HalMcCoy.com

By HAL McCOY

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds are playing baseball these days with about as much punch as cherry Kool-Aid.

On a hot night in Great American Ball Park, where baseballs normally are hit so hard in 90-degree weather that they can be tracked by air traffic controllers at Lunken Airport, the Reds were a bunch of low flyers who barely got off the ground.

The sum total of their offense was a late-game solo home run by Devin Mesoraco. So it was the Los Angeles Dodgers 3, the Cincinnati Reds 1. Seven straight losses. And mounting and counting.

The major problem lately has been the ineffectiveness of Billy Hamilton and Zack Cozart at the top of the batting order. They are a combined 3 for 49.

DODGERS LEFT HANDER ALEX Wood came into the game undefeated in 2017 and left the game undefeated in 2017. With eight innings of one-run, four-hit, five-strikeout pitching (89 pitches), Wood’s glossy record jumped to 7-and-0 with a 1.90 earned run average.

His opponent, Reds starter Tim Adleman, pitched good enough to win on most nights like this in GABP, but on this night he pitched just bad enough to lose — six innings, two runs, five hits, four walks, four strikeouts.

Both runs off Adleman came with two outs and nobody on. Joc Pederson homered in the second for a 1-0 lead.

Adleman issued a two-out walk to Justin Turner in the third, then singles by Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor to make it 2-0.

The Dodgers added a third run off Drew Storen when he gave up two walks and a two-out single to pitcher Wood, a ball he poked just over the first base bag to make it 3-0.

THE REDS GOT ON THE scoreboard in the eighth on a two-out home run by Devin Mesoraco.

The only real threat mounted against Wood fizzled via some spotty base running by the Reds in the second.

Eugenio Suarez led the inning with a double and took third on a ground ball. Jose Peraza grounded to short and Suarez tried to score against the shortened-up infield and was thrown out at home. Then Peraza was picked off first base.

THE REDS PUT UP A mild squeak in the ninth against LA closer Kenley Jansen. Billy Hamilton led the inning and had his hand and bat simultaneously hit by the ball when he tried to bunt. After milling around in agony, Hamilton stepped into the box and bounced a ground rule double into the right field seats, only his third hit in his last 31 at bats.

That only seemed to anger Jansen. He struck out Zack Cozart on three pitches, struck out Joey Votto on three pitches and just to put a point of emphasis on the proceedings he struck out Adam Duvall on three pitches. That was nine pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts and Jansen’s 14th save.

Hamilton’s 3 for 31 and Cozart’s 0 for 18 at the top of the Reds order puts a severe crimp in the Reds offensive scheme.

“They are having a little bit of a run of bad luck and a struggle and that happens,” manager Bryan Price said of Hamilton and Cozart. “They’ve been so good at igniting the offense. Billy had been getting on base at a .335 to .345 (on-base percentage) and Zack has been killing the ball, a great lead-in to Votto, Duvall, Suarez and Schebler.

“That is inherent with baseball that you will have periods of time when thing don’t go your way,” said Price. “I’m confident both those guys will regain their form.”

HAMILTON STOOD IN FRONT of his locker after the game with his left hand encased in a cake of ice.

“As long as it doesn’t swell up too bad I’m going to play (tomorrow),” said Hamilton. When it was mentioned that he doubled after the ball smashed into his hand, Hamilton laughed and said. “I wasn’t able to swing so hard and I guess that’s what I need to do from now on, not try to swing the bat so hard, just put it in play so good things can happen.”

Hamilton knows he is in a free fall but says it is not mechanical. He believes it is mental.

“It has been a struggle for me lately and it is something I have to keep learning from,” Hamilton added. “I need to keep battling back because I have to be on base for us to go. I’m not doing my part right now. It’s in my head and not my mechanics, more me putting pressure on myself when it isn’t going well.”

COZART SHRUGS HIS MINI-SLUMP off by saying, “I feel like I’m putting good swings on the ball, but not necessarily hitting the ball like I want. They are pitching me pretty tough, making some good pitches and I’m just up there battling.

“I felt way better today but just didn’t have anything to show for it (0 for 4) and it is something I’ll fight through,” Cozart added. “It is tough to get stuff going when me and Billy aren’t doing anything. We have to start getting on base for the guys in the middle of the order because that’s when we were playing real well — it seemed like one of the two of us was always on base and the other guy were driving us in. Both of us have to get better.”

