Author: Hal McCoy

By HAL McCOY

CINCINNATI — When Matt ‘Grizzly’ Adams played for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cincinnati Reds deployed a heavy defensive shift to the right. Then, more often than not, Adams punched a hit to left field.

Now he plays for the Atlanta Braves, shorn of beard and weighing 40 pounds less after a winter of hibernating away from the kitchen cabinets.

After hitting a grand slam home run earlier in the game, Adams came to bat with one out in the 12th inning of a tie game.

As usual, the Reds shifted everybody to the right, with second baseman Jose Peraza in shallow right field. And Adams drilled a home run to left field off Blake Wood to give the Braves a 12-inning 6-5 victory Saturday in Great American Ball Park.

The shift meant nothing.

Adams came to bat in the fifth inning and because the bases were loaded, the Reds pretty much played him straight up.

It didn’t matter. The only way to stop him on this at bat was to place the outfielders on the other side of the walls and that’s illegal.

ADAMS REVERSED A SCOTT FELDMAN fastball far over the center field wall and into the grass, a grand slam home run that was the eventual impetus for the victory, even though Atlanta second baseman Brandon Phillips tried to give it away.

With his team up 5-1 in the fifth inning and one out, the Braves had an apparent force out at second base, the second out. But it was ruled that Phillips came off the bag taking the throw and everybody was safe and Phillips was charged with an error.

After a walk, Arismendy Alcantara singled for a run, Zack Cozart took a bases loaded walk and Joey Votto singled home run two runs and suddenly the game was 5-5.

THE RETURN OF PHILLIPS TO Cincinnati, as expected, didn’t go without him drawing attention to himself.

Phillips refuses to talk to any print media while here but the fan favorite, traded to the Braves in February, had plenty to say to FoxSportsOhio and WLW-T because he never ducks a camera.

He said he was distraught and disturbed that the Reds quickly issued his old uniform number ‘4’ to Scooter Gennett.

“I still can’t believe somebody is wearing my No. 4,” he said. “That’s kind of a slap in the face, too. But it is what it is. People have their own opinions, and I have mine.”

The number, of course, is not retired and Phillips, of course, is not in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame, so why should his number be sacrosanct?

And he went even farther.

“I’m Mr. Cincinnati, regardless of what anyone else says. I still run this place,” he said. Mr. Cincinnati? Wonder how Pete Rose and Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr., true Cincinnatians, feel about that? And if there is a Mr. Cincinnati right now, it is Joey Votto.

AFTER GOING 0 for 5 with two strikeouts in a 3-2 Atlanta loss in 10 innings Friday, Phillips was on base five times Saturday, twice via hits.

He singled in the first inning, but nothing came of that. He was hit by a pitch in the third, reached on an error, walked (and was thrown out trying to steal), struck out and singled with two outs in the 11th.

With one out in the fifth and the Reds leading, 1-0 after Jose Peraza’s home run, Phillips pulled a ground ball to third baseman Eugenio Suarez. His throw went over first baseman Joey Votto’s head for an error.

Feldman walked Nick Markakis, Matt Kemp singled hard to left field, loading the bases, and Adams unloaded them with a quick flick of his bat to make it 4-1. After the grand slam, a double, a hit by pitch and a single by Kurt Suzuki made it 5-1.

That led to Phillips’ faux pas that helped tie the game. The Reds bullpen pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings to take the game into the 12th before Adams beat Wood.

ATLANTA’S BULLPEN, THOUGH, WAS better, finishing the game with 6 2/3 scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 12th by closer Jim Johnson.

The Reds, though, stranded 15 runners, including two in the each in the ninth, 10th and 11th.

—With one out and two on in the ninth, Scooter Gennett struck out and Jose Peraza grounded out.

—With two on and two outs in the 10th, Joey Votto struck out.

—With two on and nobody out in the 11th, Gennett took a called strike three, Peraza hit into a fielder’s choice and Devin Mesoraco popped out.

In addition to stranding 15 runners, the Reds were an incorrigible 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position.

“You get guys in scoring position when you can win the game, you always want those hits to win that game,” said manager Bryan Price. “But Atlanta is trying to win, too, and they made some plays and they made some pitches. It is disappointing in that the opportunities were there, but their pitchers aren’t rolling the ball in there underhanded.

“We did a pretty good job in some tough situations, too, and it just came down to that solo home run to give them the lead and then not being able to do anything with Johnson,” Price added.

