Cuban Missile misfires again

By Hal McCoy | Sunday, May 19, 2013, 05:07 PM

   Agree about Broxton ,

   I would not have given that pork chop the contract they gave him without
...

UNSOLICTED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, watching Aroldis Chapman walk the first Philadelphia batter in the ninth inning when the telephone rang.

It was my 88-year-old mother-in-law, Lucille Tomczak, and she asked my wife, Nadine, “What is Chapman doing in there? He has thrown too many pitches recently. He’s tired.”

Nadine patiently explained, “He’s the closer. That’s his job.” I chuckled to myself. And when pinch-runner Cliff Lee was picked off first base, I was still chuckling.

One out, nobody on. The Cincinnati Reds led by a run with Chapman facing a couple of no-name Phillies. Then light-hitting Phillies catcher, Erik Kratz, who didn’t even start this game, homered. Tie game. Then light-hitting Freddy Galvis, not the regular third baseman, hit a home run. Game over. Phillies win, 3-2.

Now who’s laughing?

INCREDIBLE. IMPROBLE. No, impossible, but there it was in living color — The Cuban Missile giving up back-to-back home runs to a pair of guys few fans ever heard of, the second straight blown save for Chapman.

Both home runs came on subpar fastballs, subpar for Chapman.

“You expect automatic (from Chapman), but there is no automatic,” said Reds manager Dusty Baker. “He went through a couple of bad streaks last year, they all do, even if you don’t like it. We just have to get him out of it a quickly as we can.”

And the two runs in the ninth came after the Reds led, 2-0, after seven innings, thanks to an elephant-heart performance by starter Homer Bailey.

His shirt was soaked early as he struggled most of the game, giving up line drive after line drive, most of which were caught.

After pitching a complete-game shutout in his previous start in Miami, striking out 10, Bailey went seven more shutout innings, but struck out only three while giving up five hits and walking only one.

He turned a 2-0 lead over to Jonathan Broxton in the eighth and the Phillies were on a slide of 16 straight scoreless innings after Bronson Arroyo shut them out Saturday.

AND BROXTON RETIRED the first two Phillies. But speedy Ben Revere, whose grandfather lives in Dayton, beat out an infield hit to first base, outsprinting Broxton to the bag.

Then Broxton, 2-and-2 against Michael Young, threw two straight breaking balls, both out of the strike zone and walked him.

LEFT HANDER SEAN Marshall came in to face left hander Chase Utley and Marshall’s first pitch plopped into left field, a run-scoring single to cut the lead to 2-1.

Then came the fateful ninth and the stunning defeat, preventing the Reds from winning their first series in Philadelphia since 2003. They won one of three and have lost 17 of their last 23 in the land of Ben Franklin, who must hol;d the key to Philadelphia’s success over the Reds.

And it all started out so well.

——Joey Votto singled with two outs in the first, the eighth straight time he was on base in this series, extending his hitting streak to eight games.

——Jay Bruce homered to lead off the second against Jonathan Pettibone (3-0, 3.41 when the day began). That extended Bruce’s hitting streak to 10 games and made him 20 for his last 40 in Citizens Bank Park. And it gave the Reds a 1-0 lead.

Votto hit into a double play his second time up, but started another streak in the sixth with a leadoff single. With one out, left fielder Domonic Brown made a fabulous sliding catch in foul territory on Jay Bruce. Then he scrambled to his feet to throw to first, trying to double off Votto. His throw skipped past first base and Votto scambled to his feet and ran to second.

Todd Frazier then doubled to right, scoring Votto for the 2-0 lead that the bullpen couldn’t protect.

Who’s laughing now?

So the stunned Reds, now 2 ½ games behind the St. Louis Cardinals again, boarded a pair of buses for the short trip to New York and a three-game series. Johnny Cueto returns to the rotation Monday night and faces Shawn Marcum, whose grandfather lives in Dayton (where have we heard that one before?).