By HAL McCOY

DAYTON — As club owner Bob Castellini left the clubhouse and passed a media gathering near the door, he stopped and said, “It was a great day for the Cincinnati Reds.”

He, of course, was not referring to what happened earlier in the day in San Diego, where the Reds lost to the Padres, 4-2, to complete a 0-and-6 road trip.

Castellini was wearing a green cap with a ‘D’ in a dragon’s tale on it, a Dayton Dragons cap, and he said, “It was a great day for the Cincinnati Reds and a great day for the Dayton Dragons.”

CASTELLINI AND TEAM PHYSICIAN Tim Kremchek were at Fifth Third Field Wednesday night to watch Homer Bailey perform a six-inning rehab assignment.

And, indeed, it was great for the Reds and Bailey, who pitched six shutout innings and threw 75 pitches to take another mammoth step forward on the comeback road.

And Bailey was helping the Dragons, who are sniffing a first-half playoff spot in the Class A Midwest League. Bailey did his part — no runs, one hit, one hit batsman, no walks, six strikeouts, 75 pitches, 51 strikes.

In the fourth inning he struck out the side on 10 pitches —nine strikes, one ball — as he helped the Dragons beat the Great Lakes Loons, 4-2.

MATTERS WERE NOT so upbeat in San Diego as the Reds came home with tails tucked and dobbers down.

Jose Peraza, batting leadoff in place of slum-ridden Billy Hamilton (2 for 28) opened the game with a home run off San Diego starter Jhoulys Chacin. And Joey Votto led the fourth with a home run to give Amir Garrett a 2-0 lead.

That, though, would be the last Reds run and they only added four hits to those two home runs.

GARRETT TOOK A SHUTOUT into the sixth inning before giving up a leadoff single to Yangervis Solarte and a 433-foot home run to left field by Hunter Renfroe.

It was Renfroe’s 14^th home run and the 13^th straight home game in which the Padres have hit at least one home run, a club record. That tied the game, 2-2.

Garrett pitched six innings and gave up two runs, seven hits, walked two and struck out eight. It wasn’t good enough.

MICHAEL LORENZEN TOOK over for Garrett in the seventh and walked the first two batters — pinch-hitter Matt Szczur and Jose Pirela — on eight straight pitches.

Franchy Cordero singled home a run and Renfroe’s grounder to short scored the game’s final run.

The Reds lost three straight to the Los Angeles Dodgers and three straight to the Padres, dipping their road record to 10-21. After a 5-and-1 road record to start the season the Reds have lost 20 of their last 25 wearing their road grays.

HELP COULD BE COMING soon. Bailey will pitch Monday for Class AAA Louisville and if that goes well he could be pitching for the Reds by the end of next week.

After pitching five scoreless innings last week for Class AA Pensacola, he is on an 11-inning scoreless streak and looked to be pitching effortlessly Wednesday at Fifth Third.

Bailey, of course, was aware that The Boss was sitting behind home plate in Dayton and he smiled and said, “That’s my best friend.” Of course, he is. He signs Bailey’s $105 million worth of pay checks. “It was good to see him and good to see Doc (Kremchek) with him. And he (Castellini) is the one guy you want saying that he was pleased.”

ASKED IF HE WAS HAPPY with Wednesday’s showing, he said with emphasis, “Yes. I’m glad we’ve checked that box and can go to the next one and go from there (back into a Reds uniform).

“I felt better in my last start (at Pensacola), the ball was coming out better, but you just have some of those games,” he said. “That’s part of it. I was happy that we were able to execute a lot of pitches tonight. It showed in the results.”

Bailey is anxious to return to his struggling major league team, which has thumped to the bottom of the National League Central standings.

“It means a lot to me,” he said. “A lot of those guys I’ve been playing with for a long time. I’ve been keeping up, seeing the way they’ve been battling day-in and day-out. The hitter are doing an outstanding job and the starting pitchers are trying to grind it out, figure everything out.”

BAILEY LAUGHED WHEN he was reminded that his appearance Wednesday was not only important to his well-being, it was important to Dayton’s playoff hopes.

“It’s pressure,” Bailey said. “Double-A (Pensacola) is in a playoff fight, too. Before I pitched there they wanted me to go over hitters with them and I said, ‘Hey, they gotta hit me.’ No, I’m not playing that game. Then they told me here that they’re trying to get to the playoffs and I said, ‘Hey, I ain’t here to lose.’ I don’t want to do a rehab start and give up 10 runs. If I do that they ain’t gonna like me here very much.”