Adding to the misery, the Reds lost two-thirds of their starting outfield mid-game. Both center fielder Billy Hamilton and right fielder Scott Schebler strained their left shoulders trying to make diving catches and left the battle.

“We’ll have a better idea of how they are doing tomorrow morning,” said Price. “Right now it doesn’t seem serious enough to suggest a DL is in order for either one. We’ll learn a lot overnight. Right now there is not a concern.”

Said Schebler, ”It is a stinger. My shoulder went numb. I had the same thing in Toronto (when he made diving catch in foul territory) but it cleared up right away. This time it didn’t go away as fast but I came in here and I had full range of motion and strength.

“It won’t be a long term thing,” he said optimistically. “It is tight right now but that’s because of the ice. I could wake up tomorrow and feel great and be ready to go. If I need a day tomorrow, I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready by Monday.”

THE OTHER CONCERN IS FOR the bullpen, used extensively in the last two games of 10 innings and 12 innings.

Starter Feldman gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings. Then Austin Brice pitched 1 1/3 scoreless, Michael Lorenzen pitched two scoreless, Raisel Iglesias pitched one scoreless, Wandy Peralta pitched one scoreless Drew Storen pitched one scoreless — 6 2/3s total until Wood couldn’t keep Adams in the park.

“Playing extra innings and emptying out the bullpen the last two days hurts,” said Price. “We used our primary guys both games. We have a couple of length guys left, but our primary guys could have some limits for Sunday’s game.”

By HAL McCOY

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds were Masters of Escapology Friday night in Great American Ball Park with Devin Mesoraco playing the part of Harry Houdini.

The Reds beat the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, in 10 innings, but how they got there was a ph.D. in Escapology.

Mesoraco led the 10th inning with a game-ending, walk-off home run to put the emphasis on the night.

But there was excitement before that. The Reds came to bat in the bottom of the ninth down 2-0 with Atlanta closer Jim Johnson on the mound.

QUICKLY, ADAM DUVALL LED with a double and Eugenio Suarez doubled to cut Atlanta’s lead to 2-1. Scott Schebler struck out and Jose Peraza grounded to short with Suarez moving to third.

Two outs. Tying run on third base. Tucker Barnhart batting. One out away from defeat.

Amazingly, Johnson threw a ball 55 feet, five feet short of home plate and in the dirt and the ball bounced free enabling Suarez to score the tying run.

Mesoraco did not start the game. He sat for nine innings and came into the game in the top of the 10 as part of a double switch to get pitcher Raisel Iglesias into the game.

WHEN COMPLIMENTED ON THE double switch, manager Bryan Price said, “I just had a feeling about Mez tonight. I usually have Mendy (Arismendy Alcantara) in that spot because he has done a phenomenal job off the bench.

“I don’t know why, but I just had a good feeling about Devin,” Price added. “Bless his heart. It is really nice to have him back. He is not only an excellent player, but a great teammate and you can never get enough of those guys.”

Mesoraco, though, was not feeling good about himself before the game, not feeling comfortable with his swing.

“The last week or so my hands reverted back to their old position, a bad position for me,” he said. “That was when I wasn’t feeling so good so we just tried to get them back where they are supposed to be.”

THE DRIFTING HANDS WERE noticed by hitting coach Don Long and he worked with Mesoraco, which meant some extra hitting before batting practice Friday. “I wasn’t hitting the ball hard, wasn’t having good at bats,” said Mesoraco. “My bat wasn’t getting through the zone the way I thought it should be. We identified that and took some extra swings on the field before the game.”

And then he took The Big Swing in the 10th inning.

THE CHEERS WERE LOUD and effusive for Mesoraco, but not as loud as they were for one of the guys wearing Atlanta blue.

It is, indeed, a sad occasion for the Cincinnati Reds, LLC, when an opposing player is cheered and applauded throughout the game more than any player wearing the home uniform. It wasn’t even close.

And why would the Reds pay tribute to that player by displaying highlights of his career between the top and the bottom of the first inning?

FOR THE FANS, IT WAS BECAUSE they love second baseman Brandon Phillips, traded by the Reds to the Braves last winter.

Whatever the case, when Phillips came to bat in the top of the first, fans gave him a rousing standing ovation that lasted so long he stepped out of the batter’s box and doffed his batting helmet.

And then struck out.

As for the Reds and their scoreboard tribute, perhaps it is because they are still paying the guy, paying him $13 million to play for another team, a team that was trying to beat the Reds.

