was — get this — a double to the catcher.

SS Hector Vargas was 2 for 4. LF Taylor Trammell and DH Michael Beltre each had one hit and one RBI. [Box]

THE ROTATION

1. Alex Reyes may have single-handedly kept the Cardinals’ playoff hopes alive on Sunday. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

2. Carson Palmer lost a bet and the payoff was fantastic. [Yahoo Sports]

3. Karl Melzer is a hero — he set a record by traversing the Appalachian Trail in 45 days 22 hours 38 minutes. According to the

New York Times, “He capped each night with one or two beers and left from rest stops with rainbow-colored Spree candy, Three

Musketeers chocolate bars and bacon in his pockets.”

4. Best wishes to Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch, who is retiring. Hunter’s last column is about being a pro — something he

is certainly qualified to write. Bob is a pro’s pro and one of the nicest people in the business.

5. The Undefeated’s Mike Wise writes a powerful reaction to Penn State honoring Joe Paterno this weekend. I cannot recommend

this enough.

ESPN.COM Smith gets starting nod as Reds take on Cubs

Posted: 4:03 AM ET

By: STATS LLC

CHICAGO -- Josh Smith may not have much experience as a starting pitcher but at least the right-hander has been called on

frequently between stints with Triple-A Louisville and the Cincinnati Reds.

Reds manager Bryan Price figures previous work will help when Smith makes his 30th appearance and first start of the season on

Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

Price could have considered some others for a starting slot -- including candidates called up earlier this month from Triple-A Iowa.

"(But) we're so far removed from the Triple-A season," he said. "It ended on September 5. It is hard to ask guys to pitch when they

haven't had activity for two weeks."

Smith (3-1, 4.97 ERA) will become the Reds' 15th different starting pitcher this season and he faces Cubs left-hander Jon Lester

(17-4, 2.40 ERA) in the second in a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Smith has had seven career starts -- all in 2005 -- as he went 0-4 with three no-decisions and a 6.82 ERA. He's 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA

in three career appearances against Chicago.

As Smith is set to step in, the Reds could be poised to shut down a mainstay for the rest of the season.

Right-hander Homer Bailey reportedly continues to deal with a sore right biceps and skipped a scheduled bullpen late last week. He

has struggled through parts of six starts since returning from Tommy John surgery.

"We have the right to shut him down, we have not made that decision yet," Price told reporters. "Until we do, you can anticipate that

perhaps he may pitch again this year."

Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson (2-1, 4.97 ERA) works the series finale on Wednesday against Cubs right-hander John Lackey

(9-8, 3.42 ERA).

Lester makes his 30th start of the season, hitting that milestone for the ninth straight season. In his last start on Sept. 14 at St. Louis,

he worked eight scoreless innings in a 7-0 Cubs triumph while extending his winning streak to eight games.

He's 2-0 with a 3.02 ERA in seven career starts against Cincinnati and is 1-0 in three starts against the Reds this season.

"Jonny is on a good roll," Maddon told reporters earlier this month. "I've seen him like this in Boston. Right now as a Cub, this is

the best I've seen his stuff consistently."

While the Reds are winding down and looking to 2017, the Cubs are concentrating on some unfinished business and the upcoming

National League playoffs.

"We have a unique opportunity right now for the next two weeks," Maddon said on Monday. "The biggest thing we have left to do

is to clinch the best record and that would ensure home field and hopefully secure 100 wins at some point.

Clinching the division crown so early has also given the Cubs some options to rest starters and the opportunity to meet and leisurely

ponder their postseason roster.

Maddon said those discussions are starting this week.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Reds allow 3 more homers, set record in 5-2 loss to Cubs

By: Jay Cohen—The Associated Press

Updated: 12:51 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016 | Posted: 12:51 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016

CHICAGO — Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price wanted no part of this record.

Tim Adleman spoiled a terrific outing by giving up two of Chicago's three home runs, and the Reds lost 5-2 to the Cubs on Monday

night in the opener of a 10-game road trip.