For what he did Wednesday the Dragons love him and his next step is to make the Reds love him again.

By HAL McCOY

Scott Feldman’s first seven pitches to the San Diego Padres Tuesday night were enough to challenge the patience of Job.

Seven pitches — two bloop singles, two seeing-eye ground ball singles dribbled through the infield and the Padres owned a 2-0 lead without once squaring up the baseball.

And Padres left hander Clayton Richard — that’s Clayton Richard, not Clayton Kershaw — guarded that lead like the Pinkertons, as the Padres stopped the Cincinnati Reds again, 6-2.

IT WAS THE REDS’ FIFTH straight loss on the trip and dipped their road record this season to 10-and-20. And it is actually worse than that. The Reds began he season 5-and-1 on the road but are 5-and-19 since that quick start.

And the Reds are 9-and-18 against the Padres since 2012.

HERE’S HOW THAT FIRST inning unfolded against Feldman, who entered the game with three straight victories:

—Jose Pirela hit a ground ball to the hole at shortstop that was stopped by Jose Peraza but he couldn’t make a throw. The ball was hit 63 miles an hour.

—Franchy Cordero blooped one down the left field line, a ball that also came off the bat at 63 miles an hour.

—Wil Myers blooped one just over first baseman Joey Votto’s head for a run-scoring single on a ball that came off the bat at 59 miles an hour.

—Yangervis Solarte grounded one straight up the middle and into center field for another run-scoring single and a 2-0 lead.

Then the Padres turned on a bit of power. Franchy Cordero, who hit his first career home run Monday night, hit his second one to lead the third inning. Then he hit his third career home run — three in two nights — on the first pitch thrown by relief pitcher Tony Cingrani in the seventh inning that gave the Padres a 5-0 lead.

The Padres have hit home runs in 12 straight home games, a club record, and achieved in Petco Park, allegedly a pitcher’s park.

RICHARD ENTERED THE GAME with a 4-and-7 record and a 4.54 earned run average. But he had the Reds nibbling out of his left hand all night.

The Reds had only three hits through seven innings and had Richard on the ropes in both the eighth and ninth.

Jose Peraza and pinch-hitter Patrick Kivlehan led the eighth with singles. But Billy Hamilton struck out, Scooter Gennett struck out and Joey Votto walked on a full count to load the bases. Adam Duvall swung at the first pitch and third baseman Cory Spangenberg made an exceptional stop and threw him out.

Richard was one strike away from a complete game shutout in the ninth after Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler led with singles.

Devin Mesoraco took a disputed called strike three, Jose Peraza flied to center and pinch-hitter Tucker Barnhart had two strikes when he doubled to right for two runs.

That ended Richard’s night. Phil Maton, making his second major league appearances, came on and slipped two quick strikes past Billy Hamilton before he singled, his second hit in his last 27 at bats.

Padres manager Andy Green quickly replaced Maton with Brandon Maurer, the San Diego closer, and he induced a game-ending ground ball out of Scooter Gennett.

After giving up two runs and four dubious hits in the first inning, Reds starter Scott Feldman gave up two more runs and four more hits over the next four innings — four runs, eight hits, two walks, six strikeouts for his five innings.

The Reds were one game under .500 when this trip began, but three straight losses in Los Angeles and two straight in San Diego has dropped them to 29-and-35 and dropped them back into last place in the National League Central.

By HAL McCOY

This says it all about where the Cincinnati Reds are, or aren’t, these days.

It was the third inning Monday night of a game against a bunch of lowly no-named guys wearing San Diego Padres uniforms, a team that entered the game with 40 losses and 16 ½ games out of first place.

Catcher Austin Hedges lifted a popup right behind the pitcher’s mound. All four Reds infielders surrounded it. Any of the four could have caught it. None of the four did. The ball plopped into the grass as Eugenio Suarez, Zack Cozart, Jose Peraza and Joey Votto looked at each other. It fell for a single.

IT DIDN’T LEAD TO ANY damage because the damage already had been done. The Padres hit two home runs off Bronson Arroyo in the second inning en route to a six-run inning that led to a 9-3 Padres victory.

Losing nine straight in Los Angeles and losing 16 of the last 18 games they’ve played against the Dodgers is somewhat understandable. The Dodgers are good.