They nearly beat them, but didn’t and they received no help from Phillips — 0-for-5 on a strikeout, line drive to right, fly to right, a pop foul to first with a runner on third and two outs and a two-out strikeout in the ninth with a runner on first.

IT WAS NATIONAL DONUT DAY and Braves starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz didn’t need too much help from Phillips or the rest of his friends.

He was rolling donuts at the Reds, inning-by-inning — 000-000-0 — seven innings, no runs, two hits, two walks, 10 strikeouts. The Braves lost the first six games Foltynewicz started this season and had won three of his previous four starts. It should have been four of his last five starts but the bullpen let him down.

Bronson Arroyo pitched perfunctorily, giving up only two runs in six innings but received zero offensive helps from his teammates while he was on the mound.

He gave up a run in the third on back-to-back no-out singles by Adonis Garcia and Dansby Swanson, a sacrifice bunt by Foltynewicz and a sacrifice by by Ender Inciarte

Then came Arroyo’s biggest bugaboo this season, the home run ball. No. 8 hitter Swanson homered down the left field line leading off the fifth, the 19th home run given up this year by Arroyo in 56 2/3 innings up to that time.

AND IT GAVE THE BRAVES a 2-0 lead that didn’t disintegrate until the ninth and 10th.

“Bronson did a really nice job keeping people off balance and staying out of the middle of the plate,” said Price. “He is feeling better. We’re all pulling for him to get back to being that innings-eater. But I’ll take two runs over six innings all year and if he wants to do that I’m fine with it.”

By HAL McCOY

For certain, the Cincinnati Reds need to change their modus operandi — quit scoring runs in the first inning.

They’ve scored first-inning runs in six straight games and in nine of their last 10 games.

But they still lose.

IT HAPPENED AGAIN Wednesday afternoon in Toronto’s Rogers Centre against the Blue Jays.

They scored two runs in the first inning and lost, 5-4. They scored first in all three games and lost all three to the Blue Jays, the last place team in the American League East.

Zack Cozart singled and Joey Votto homered off Toronto starter Mike Bolsinger, Votto’s 14^th homer and a 2-0 Reds lead.

Reds starter Tim Adleman gave up a run in the bottom of the first, but the Reds scored a run in the second after two walks and a Jose Peraza double for a 3-1 lead.

Then the bats went silent.

ADLEMAN HELD THE BLUE JAYS to that one run until the fifth inning when he faced the bottom of the order.

No. 8 hitter Ryan Goins dropped a perfect bunt up the third base line for a hit.

That brought up back-up catcher Luke Maile, a Northern Kentucky (Edgewood) native who played college baseball at the University of Kentucky. He was 3 for 53 at the time. And he hit a two-run game-tying home run to make it 3-3.

IT STAYED 3-3 UNTIL THE seventh with Wandy Peralta on the mound. He issued a one-out 3-and-2 walk to Goins, but retired Maile for the second out.

And he was one pitch away from escaping, a 3-and-2 count on leadoff hitter Devon Travis. The 3-and-2 pitch ended up over the left center wall, the ninth home run of the series for Toronto and a 5-3 lead.

The Reds had oh-so-many chances that they frittered and the best was in the ninth against closer Robert Osuna.

SCOTT SCHEBLER LED THE ninth with a home run, his 16^th that gave him the National League lead, cutting Toronto’s lead to 5-4.

After Scooter Gennett struck out, Tucker Barnhart singled. Jose Peraza hit a perfect double play ball, but it scooted through second baseman Goins legs.

Peraza promptly stole second, putting the potential tying run on third and the potential go-ahead run on the second.

Billy Hamilton struck out. Zack Cozart, owner of a .417 average with runners in scoring position, struck out. Game over.

THE REDS HAD OPPORTUNITIES in the sixth and seventh, too.

Joey Votto led the sixth with a walk and with one out Eugenio Suarez singled, putting runners on second and first. Scott Schebler struck out. Scooter Gennett struck out. Still tied, 3-3.

Peraza bunted for a hit with one out in the seventh and stole second. But Hamilton flied out and Cozart, hitting .348 with two strikes, struck out. Still tied, 3-3.

Toronto manager John Gibbons appeared to give the Reds a break when he rested regulars Josh Donaldson, Troy Tulowitzki and Kevin Pillar, but the Reds couldn’t take advantage.