Addison Russell and Willson Contreras homered during Chicago's three-run seventh inning, and Jason Heyward added a two-run

drive in the eighth. Heyward's seventh of the year was the 242nd homer allowed by Cincinnati, breaking the major league record of

241 belonging to the 1996 Detroit Tigers.

"We just have to be better in commanding the zone," said Price, a former pitching coach with the Reds, Diamondbacks and

Mariners. "And I make it sound simple; it's not. We certainly have to improve the quality of the talent. We've got to be able to get

guys that can get the ball on the ground more often than we have this year. We have a lot of fly-ball pitchers and it hasn't worked."

Adleman was working on a shutout before the two solo shots tied it at 2. The rookie right-hander allowed five hits, struck out five

and walked none in a career-high 6 1/3 innings.

"I'm really proud with innings one through six," Adleman said. "I wanted to give the team a chance to win."

Jason Hammel (15-9) pitched seven solid innings for Chicago, and Dexter Fowler hit a tiebreaking single off Blake Wood (6-4)

with two outs in the seventh.

Hammel's performance gave the franchise four pitchers with at least 15 wins for the first time since 1935. It looks as if Jon Lester,

Kyle Hendricks and Jake Arrieta are playoff-rotation locks for the NL Central champions and John Lackey has the pole position for

the fourth spot, leaving Hammel in limbo as the season winds down.

"We've got a good collective group here and their decisions are going to be really hard," Hammel said, "so we're just going to

continue to do what we do, individually do our work and show up and play and then they'll put the best team out there whenever it

is."

Brandon Phillips homered for last-place Cincinnati (63-87), which has lost five of six. Joey Votto went 2 for 3 with an RBI single

and a walk, increasing his batting average since the All-Star break to .416.

"He's very motivated to play the game at the highest level possible regardless of our win-and-loss record," Price said. "And he also

wants to be here to turn this thing around and he has been setting the example of how to work and how to be a professional."

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 15th save with the Cubs and 35th on the year. It was Chapman's first career appearance

against Cincinnati, which traded the hard-throwing closer to the New York Yankees last December.

GETTING A CHANCE

Reds right-hander Josh Smith will make his first start of the season Tuesday. Price said the game would have a "bullpen flavor" to

it.

The Reds need a starter after playing a doubleheader Saturday.

"It's a good opportunity," said Smith, who threw 62 pitches Saturday. "I enjoy starting. It's what I was used to until this year."

PACKING THEM IN

The paid attendance of 39,251 ran the Cubs' season total to 3,028,965 with five home games left in the regular season. It's the

franchise's first time drawing more than 3 million since 2011, and the ninth time at Wrigley Field overall.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (biceps) is scheduled for another bullpen session Wednesday. "It's still possible that he'll make a start or

two before the year is out," Price said. ... A day after saying CF Billy Hamilton (oblique) was "improbable" to return this season,

Price put SS Zack Cozart (knee) in the same category. "We're certainly not going to rush him through the rehab process," Price said.

UP NEXT

Smith (3-1, 4.97 ERA) will be opposed by Cubs LHP Jon Lester (17-4, 2.40), who is 8-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his last 11 starts.

TRANSACTIONS 09/19/16

New York Yankees transferred RHP Chad Green from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right forearm tendon

injury.

New York Yankees activated RHP Anthony Swarzak from the 15-day disabled list.

Washington Nationals designated 2B Chris Bostick for assignment.

Washington Nationals activated RHP Joe Ross from the 60-day disabled list.

Baltimore Orioles placed LF Steve Pearce on the 60-day disabled list. Right flexor mass strain.

Baltimore Orioles activated RHP Darren O'Day from the 15-day disabled list.

Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of 1B Trey Mancini from Norfolk Tides.

New York Yankees selected the contract of 3B Donovan Solano from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Atlanta Braves activated RHP Aaron Blair from the 15-day disabled list.