But San Diego? The Padres are not good and haven’t been for a long, long time. But the Reds haven’t won a season’s series against San Diego since 2012 and are 9-and-17 against the Padres since 2012.

TO ADD SALT INTO THE wide, wide gaping wound, the Reds lost to San Diego pitcher Luis Perdomo, who came into the game 0-and-3 with a 5.30 earned run average. He gave up three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

THE REDS SCORED TWO IN the top of the first after Perdomo quickly retired Billy Hamilton and Zack Cozart. But Joey Votto singled to left, Adam Duvall was credited with an infield hit when Cory Spangenberg double-clutched on his throw from third base.

Suarez walked to fill the bases and Scott Schebler singled for two runs and a 2-0 lead.

From there the Reds were feeble against Perdomo while the Padres went to work annihilating Arroyo.

THEY SCORED ONE IN THE bottom of the first on a two-out single then scored six in the second.

It began when Arroyo hit Spangenberg with a pitch and Allen Cordoba beat a perfect bunt. A double by Austin Hedges scored two to put the Padres in front, 3-2.

After Perdomo’s sacrifice bunt, Jose Pirela lined one off second baseman Jose Peraza’s glove that was generously ruled a base hit and another run scored to make it 4-2.

Franchy Cordero whacked a two-run home run and two batters later Yangervis Solarte homered and it was 7-2. The home runs pushed the total given up by Arroyo this year to a league-leading 22.

Manager Bryan Price, wishing not to ravage his bullpen, permitted Arroyo to remain in the game long enough to give up a couple of more runs before he left with two outs in the fifth inning and a 9-2 deficit.

In 4 2/3 innings Arroyo gave up nine runs and 13 hits and his earned run average was pushed to 7.01.

HOMER BAILEY MAKES HIS second rehab start Wednesday night in Dayton for the Dragons at Fifth Third Field against the Great Lakes Loons.

In his first rehab start last Friday Bailey pitched five scoreless innings (64 pitches) for the Class AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

THIS COMES AS NO great shock, but Reds utility player Scooter Gennett, who hasn’t been in the starting lineup the last two games, was named National League Player of the Week for last week, the first of his career.

Gennett batted .500 (10 for 2) with four home runs (all in one historic game), two doubles, 13 RBI and six runs scored. He finished his week first in total bases (23), RBI and slugging percentage (1.200).

FINALLY, AS IT SHOULD BE, Reds shortstop Zack Cozart leads the National League in shortstop All-Star voting. During most of the early voting Cozart trailed LA shortstop Corey Seager, even though Cozart’s numbers all were better than Seager’s.

Ironically, while Cozart went 0 for 10 over the weekend in LA, Seager hit a game-winning walk-off single in the ninth inning to give the Dodgers a 5-4 win and on Sunday his grand slam home run in the eighth inning turned a 7-5 Reds lead into a 9-7 Dodgers victory.

Cozart has nearly 1,000,000 votes to just over 800,000 for Seager.

THE REDS DRAFTED THE PLAYER they wanted in the draft Monday night, the highly-publicized 17-year-old high schooler Hunter Greene, already featured in a Sports Illustrated story.

Greene is a 6-3, 195-pound pitcher/shortstop from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High school in California and he was announced as a pitcher when he was drafted but the Reds plan to look at him in both positions.

“We do not see prospects like this very often,” said Dick Williams, President of Baseball Operations, General Manager. “The physical talent is special, but he also exhibits great intangibles. We enjoyed getting to know Hunter and his family during this process. His parents should be very proud of the job they have done. We are excited for the opportunity to bring him into our organization.”

Greene posted a 1.62 ERA over 121.1 innings pitched while striking out 30 percent of the batters he faced. As a senior, he was 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA over 5 appearances, collecting 43 strikeouts with just 4 walks over 28.0 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .324 with 6 home runs, 28 RBI, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 23 runs scored, a .374 on-base percentage and a .598 slugging percentage.

“Hunter is an extremely athletic and very talented high school prospect who has been on the scene for many years,” Buckley said. “He is a 2-way prospect who has shown an advanced feel for pitching, significant raw power with the bat and very good fielding ability.”

By HAL McCOY

If the Cincinnati Reds never again see Hollywood, Century City, Pasadena, the Walk of Fame, the La Brea tar pits and, especially, Chavez Ravine, it will be too soon.