The Reds struck out 14 times and were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

And for the second straight game, Cincinnati native and Wright State product Joe Smith had a hand in preserving Toronto’s victory.

He pitched the eighth and went 1-2-3, striking out Votto and Suarez, who failed to drive in a run on the now-completed nine-game trip during which the Reds went 4-and-5. Votto is 0 for 4 with three strikeouts for his career against Smith.

ADLEMAN WAS CREDITED with a quality start, something rare these days for the Reds. He pitched six innings and gave up three runs, six hits, walked two and struck out five.

But for the second straight game a late-inning two-run home run against the Reds’ bullpen did them in. Michael Lorenzen gave up a two-run home run in the eighth inning Tuesday to Kendrys Morales when it was 4-4, the winning runs in a 6-4 Jays victory. And Peralta was victimized by Devon Travis.

The Reds finished May with a 13-15 record and after an off day Thursday they open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves and former teammate Brandon Phillips Friday night.

By HAL McCOY

It was another horrible evening for a Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher, but this time the team was able to fight back and tie the game.

This time, though, the bullpen, in the name of Blake Wood, let them down.

Wood came into a tie game in the eighth inning and gave up a two-run home run to Kendrys Morales, the two runs the Toronto Blue Jays needed to produce a 6-4 victory.

ASHER WOJCIECHOWSKI STARTED for the Reds and his teammates gave him a 2-0 first-inning lead on back-to-back home runs by Zack Cozart and Joey Votto on successive pitches.

Cozart’s home run was his seventh straight hit with two strikes on him. And it was the sixth straight game in which the Reds score in the first inning. In addition, they have hit home runs in 11 straight games.

But they’ve still managed to lose the first two games in Toronto by a combined score of 21-6.

WOJO FIERCELY GUARDED that 2-0 lead for three innings, facing the minimum nine batters. He gave up a leadoff single to Morales in the second but he was doubled off first on a line drive hit to Joey Votto.

Wojo needed only 35 pitches (23 strikes) to cover the first three innings.

Then came the fourth and the Blue Jays blew the roof off Rogers Centre and nearly knocked down the adjacent CN Tower with three home runs and nearly a fourth.

Wojo hit Kevin Pillar, who was 1 for 22, to open the inning. Then he gave up a 435-foot upper deck home run to Josh Donaldson to tie it, 2-2.

Three pitches later Jose Bautista reached the second deck in left center with another home run. Morales nearly made it three home runs in a row but Scott Schebler caught the long drive against the right field wall.

WITH TWO OUTS, RUSSELL Martin hit the third home run of the inning and it was 4-2 after 1,277 feet of home runs and a 357-foot out. After throwing 35 pitches in the first three innings, Wojo threw 34 in the fourth.

Michael Lorenzen replaced him and put a muzzle on the Blue Jays’ loud bats, three scoreless innings.

And the Reds battled back.

COZART HIT HIS SECOND home run of the game in the fifth, tying LA’s Corey Seager with six for the most home runs by a National League shortstop.

The Reds tied it in the seventh with a run, but it could have been much, much more.

Jose Peraza singled and stole second base, moving on to third on catcher Russell Martin’s throwing error. He scored on Billy Hamilton’s single.

Hamilton then stole second base, his league-leading 28^th theft. Cozart walked, putting runners on second and first with no outs.

With Joey Votto batted, Hamilton inexplicably tried to steal third and was thrown out. Votto then walked. But Adam Duvall lined hard to left center and was robbed on a diving catch by Ezequiel Carrera, saving two runs. Eugenio Suarez ended the inning by striking out.

The Reds frittered an opportunity in the eighth, too. Scott Schebler led the inning with a double.

At that point, Cincinnati native and Wright State University product Joe Smith entered the game for the Jays.

Devin Mesoraco, 0 for 14, struck out to go 0 for 15. Pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett lined out hard to first baseman Justin Smoak. Peraza beat an infield single and then stole second, putting runners on third and second with two outs. Billy Hamilton flied meekly to center field leaving it 4-4.

WOOD ENTERED FOR THE eighth and quickly gave up a single to Jose Bautista and the game-winning home run by Morales, the fourth of the game by the Jays — the first home run given up by Wood this season.

Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna easily buzzed through the heart of the Reds order in the ninth — a fly to center by Cozart, a ground ball to shortstop by Votto and a game-ending strikeout of Adam Duvall.

Wojciechowski was the fifth rookie to start a game for the Reds this season and the 10^th different starting pitcher.