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Votto, Choo own the basepaths

By Hal McCoy | Saturday, May 18, 2013, 07:36 PM

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, wishing I could visit South Street in Philadelphia to have a cheesestreak from Jim’s (and it was in Philly I first discovered Yuengling beer in the 1990s, long before it arrived in Ohio with tons of fanfare).

What do the bases look like when Brandon Phillips comes to bat? Well, it seems that nearly every time he digs in he can look up and see Shin-Soo Choo or Joey Votto on base, or Shin-Soo Choo AND Joey Votto BOTH on base.

After Saturday’s 10-0 annihilation of the Philadelphia Phillies, Choo and Votto have been on base 148 times when Phillips is at bat — the major reason Phillips leads the National League with 36 RBIs.

AND ALL YE of little faith, how does Joey Votto look now? Folks were fretting, sweating and twisting their thumbs over Votto’s so-called slow start in April — which actually was pretty much of a normal April for the $250 Million Man.

On Saturday, Votto acquired squatter’s rights to the Citizens Bank basepaths. He was on base six straight times — well, he circled the bases his last time after crushing a two-run home run in the ninth.

The other five times he was on base with three hits and two walks.

Choo? He was only on base three times.

AND WHILE 10-0 sounds like a drum beating, and it was, it didn’t become that until the eighth inning because the Reds only led, 4-0, and had stranded 11 runners in the first seven inning.

But they put it away in the eighth with four runs and two more on Votto’s homer in the ninth.

They were never in trouble, though, despite all those missed opportunities, because Reds starter Bronson Arroyo had the Phillies pheeding out of his reliable right hand most of the game.

ARROYO TOOK A no-walk, five-hit shutout into the eighth inning and the Phillies broke their backs (and bats) trying to hit those tantalizing off-speed pitches that Arroyo offers, most of them not hard enough to bruise a membrane.

He needed only 75 pitches to get through the first seven innings. But with two outs in the eighth, he issued his first two walks — back-to-back to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley. His last pitch to Utley was his 102nd, so with the Reds only leading by 4-0 manager Dusty Baker decided it was extraction time.

Alfredo Simon finished the inning and the game.

Until the eighth, the Reds’ offense consisted of a three-run home run by Ryan Hanigan in the second, his first homer of the year, and a two-out run-scoring double by Zack Cozart in the sixth to make it 4-0.

THE REDS STRANDED two in the first, one in the second, two in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh.

But it all came apart for the Phillies in the eighth.

Choo started it with a single and with one out Votto singled. Brandon Phillips banged an infield hit to shortstop, filling the bases.

Jay Bruce flied to center, scoring a run, but that was the team’s second out. But Todd Frazier, 0 for 19 when the day began, watched a run score on a wild pitch and then singled home another run, his second hit of the day. Then Donald Lutz doubled to center for the fourth run of the game and the late-rout was on.

It was only the Reds’ sixth win in their last 22 games in Philly, reason enough to celebrate with a couple of Jim’s cheesesteaks each.

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Reds fail to get to Lee earlly

By Hal McCoy | Friday, May 17, 2013, 11:26 PM

        I dont know how many freakin times I have to say this : start robinson in LF every day and
...

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, where I sat watching the Cincinnati Reds leave five runners on base in the first two innings while my granddaughter, Staci, made me a great grandfather at 8 p.m., bringing 7-pound, 13-ounce Liam Taylor into the world. At least Staci and her husband, Michael, scored.

AS MANAGER DUSTY Baker said, “You have to get to Cliff Lee early before he settles in.”

As they say, “No truer words.”

The Reds put two on with two out in the first inning, but Jay Bruce grounded out. They loaded the bases with two outs in the second inning but Zack Cozart struck out,

And isn’t it about time the Reds try somebody else in the No. 2? Who? Anybody. Cozart, who did such a great job in the two-hole last year, is a deep black hole in the batting order right now.