It appeared they had finally shaken the Dodger Stadium anvil on their backs Sunday afternoon when they entered the eighth inning with a four-run lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Alas, no. The Dodgers scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth that included three straight walks by Reds closer Raisel Iglesias and a grand slam home run by Corey Seager.

AND SO IT BECAME A 9-7 Dodgers victory, their ninth straight in Dodger Stadium over the Reds and their 16^th win in their last 17 overall against the Reds.

Austin Brice went to the mound in the eighth, asked to protect a 7-3 lead that was built via four Reds home runs — Adam Duvall, Scott Schebler, Joey Votto and Devin Mesoraco.

The Dodgers, too, hit four home runs, but Seager’s was the only grand slam.

Brice retired the first batter in the eighth, then gave up a home run to Cody Bellinger, his second of the day and third in the last two games.

When Yasmani Grandal singled, Reds manager Bryan Price decided it was time to bring in his closer, Iglesias.

TO SAY IT WASN’T HIS day is to say the skies over Dodger Stadium usually are blue.

Iglesias walked Yasiel Puig on four pitches to load the bases.

Then came a classic battle between Iglesias and Kike Hernandez. The battle lasted 13 pitches and at one point Hernandez fouled off seven straight pitches. He eventually fouled eight pitches before Iglesias walked him to force in a run and make it 7-4. Then he walked Utley on a full count, his third straight walk, forcing in another run to make it 7-5 with the bases still loaded.

Seager didn’t wait for a walk. Just as he did Saturday in the ninth inning for a 5-4 Dodgers win, Seager picked on the first pitch and drilled it over the wall.

All that was left was for Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen and he did what he usually does, a 1-2-3 ninth for his 200^th career save.

The Reds attacked LA starter Hyun-Jin Ryu in the second inning for three runs, including a solo home run by Duvall and a two-run blast by Schebler, who took the National League with his 18^th home run.

That only lasted until teammate Joey Votto homered in the third, tying Schebler for the league lead at 18.

THE DODGERS HAD LOST SEVEN of Ryu’s nine starts this year and it looked as if it would be eight of 10 when the Reds built their 7-3 lead. That 7-3 lead came on Devin Mesoraco’s two-run home run in the sixth, his second home run in two games. Mesoraco’s three-run homer Saturday tied the game, 4-4, only to have Seager’s game-winning single in the ninth.

Reds starter Tim Adleman looked as if he was goig to go 3-and-0 over his last four starts when he held the Dodgers to three runs and five hits over five innings and left with a 4-3 lead that was expande to 7-3.

He gave up two runs in the second on Bellinger’s first home run, a two-run shot, and a solo home run to Chase Utley in the fifth.

Billy Hamilton broke a 0 for 17 slide for life with a bloop single in the sixth. But Zack Cozart’s streak of getting on base in 32 straight games ended with a 0 for 5. Cozart was 0 for 10 in the three-game series, but extended his on-base streak Friday with a walk and Saturday with a hit b pitch.

The Reds hopped a bus and fled LA, motoring south to San Diego for a three-game series. Then they return home for next weekend’s series against the Dodgers.

By HAL McCOY

Another game in Chavez Ravine, another defeat for the Cincinnati Reds. It’s becoming a perplexing habit.

The Reds gave their best effort Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough and the Los Angeles Dodgers scored a bottom-of-the-ninth walk-off victory, 5-4.

Corey Saeger’s two-out drive into the left field corner scored Yasiel Puig from second base against relief pitcher Tony Cingrani and the Reds lost in Dodger Stadium for the eighth straight time.

THE REDS CAME FROM three runs down in the sixth, tying the game, 4-4, on Devin Mesoraco’s three-run home run.

LA’s Alex Wood, 6-and-0 with a 1.29 ERA, started and left after 5 2/3 innings with two on and a 4-1 lead. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lifted him in favor of Josh Fields.

Mesoraco turned on a 0-and-1 fastball and ripped it over the left center field wall to tie it.

THE REDS HAD A CHANCE in the eighth inning against Pedro Baez when Joey Votto and Eugenio Suarez singled with one out. But Scott Schebler flied to center and Mesoraco, hoping for another three-run blast, popped to short.

Asher Wojciechowski started for the Reds and wobbled through the first inning, giving up three runs.

Chase Utley opened the inning with a single. Scooter Gennett, playing left field in place of Adam Duvall (under the weather), misplayed a line drive by Seager and the ball sailed over his head for a double that scored a run. Adrian Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 and rookie Cody Bellinger homered to make it 3-0.