Before the game, the Reds optioned pitcher Robert Stephenson back to Louisville and called up rookie Jackson Stephens. When Stephens makes his debut he will be the 22^nd different pitcher used by the Reds this season.

The plan for Stephenson is to stretch him out at Louisville so he could possibly return to the Reds as a starter.

By HAL McCOY

After hitting five home runs Sunday in Philadelphia, two each by Adam Duvall (five RBI) and Patrick Kivlehan, the Cincinnati Reds matriculated north to Toronto and had the tables turned on them and slammed on their heads.

It was not a memorable day on Memorial Day for the Reds against the Blue Jays. The Jays hit three home runs in the first four innings, including a grand slam by Troy Tulowitzki and a three-run rip by Justin Smoak.

AND WHEN THE SMOKE cleared, the Reds were laid to waste, 17-2, in Rogers Centre. In addition to scoring the most runs against the Reds in a game this season, the Jays had 23 hits, most against the Reds this season. A Reds team had not given up that many hits since the Atlanta Braves collected 25 on May 1, 1985 in old Riverfront Stadium.

The mess was created by Reds starter Lisalverto Bonilla, who lasted only 2 1/3 innings and threw more balls than strikes. He threw 67 pitches, only 31 for strikes, went to three balls on nine hitters and walked five.

BILLY HAMILTON, SUDDENLY ADEPT at bunting for a hit, started the game with a bunt single, just as he did Sunday during an 8-4 victory over the Phillies.

And he stole second base, his league-leading 27^th theft, and scored on Adam Duvall’s two-out single.

That 1-0 lead only lasted until the Jays came to bat in the bottom of the second when they scored twice.

Justin Smoak singled and Russell Martin homered down the right field line, just over the fence and just inside the foul pole for a 2-1 Jays lead.

The seams all ripped apart for Bonilla and Robert Stephenson in the third.

It began with an excuse-me dribbler up the third base line for an infield hit by Josh Donaldson.

After a wild pitch, Bonilla walked both Jose Bautista and Kendrys Morales to load the bases.

ONE RUN SCORED ON AN infield out, but Bonilla refilled the bases with another walk on four pitches to Russell Martin.

Manager Bryan Price had seen more than enough and brought in Stephenson. His second pitch to Tulowitzki crash landed in the left field seats, a grand slam home run and a 7-1 lead.

The mess continued in the fourth when Stephenson gave up a one-out double to Bautista, a walk to Morales and Smoak’s three-run home run to right and it was 10-1.

And the ugliness got worse in the fifth and Stephenson didn’t make it out of the inning due to a balk, an obstruction call on Eugenio Suarez during a rundown play and Stephenson missing the bag while covering first base on a grounder.

Stephenson got one out in the fifth and gave up three more runs before newly acquired pitcher Jake Buchanan came in as the Reds 21^st different pitcher this year to get the final two outs. Buchanan, though, was touched for two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

In five innings the Jays had 13 runs and 14 hits and twice batted around in an inning.

STEPHENSON’S APPEARANCE WAS brief and eventful appearance by giving up seven runs and 10 hits in two innings pushing his earned run average to 8.03.

And it wasn’t a fun return to his home country by Joey Votto, who was honored before the game accepting the prestigious Canadian Tip O’Neill Award as the country’s best professional baseball player. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch, then went 0 for 3 and left the game after the top of the sixth as Price began sprinkling his lineup with extra players.

Hitting streaks took a beating, too. Jose Peraza’s 13-game streak ended and Zack Cozart’s 11-game streak came to a halt.

Toronto ace Marcus Stroman held the Reds to two runs and five hits, with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings.

The only Reds hitter to really solve him was Adam Duvall, who homered in the sixth, his 14^th of the season and fifth in his last five games.

By HAL McCOY

There is something about Philadelphia that doesn’t agree with the Cincinnati Reds — too many cheesesteaks, something in the water of the Schuylkill River, unruly and unfriendly fans.

Whatever it is, whether the Philadelphia Phillies are, good, bad or average, the Reds can’t win a series in the City of Brotherly.

IT HAS BEEN 11 YEARS since they’ve won a series in Citizens Bank Park. They are 0-9-1 in 10 series.

Things looked good for them Friday night when they won the first game of a three-game series.

But a game-ending single by Tommy Joseph in the bottom of the ninth against Michael Lorenzen lifted the Phillies to a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon.

Joseph is a game-ending specialist. He ended a game in the 11^th-inning Thursday with a base hit.