LEADOFF HITTER Shin Soo-Choo and No. 3 hitter Joey Votto keep getting on base, but Cozart is unable to help right now,

With the Reds down by two runs in the ninth and a runner on base with two outs, Cozart, the tying run, popped out to end the game, a 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

That ended the Reds’ six-game winning streak and their six-game road winning streak.

And it also ended the current run of pitcher Tony Cingrani, Friday’s starter. Johnny Cueto threw 50 pitches in the bullpen Friday and pronounced himself ready to return, probably Monday in New York. And Tuesday’s starter is Mike Leake.

IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, Cingrani is headed back to Louisville to find a secondary pitch to go with his fastball.

After John Mayberry Jr., led the third with a single, Jimmy Rollins ripped a Cingrani fastball over the wall for a two-run homer. It was the sevent home run given up by Cingrani in his six starts, sixth in his last three starts.

The Phillies made it 3-0 in the fifth on Cliff Lee’s double — nearly a home run run — and a triple by Michael Young off Shin-Soo Choo’s glove, after a long run.

CINGRANI LEFT AFTER five, giving up three runs, five hits, two walks and four strikeouts.

The Reds scored their only runs off Lee in the sixth when Brandon Phillips cracked his 220th career double, tying Joe Morgan on the Reds’ all-time list, then Jay Bruce drilled a two-run home run, extending his hitting streak to eight games.

It stayed 3-2 until Joey Votto faced left handed relief pitcher xxxxxBastardo in the eighth and pole-axed a 420-foot home run, his fifth — first since April 20.

THE PHILLIES WON IT with two runs in the bottom of the eighth on one hit, and that was an excuse-me infield checked swing slow roller up the third base line by Ryan Howard.

The inning began when Sean Marshall walked Michael Young after a nine-pitch battle. With two on and nobody out, Jonathan Broxton replaced Marshall.

The first pitch Broxton threw hit Delmon Young, loading the bases. Domonic Brown grounded behind second and Cozart stopped it. But Brandon Phillips tried for a barehanded catch of a wide throw and dropped it for an error as a run scored.

CARLOS RUIZ FLIED to center and Choo made a perfect peg and catcher Ryan Hanigan had the plate blocked on Howard, running from third after the catch. But the umpire ruled Howard touched home plate with his hand before Hanigan applied the tag and a second run scored.

It wasn’t over yet. Pinch-hitter Xavier Paul walked to lead off the ninth against closer Jonathan Papebon. But Hanigan flied to right, Choo popped to third and Cozart popped to second.

But Liam Taylor made it a great night in the McCoy household.

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Latos is great, but doesn’t get a ‘W’

By Hal McCoy | Thursday, May 16, 2013, 11:10 PM

UNSOLICITED OBSERVATIONS from The Man Cave, awaiting my step into the land of great grandfathers when my granddaughter, Staci, gives birth at 9 a.m. Friday. And I hope I survive it after tripping Thursday in The Man Cave and landing head first on the concrete, raising a knot and bending my glasses. But I’m going to write this anyway.

ONCE AGAIN Mat Latos had to walk to the dugout with his tailpipe tucked between his legs — another great night with nothing personally to show for it except the important one, a team victory.

The Cincinnati Reds took care of the Miami Minnows (11-30) Thursday night in 10 innings, 5-3, to complete a three-game sweep, but Latos is not smiling like a guy with a full stomach and a warm heart.

He gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, Juan Pierre — Pierre’s 18th career home run in a little more than 8,000 major-league career appearances.

AFTER THAT LATOS was nearly perfect. The Reds scored a run in the fourth and a run in the sixth to give Latos a 2-1 lead, which he took into the ninth inning.

Latos retired Pierre to start the ninth, but Adeiny Hechavarria tripled to right center on Latos’ 91st pitch. Manager Dusty Baker decided it was Aroldis Chapman Time, even though Latos had given up only four hits and hadn’t walked anybody.

Chapman struck out pinch-hitter Placido Polanco, the toughest hitter in the National League to strike out (once every 17 at bats).