WOOD WAS WORKING ON 29 straight scoreless innings in the fourth when Jose Peraza singled home Gennett, who had doubled, and the Reds trailed 3-1.

Puig doubled in the fifth and scored on Chase Utley’s double to make it 4-1.

Wojciechowski pitched five innings and gave up four runs and six hits. Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless inning, Michael Lorenzen pitched two scoreless innings.

Drew Storen started the ninth and ran into quick trouble.

He struck out Logan Forsythe, but gave up back-to-back singles to Yasiel Puig and pinch-hitter Justin Turner.

CINGRANI, WHO MADE two low pressure appearances since coming off the disabled list, replaced Storen in a high-leverage situation.

Cingrani struck out pinch-hitter Franklin Gutierrez. But Seager picked on the first pitch and sent it toward the left field corner. Gennett made a diving attempt but couldn’t come up with it and the game was over.

In the sixth inning, when Mesoraco hit the three-run home run, there could have been more.

Rookie center fielder Chris Taylor, playing because Joc Pederson is on the disabled list, leaped against the wall twice in the first, taking doubles away from Joey Votto and Scooter Gennett.

By HAL McCOY

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts appeared to do the Cincinnati Reds a huge favor Friday nigh when he populated his dugout with a slew of regular players.

On the bench at the start of the game were Adrian Gonzalez, Chase Utley, Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal.

NO DOUBT HE WAS trying to inject some offensive punch into a lineup that had scored two runs or less in six of its seven games.

It worked better than new brakes on a downtown LA freeway at rush hour.

The Dodgers piled on the Reds, 7-2, Cincinnati’s seventh straight loss in Dodger Stadium.

IT BEGAN POORLY FOR Reds starter Amir Garrett in the first inning and quickly got worse in the second inning. LA’s Justin Turner, fresh off the disabled list and absent since May 19, made his first at bat special — a two-run home run after Garrett walked leadoff Chris Taylor on five pitches.

Then the first batter Garrett faced in the second inning, Austin Barnes, smashed a line drive up the middle. Garrett instinctively stuck up his left pitching hand and the ball caught it flush and ricocheted away for a base hit.

Garrett went down and had to leave the game when he lost feeling in the hand. X-rays were negative, but he suffered a contusion.

JAKE BUCHANAN REPLACED Garrett and gave up four runs, five hits, three walks and hit a batter in 2 1/3 innings.

He gave up two in the third on his own throwing error. With the bases loaded, Austin Barnes chopped one that bounced high in the air toward third. Third baseman Eugenio Suarez could have fielded it, but Buchanan cut it off and made a wild off-balance throw past first base.

Buchanan loaded the bases in the fourth with one out on a double, a walk and a hit batsman. Franklin Gutierrez singled to left for two more runs and a 6-1 Dodgers lead.

The final run came in the eighth when Tony Cingrani took the mound and the first batter he faced, Kike Hernandez homered over the center field fence.

AFTER SCORING 28 RUNS during a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds were silenced by Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda.

Hill gave up one run and only two hits over five innings, but walked five and his pitch count reached 98 after five innings.

He was replaced by Kenta Maeda, making his first relief appearance after 10 starts. Maeda, perhaps trying to show the Dodgers they made a mistake demoting him to the bullpen,

Jose Peraza had both Reds hits off Hill, including a run-scoring single in the third. That was the last hit of the night for the Reds.

Maeda retired the first nine batters he faced before Joey Votto led the ninth with a home run, his 17^th and third in three games. Patrick Kivlehan singled and Peraza singled for the third time before Maeda retired Tucker Barnhart to end it — a four-inning, six-strikeout save for Maeda.

Zack Cozart drew a walk in the third, extending his on-base streak to 31 straight games, tying Barry Larkin’s 31 straight in 1991 for most by a Reds shortstop. On the other side of the ledger, Billy Hamilton went 0 for 4 and is on a 0 for 14 slide.

Adam Duvall was out of Friday’s lineup with an illness.

By HAL McCOY

CINCINNATI — Scooter Gennett did not hit a home run Wednesday night. Nothing close.

After hitting home runs in his last four at bats against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night, Gennett was en route to a back-to-earth thud — a double play on his first at bat and a strikeout in his second at bat. And he hit into another double play on his last at bat.