AFTER BRONSON ARROYO GAVE up three solo home runs in five innings, the Reds bullpen took over and retired 12 straight (Austin Brice, Wandy Peralta) entering the ninth inning.

But Lorenzen gave up a leadoff single in the ninth to Aaron Altherr and moved him to second with a wild pitch. On a 2-and-2 count, Joseph ended the game with a sharp single to left center, only the Phillies 19^th win in 49 games.

In five innings, Arroyo gave up only five hits, but three were bases-empty home runs and he has given up 18 home runs in 52 innings, the most home runs given up in the National League.

PHILADELPHIA STARTER JEROD Eickhoff, who was 0-and-5 and the Phillies had lost all eight games he started this year.

Billy Hamilton opened the game with a bunt single up the third base line, only his second bunt hit this year. He stole second, his league-leading 26^th stolen base.

It wasn’t needed. Zack Cozart homered into the left field seats for a 2-0 lead and the beginning of a four-hit day for the Reds shortstop. And he also walked.

But the first batter Arroyo faced in the bottom of the first, Cesar Hernandez, homered into the right field upper deck. Hernandez started the season on Opening Day against the Reds with a game-opening home run against Scott Feldman.

THE SAME THING HAPPENED with the first batter in the second inning. Arroyo gave up a home run to Michael Saunders to tie it, 2-2.

And the Phillies took a 3-2 lead in the fourth when Joseph hit a home run. Of the 18 home runs given up by Arroyo this season, 13 have been with nobody on base.

The Reds tied it in the sixth when Eugenio Suarez singled, stole second and scored on Scooter Gennetti’s double down the right field line.

Gennett was on second with one out and took third on Tucker Barnhart’s grounder to third. But he remained anchored at third base after pinch-hitter Patrick Kivlehan walked because Hamilton struck out.

Austin Brice replaced Arroyo and pitched two perfect innings. Wandy Peralta pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, but Lorenzen (3-and-1) couldn’t close the door in the ninth.

The Reds missed an opportunity against the team with baseball’s worst record to climb back to .500, but fell two below .500.

They have a chance Sunday afternoon to win their first series in Philadelphia in 10 years, with Scott Feldman on the mound.

Cozart homered, doubled and singled twice and he walked with tow outs in the ninth. But Joey Votto, hitless in the two games in Philadelphia, struck out.

By HAL McCOY

On this night in Philadelphia, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tim Adleman could have patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell, with no help from Davy Crockett.

Adleman, who had never pitched beyond seven innings in his major league career, pitched a one-hit shutout over eight innings as the Reds stopped the Phillies, 5-2.

It looked as if he could easily pitch a complete game, but manager Bryan Price removed him after eight innings and 100 pitches.

And it nearly proved disastrous. The Phillies scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth against Asher Wojciechowski and Raisel Iglesias. And they had two on and the potential tying run at home plate when Iglesias struck out Maikel Franco on a 3-and-2 pitch to end it.

Price told Fox Sports Ohio after the game that he removed Adleman because with Amir Garrett on the disabled list, Wojciechowski is going to pitch Tuesday in Toronto, “And if we didn’t get him some work it would be 10 days since he pitched.”

ADLEMAN WAS THROWING ground-seeking missiles at the Futile Fillies (16-and-30), coaxing 15 ground ball outs.

Adleman gave up a one-out single to Andres Blanco in he first inning and no more hits. Only three other Phillies reached base — a hit batsman in the first, a walk in the seventh and a walk in the eighth.

At one point he retired 16 straight and had five 1-2-3 innings in a row.

THE REDS SCORED ALL the runs Adleman needed in the first inning when they took a 2-0 lead.

Billy Hamilton began the game with a nine-pitch full-count walk, then stole second and third, giving him a league-leading 25 steals.

Joey Votto went 0 for 4, ending his streak of reaching base in 27 straight games, but his ground ball to second base scored Hamilton.

ADAM DUVALL THEN HOMERED into the left field seats, his 11^th, and only the second home run given up this season by Phillies starter Aaron Nola.

Scott Schebler made it three home runs given up by Nola leading off the second, mashing one over the center field wall for his league-leading 14^th home run and a 3-0 lead.

The Reds pushed their advantage to 5-0 in the sixth on back-to-back singles by Duvall and Eugenio Suarez to start the inning and a two-run single by Jose Peraza, lifting his hitting streak to 12 games.