HE WAS ONE OUT away from saving the game to make Latos 5-and-0. Didn’t happen. Marcel Ozuna drove one over center fielder Shin-Soo Choo’s head, a vaste wasteland in Marlins Park. Had it been in Great American Ball Park, it would have been game over — a walk-off home run.

As it was, it was another triple, tying the game, 2-2, wiping out the Latos victory. It was the third time this year the Reds bullpen didn’t protect a Latos lead or he would be 7-and-0.

Chapman then struck out pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano, freezing the winning run at third base.

THEN THE REDS scored three runs in the top of the 10th and Chapman, who blew his first save of the year (8 for 9) was awarded the victory for facing three hitters, one of which banged a tying triple.

Earlier this year in Cincinnati, the Reds won a 13-inning game when Brandon Phillips hit a game-ending sacrifice fly against Miami closer Steve Cishek.

Who says history doesn’t repeat?

The Reds filled the bases in the 10th against Cishek and————Brandon Phillips hit a sacrifice fly to give the Reds a 3-2 lead. Fortunately for the Reds, Jay Bruce added two more runs with a double.

Fortunate? Well, J.J. Hoover pitched the bottom of the 10th and gave up a run and needed 30 pitches to end it for his third save this season.

SO THE REDS HAVE won six in a row and 11 of their last 12 as they head to Philadelphia for a three-game series.

Lataos drew a tough assignment, facing 20-year-old Cuban defector Jose Fernandez, a hard-throwing right hander who is easily the best Miami has.

After Pierre’s first-inning home run, the Reds tied it in the fourth on Joey Votto’s double and Jay Bruce’s single (he drove in three of the team’s five runs and is on one of his torrid streaks with a seven-game hitting streak).

Fernandez is young, but one wonders what pitchers think about at times, or if they are given good guidance. In his previous at-bat, Phillips struck out on three pitches, all big-bending breaking pitches that buckled B.P.’s knees. So on Phillips’ next at-bat, in the sixth, Fernandez tried to sneak a fastball past Phillips on the first pitch, which is like trying to sneak dog biscuit past a Doberman Pincer. Phillips knocked it halfway to Fort Lauderdale for a home run and a 2-1 lead.

It looked as if Latos was golden, but his diamond turned to zircon in the ninth, a game the Reds were fortunate to rescue.

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Minnows no match for Choo, Leake

By Hal McCoy | Wednesday, May 15, 2013, 11:07 PM

UNSOLICITED OBSEERVATIONS from The Man Cave, watching all those empty seats in Marlins Park and knowing, no matter what they announced in Miami, there were more fans in Dayton’s Fifth Third Field Tuesday (more than 8,500) than were in Marlins Park Wednesday.

WHEN THE CINCINNATI Reds arrived in Miami, Shin-Soo Choo’s bat was quieter than a Quaker meeting — 1 for 15. He was still getting on base by sacrificing his body in front of errant pitches and getting walks, but he wasn’t hitting.

For Choo, South Beach is the perfect cure for a semi-slump. On Wednesday night against the Miami Minnows, he had hits his first four times at bat — single, single, home run, home run (three runs scored, two RBI).

His batwork and Mike Leake’s armwork helped the Reds win, 4-0, their fifth straight win and ninth in 11 games.

Of course, it was against the Minnows, probably baseball’s worst team (with apologies to the Houston Astros), but these are the teams the Reds must beat. And they are doing it. They are 18-3 against teams under .500.

SO WHAT IS IT going to take to re-sign Choo? Whatever it takes, the Reds will do everything within their power to recapture the Killer Korean. Maybe they can give him North Korea.

While Choo was slaughtering the Minnows — he is now 12 for 21 against Miami this year — Leake was pitching 6 2/3 innings of shutout baseball (no runs, nine hits, one walk six strikeouts).

The shutout was completed by Sean Marshall, Sam LeCure and Aroldis Chapman.