Scooter, though, was not to be silenced for the entire night, even though in three at bats he accounted for five outs.

WITH THE CINCINNATI REDS down three runs in the seventh inning Gennett was an igniter, an important single that torched a five-run inning that led to a 6-4 victory.

The Cardinals, in a bungee cord fall without a bungee cord, have lost five straight and eight of their last 10, enabling the Reds to swoop past them into third place in the National League Central.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny brought in left hander Brett Cecil to protect a 4-1 lead that Lance Lynn owned after six.

When the clouds lifted, the Cardinals had lost for the 14th time when they had a two-run lead or more.

But left hander Scott Schebler beat an infield hit to second base and left hander Gennett singled sharply to center, putting runners on second and first with no outs.

AFTER DEVIN MESORACO STRUCK out, pinch-hitter Patrick Kivlehan picked on the first pitch he saw and turned it into a three-run home run, the first pinch-hit of his career.

That tied the game, 4-4. With two outs, Zack Cozart doubled and Matheny made a strange move.

He had left hander Kevin Siegrist warmed up in the bullpen and Siegrist usually wraps up Joey Votto in velcro. But Matheny brought in right hander Trevor Rosenthal.

It took the grateful Votto one pitch to rip a two-run, game-deciding home run over the left center wall, Votto’s 15th homer, and a 6-4 Reds lead.

Why Rosenthal and not Siegrist. The Cardinals bullpen is a four-car pileup. Matheny doesn’t trust Siegrist (4.57 earned run average) and only trusts Rosenthal.

When Votto was asked what it means that the Reds have come-from-behind 13 times to win this season, Votto said with a grin, “We need to get ahead and stay ahead.”

BRONSON ARROYO STARTED for the Reds and held the helpless Cardinals to no runs and one hit over the first two innings.

He gave up three runs and three hits in the third and left after 5 2/3 innings. Wandy Peralta replaced Arroyo with two outs in the sixth and gave up a run-scoring double that was charged to Arroyo’s account.

But Peralta and the bullpenners who followed him were spotless after that. Peralta’s line was 1 1/3 innings, no runs, two hits. Michael Lorenzen pitched a scoreless, one-hit inning and Raisel Iglesias finished it off in 1-2-3 fashion for his 11th save.

“This team never ceases to surprise,” said manager Bryan Price. “Sometimes you are just amazed that this is happening. You never get tired of it, I can tell you that.”

OF KIVLEHAN’lS GAME-TYING home run, Price said, “He put a good at bat together and didn’t try to do too much. He stayed in the middle of the field and drove the ball to right center. It was a big moment for him personally, but a huge moment for us to put ourselves in a tie game knowing we have Lorenzen and Iglesias ready to go.”

Kivlehan has not been thrilled with his recent pinch-hitting results (3 for 20 before his at bat).

“Before that inning I was talking to somebody and I knew it had been a while since I had a hit or a pinch-hit,” said Kivlehan. “So I said, ‘Screw it. If I pinch-hit today, I’m not taking any practice swings. I’m just going to grab my bat and go up there.’ It seemed to have worked today.”

Pinch-hitting isn’t something Kivlehan has done much, but it is the main reason he is on the roster.

“I like it, but I’m obviously learning,” he said. “It is something I’d never done before and it is something you can only learn to do with repetitions. So, the more repetitions I get the better I’ll get at it.

“I like the pressure situations, too,” he added. “I feel less pressure hitting in big situations because you just have to do a little bit and not a lot.”

A three-run game-tying home run? If that was a little bit, it turned into a lot.

By HAL McCOY

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Reds staffers surrounded Scooter Gennett at his locker, tucked away in a quiet corner of the clubhouse.

They took his uniform. They took his batting gloves. They took his cap. They took the tape from his wrists. They took his sweat shirt. They took his socks. They took his spikes.

Did they take his athletic supporter?

“Everything,” said clubhouse manager Rick Stowe. “The Hall of Fame wants everything.”

That’s because Scooter Gennett hit four home runs and drove in 10 runs Tuesday night in a 13-1 mangling of the St. Louis Cardinals.

“Not the bat,” Zack Cozart yelled at Gennett. “Dont let them take your bat. Don’t let ‘em do it.”

AFTER SINGLING HOME A run in the first inning, Gennett homered on his next four at bats and just missed becoming the first player in history to homer for the cycle. He had a grand slam, two two-run homer and a solo home run. He didn’t have a three-run homer.