ADLEMAN WAS IN A BIT of a muddle in the first inning when Blanco singled with one out and Adleman hit Aaron Altherr with a pitch — two on, one out.

But Tommy Joseph hit into a double play.

After retiring 16 straight, Adleman walked Blanco to start the seventh, but started an inning-ending double play.

Wojciechowski retired the first hitter in the ninth, but gave up a double to Odubel Herrera who was 0 for 13 and came into the game with seven straight strikeouts. Then Wojo walked Blanco and Altherr doubled for a run.

Iglesias took over and Joseph reached base when first baseman Votto dropped a throw for an error that filled the bases with one out.

MICHAEL SAUNDERS GROUNDED into a force play as the second run scored before Iglesias ended it with the strikeout of Franco.

Offensively, the Reds made the most of seven hits and the five runs gave them four or more runs for the 10^th straight game.

By HAL McCOY

‘Run, Billy, run. Run, Billy, run. Run, Billy, run Billy, run Billy run.’

If anybody doesn’t believe speed kills, especially on a baseball basepath, they need to watch the ninth inning of Wednesday night’s Cincinnati-Cleveland baseball game.

Not only once, but twice Hamilton used his Olympic speed to save the Reds and lift them to a 4-3 victory over the Indians.

HAMILTON IS SO FAST HE fooled first base umpire Tim Timmons. With the Reds down, 3-2, and runners on second and first with one out, Hamilton grounded to first baseman Carlos Santana. His throw to second got the second out and on the return throw to first base Timmerman called Hamilton out.

Game over? Tribe wins, 3-2? Not so fast, because Hamilton is fast. The Reds challenged the out call at first and after a long, long delay while they looked at tape in New York, the call was reversed. Hamilton was safe. Game still on.

There were runners on first (Hamilton) and third (Scooter Gennett).

With Zack Cozart batting, 0 for 3 on the night with three strikeouts, Hamilton took off for second and Cozart lined a single to shallow left field. Michael Brantley tried for a diving catch and missed. The ball was right in front of him, but he couldn’t find it right away.

Hamilton never stopped. He scored, standing up from first base, on a shallow single to left field, with the go-ahead and winning run.

ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS for Raisel Iglesias to finish it off. But it wasn’t easy.

It took Iglesias 10 pitches to strike out pinch-hitter Yan Gomes, then he retired Daniel Robertson on a ground ball to the mound.

He walked Jason Kipnis on a full count and Francisco Lindor singled to right, putting the potential tying run on third and the winning run on first.

It ended when Michael Brantley grounded out and Iglesias had his eighth save in eight opportunities.

The game was played in two segments. They played five and then waited for more than two hours for a rainstorm to subside, then played the final four innings.

JUST DOWN THE STREET from Progressive Field, a guitarist named Carlos Santana is enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, owner of 10 Grammy Awards.

But it was a different Carlos Santana that nearly wrecked the Reds before the rain delay. He drove in all three runs before the rains came and the Indians led, 3-2.

He hit a two-run home run in the third inning off Reds starter Lisalverto Bonilla.

The Reds tied it, 2-2, in the fourth on a single by Joey Votto and Adam Duvall’s 10^th home run — the fourth Cincinnati hitter to reach 10 or more home runs, the only team in the majors that can say that.

Just before they pulled the tarp on the field, Santana pulled a run-scoring double to right in the bottom of the fifth to give the Tribe a 3-2 lead.

Then came the rains. And the game stayed 3-2 until the ninth and Hamilton’s sprint around the bases.

If it had been raining, not a drop would have fallen on Hamilton’s head.

THE INDIANS WERE 18-and-0 this season when leading after seven innings, but the Reds got to closer Cody Allen in the ninth, an inning started with back-to-back singles by Scooter Gennett and Tucker Barnhart.

And the Tribe bullpen hadn’t blown a save all year but have blown two straight to the Reds. They blew a 7-4 lead in Cincinnati Tuesday night, but came back to win, 8-7.

Reds manager Bryan Price is not a big fan of replay/review, especially some of the lengthy time it takes. On Wednesday night, he became a huge fan. For one day.

By Hal McCoy

CINCINNATI — Eugenio Suarez’s English is getting better and better and it was near-perfect early Tuesday afternoon in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse as he walked around singing, over and over, the first stanza of, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Because it was a scheduled day off for Suarez, he should have been singing in the dugout during the game, “Put Me Into the Ball Game.”