AND MANAGER DUSTY Baker pretty much put to rest any discussion about what happens in the rotation when Johnny Cueto returns Monday in New York.

Fans keep asking, “What happens when Cueto returns? Who is the odd man out?” Most thought Leake would be relegated to the bullpen (or Louisville) and Tony Cingrani (2-0, 2.89 ERA in five starts) would stay in the rotation.

Not in Baker’s eye — and his is the Eye of the Tiger.

After Wednesday’s start, Baker said, “I don’t understand what all the discussion is about over Leake and Cingrani? There is no discussion. Leake is my fifth starter.”

It is almost the same kind of discussion that occurred during spring training — Leake or Aroldis Chapman in the rotation.

Same answer: Mike Leake.

Chapman remains in the closer’s role, a fitting spot for him. While he usually gets the job done, Wednesday was the perfect example as to why it would be difficult for him to be in the rotation.

With a 4-0 lead, it took him nearly 30 pitches to complete the ninth — and that’s the way it usually is for him. He takes 20 to 30 pitches to complete his mission. As a starter, they would barely get him through the fourth or fifth inning.

CHOO STARTED Wednesday’s game with a single and came around to score on a double by Brandon Phillips for his league-leading 35th RBI.

That, of course, brings up another down-the-road question. Phillips is batting cleanup during the absence of Ryan Ludwick and Phillips is on pace for 140 RBIs?

Then the fans will ask, “What happens when Ludwick comes back? Who bats fourth?” That, though, is a question that won’t have to be answered until July, Ludwick’s projected return.

The Reds made it 3-0 in the fourth when Choo homered to left center, Cesar Izturis doubled and Joey Votto singled.

Choo made it 4-0 in the sixth with a two-out home run to right, his team-leading ninth homer. And he leads the league with 36 runs scored.

Leake gave up nine hits, but two were infield swinging bunts and three were bloopers. The Marlins filled the bases after Leake had two outs and nobody on in the third (two on swinging bunts), but he got Justin Ruggiano to fly to right.

From there he was on his way to pushing his record to 3-and-2 and the Reds were on their way to a season’s best eight games over .500.

The Reds finish the series in Miami Thursday night with Mat Latos on the mound, certainly a mismatch against a Minnows lineup littered with household names — names familiar only in their own household.

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Cueto: He was Johnny Be Good

By Hal McCoy | Tuesday, May 14, 2013, 09:01 PM

DAYTON — Is Johnny Cueto ready to shed the green, black and white uniform of the Class A Dayton Dragons and slip back into his more comfortable Cincinnati Reds uniform?

He is so excited about it, he quickly answered the question in English.

Normally, the Dominican-born Cueto uses a translator to conduct interviews. And after his second rehabilitation start for the Dragons Tuesday, Dayton pitching coach and former major-league pitcher Tony Fossas was there to translate.

And he did just that for the first few questions. But when Cueto was asked, “Do you feel like you’re ready to go back into the Reds rotation?,” Cueto didn’t wait for Fossas and said immediately, “Yeah, I’m very ready.” When the interviewers began laughing, Cueto said to Fossas, “Oh, I’m sorry,” and Fossas, “He’s excited. Too excited.”

For the second time, Cueto pitched in a low Class A Midwest League game, this time facing the West Michigan Whitecaps. He went five innings and gave up no runs, three hits, no walks and struck out four, throwing 58 pitches, 39 strikes.

The only solid hit was a rifle-crack single to right field by Lance Durham, son of former major-league outfielder Leon Durham. Cueto got even the next time he faced him by striking him out.

“Thank God, everything when really well,” said Cueto, who has been on the disabled list with a sore lat. “He worked with all my pitches and used them just like I would in a game. I approached it as if it was a normal game.”

Actually, Cueto didn’t get enough work and after his five innings he went to the bullpen to throw 23 more pitches.

Asked if it was a difficult time, sidelined and unable to contribute, he said, “It was tough, but I knew I was hurt and I stayed calm about it so I could come back healthy.”