But he did become only the 17th player in major league history to hit four home runs in a game.
Amazingly, manager Bryan Price witnessed two. As pitching coach in Seattle he saw former Reds outfielder Mike Cameron hit four.

“I’m a very impressive guy today,” said Price with a laugh.

The 10 RBI tied a 68-year-old team record. Catcher Walker Cooper drove in 10 against the Cubs on July 6, 1949.

GENNETT, PLAYING LEFT FIELD on a night Adam Duvall rested, did an admirable imitation of Duvall’s home run power.

Gennett’s run-scoring single in the first gave the Reds a 1-0 lead and that was a miniature harbinger of what was to come. The grand slam came in the third and gave the Reds a 5-0 lead.

His second home run followed a three-run triple by Eugenio Suarez in the fourth and gave the Reds a 10-0 lead. His third home run in the sixth gave the Reds an 11-1 lead.

When he came to bat in the eighth, he was given a standing ovation and the crowd chanted, “Do it again, do it again, do it again.”

And he did it again.

WHEN GENNETT COMES TO bat, his walk-up music is ‘Live Your Life,’ by Rihanna. Right now, he is living large. In only 116 at bats this season, Gennett has 30 runs batted in.

“It feels pretty cool and it certainly is something I never thought I’d do,” said Gennett. “Even three home runs is too crazy for me. That last at bat I knew I wouldn’t hit a home run if I tried. So I just relaxed and put a good swing on the ball.”

Gennett is not a regular. He is a fill-in. He was a regular with the Milwaukee Brewers but was released toward the end of spring training and signed by the Reds to be a role player. He is playing his role like an Academy Award winner.

THE REDS PICKED HIM up — a guy who grew up in the Cincinnati-Lebanon area, grew up as a Reds fan. And he did something Johnny Bench never did. Something George Foster never did. Something Tony Perez never did. Something Joe Morgan never did. Something Ken Griffey Jr. never did.

“It’s surreal,” he said. It surely is. I’m truly blessed. Being from here, being born here, watching all those guys play when I was little — then to do something that has never been done. I just can’t put words on it.”

He just put big swings on the baseball.

ASKED ABOUT BEING ONE of only 17, something more rare than a perfect game, Gennett, wearing his baseball cap backwards, Ken Griffey Jr. style, said, “It’s crazy, man. Especially a guy like me, not a huge guy. That’s baseball, man. It is not how big or strong you are. It’s how efficient and sometimes how lucky you are.”

Gennett is the ONLY player in major league history to have five hits, four home runs and 10 RBI in one game.

Gennett was 0 for 19 when he came to bat Monday in the seventh inning of a tie game. His double scored two runs, the winning runs in a 4-2 game. Counting that two-run double, Gennett is six-for-six with 12 RBI since the 0 for 19.

“Yeah, you guys weren’t all here by my locker when I was 0 for 19,” he said with a laugh. “Nice to see you guys again. And I have to give a shout out to my bat company, Show Bats. They are the best bats — for a little guy to hit the ball over the fence it takes a good bat.”

After the fourth homer cleared the right field wall on a 0-and-2 pitch (the grand slam and one other homer came on 3-and-2), Gennett said, “As I rounded first base, I kind of laughed, to be honest. It was just crazy for a guy like me to do it, a little short of a miracle.”

MANAGER BRYAN PRICE WAS nearly at a loss for words, talking about an extra player who he plugs in where needed — second base, right field, left field, pinch-hitter. And he is the emergency relief pitcher.

“It comes down to the right attitude because here’s a guy who is used to playing more than he plays here and he has accepted the role and he has thrived in it,” said Price. “Nobody would say he is a career bench player, a utility player. However, for our team, he fills a void for us and he is doing it sensationally.”

Price paused for effect and smiled and said, “How many teams have some guy you can just put into the lineup who can hit four homers? Apparently it is just the Reds.”

THE REDS SWAMPED St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright for nine runs on seven hits after in his previous start he shut out the Chicago Cubs, 2-0, and hit a two-run home run.

It was a totally wasted night for Wainwright. Not only did he give up nine runs, he didn’t hit any home runs. He struck out in his only at bat

The heavy-duty pitching this night was done by former independent league pitcher Tim Adleman of the Reds — seven innings, one run, three hits, two walks seven strikeouts. The one run was a seventh-inning home run by Stephen Piscotty when the score was 11-0.