Manager Bryan Price waited until the seventh inning and did just that — put him into the ball game.

With the Reds down three run to the Cleveland Indians and with two runners on base, Price dispatched Suarez to the batter’s box as a pinch-hitter.

On a 3-and-2 pitch, Suarez drove one into the right center field seats, a three-run home run, his first career pinch-hit home run, and it tied the game, 7-7.

NOW IF THE REDS WENT on to win it from there it would make a good story for Reds fans, right.

Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the many Indians fans occupying seats in the Great American Ball Park, the Tribe scored the winning run ingloriously — a two-out wild pitch by Drew Storen in the eighth inning that led to an 8-7 Cleveland victory.

Perhaps it wa poetic justice that the Indians won it because they attacked the outfield seats for four home runs off Reds starter Amir Garrett, two by former Reds third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

AND ENCARNACION ALMOST started the day the same way as Suarez, sitting in the dugout lounging through a day off.

But he talked manager Terry Francona out of it.

“Glad I didn’t give it to him,” said Francona. “He kinda really talked me into it. On one hand, you are really glad to hear it when a guy wants to play that bad. I appreciate that. He is getting more and more dangerous.”

After hitting 42 and 39 home runs the last two seasons for Toronto, Encarnacion’s two homer Tuesday gives him nine this year.

ABOUT NOT TAKING A day off, speaking through a translator, Encarnacion said, “When I feel this way I want to play. I feel good on the field and that’s where I am going to improve. I can’t improve when I’m sitting on the bench.”

Asked if he liked hitting in Great American Ball Park, where he hit 26 home runs for the Reds in 2008, he broke into a broad smile and said, “Yes, of course.”

FRANCONA, THOUGH, ISN’T certain he could survive managing in GABP and he doesn’t like seeing the Reds in the batter’s box.

“They have a really good offensive club,” he said. “If you make a mistake, as we found out, they can put up some numbers in a hurry. There was traffic all night with hits, walks, hit batsmen. It seemed like they had two guys on every inning.

“They had the one big inning (Suarez’s home run) and fortunately we scratched one across.”

THAT CAME IN THE TOP of the eighth without benefit of a hit. Drew Storen issued a walk and Encarnacion reached on third baseman Scooter Gennett’s error. The Indians bunted into a fielder’s choice at third base, but Encarnacion took third on a deep fly to right and scored the winning run when Storen bounced a pitch in the dirt.

For Amir Garrett, it was a second straight clunker since his recall from a 10-day exile in Louisville, where he could save pitches and save the team service days.

After giving up six runs, five hits and four walks in Chicago against the Cubs last Thursday, he was raked by the Tribe for seven runs, seven hits (four home runs) and a walk in five innings.

THE REDS GAVE GARRETT a 3-1 lead in the first two innings before Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco settled in.

Francisco Lindor homered in the first inning for the Tribe’s only run until they spliced together four hits, two of them home runs, for five runs in the third inning.

Encarnacion’s first home run was a two-run rip and Yan Gomes finished the inning with another home run and a 6-3 Cleveland lead. Encarnacion homered again in the fifth to make it 7-3.

THE REDS had Tribe relief icon Andrew Miller staggering in the eighth. Jose Peraza led the inning with a single and stole second. With two outs, Miller was 3-and-2 on Zack Cozart and he lined a single to right field.

Third base coach Billy Hatcher, knowing Peraza owns flying feet, waved him homeward with the potential tying run. But right fielder Daniel Robertson threw strongly and accurately to catcher Yan Gomes, who made a plush sweeping tag and Peraza was out, with the next scheduled hitter, Joey Votto standing near the plate.

“That was a heck of a throw,” said Francona. “He got a good runner on second and we don’t need to get that game tied again. . .on the road. That was a hard game to win.”

Votto led the ninth with a full-count walk against Tribe closer Cody Allen. Adam Duvall went to 3-and-0, but struck out on the next three pitches.

Pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart singled to center, putting the potential tying run on second and the winning run on first with one out. But Devin Mesoraco popped to second and Scooter Gennett struck out to end it.

Afterwards, asked how he liked the ball park, Francona spat out a few humorous expletives and said, “Oh, man. Suarez’s ball? I know he hit it pretty good, but damn, a home run?”

Francona shook his head and said, “One of our coaches, Mickey Callaway, made the point by saying, ‘How’d you like to go through this every day. I mean, every day.’ You are holding your breath. And it hasn’t even got hot yet.”