If there are no next-day difficulties, sorenesses or setbacks, Cueto probably will return to the Reds rotation as early as Sunday in Philadelphia.

When Cueto returns to the rotation, the question is: “What now? Who is in and who is out?”

Rookie left hander Tony Cingrani, who stepped in for Cueto and more than filled in, was originally scheduled to pitch Thursday in Miami.

The Reds, though, moved him back a day to pitch Friday’s opener in Philadelphia — Mat Latos will pitch Thursday on his regular four days of rest and Cingrani reported some tightness in his shoulder.

Manager Dusty Baker hinted last week that Cingrani probably will be sent back to Class AAA Louisville to work on a secondary pitch.

Cingrani breezed through last Friday’s start against Milwaukee, no runs, two hits, the first time through the lineup. But in the fourth, he gave up back-to-back home runs, a walk and a single. He was removed after the fourth. In his previous start in Chicago, the same thing happened. He was effective once through the lineup, then struggled.

“You can get by with basically one pitch the first time through a lineup, especially with his 95 miles an hour fastball,” said Baker. “But the second and third time is much tougher. The hitters know the action on your ball. He is going to have to come up with a secondary pitch. He throws his fastball about 95 per cent of the time.

“He is on the way and I’m glad he has had the success he has had so far (2-0, 2.89 ERA in five starts with seven walks and 37 strikeouts in 28 innings. But he also has given up six home runs.

“The silver lining is that Cingrani has put us in a chance to win (filling in for Johnny Cueto),” said Baker. “We’re not here to try out or get a look-see. He has gotten an extended time here. What if he had come up and got shelled and then who would be our next line of defense? Had we lost four out of his five starts, we’d be seven games out — or worse.”

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LUTZ: ‘This one’s for you, mom’

By Hal McCoy | Sunday, May 12, 2013, 05:06 PM

  Really guys? don't give in to that stuff - you're better than that, well, maybe....

CINCINNATI — Like the fine son that he is, Donald Lutz called his mother, Marlen, in Frankfort, Germany to wish her a Happy Mother’s Day — just an hour before Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Typical mother. She heard something different in her son’s voice and scolded him for not taking better care of himself.

“I said, ‘Hey, Happy Mother’s Day,’ and she said, ‘What’s wrong with your voice? Make sure you take your vitamins, make sure you take your medicine,’” said Lutz. “And I said, ‘Mom, I’m calling you to wish you Happy Mother’s Day.’”

LUTZ THEN DRAGGED his pink bat — a breast cancer awareness bat — to home plate in the second inning. With two on, Lutz lined one down the right field line and off the foul pole, a three-run home run.

It was his first major-league home run, and the major offensive contribution to a 5-1 Cincinnati Reds victory to complete a three-game sweep of the Brewers, losers in nine of their last 10.

The ball is headed for Germany and his mother and when asked if he promised her a home run, Lutz said, “I did not. I can’t get too ahead of myself. I did tell her something good was going to happen. And it did. One of my biggest home runs ever, especially on Mother’s Day.”

LUTZ SAID HIS mother might have been here watching, but she remains in Germany taking care of Lutz’s 98-year-old great grandmother, who watched the game with Lutz’s mother and grandmother via the MLB-TV package.

“I’m sure there’ll pretty happy right now,” he said.

AFTER A STEADY flow of quality starts (six innings, three or less runs), the Reds nearly went through two turns of the rotation without a single quality start.

“I hadn’t noticed,” said manager Dusty Baker. “We’ll get on another run. What counts is to win and we are winning. I’ll take a quality start, but I’d rather take a quality win — or any win. Some guys have a lot of quality starts but don’t ever win. And we won yesterday (13-7), but that was not pretty.”

Never fear, though. Mr. Pro, Bronson Arroyo, who said he took nothing to the mound with him Sunday but his glove, pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings — definitely a quality start.

“I didn’t have a whole lot of stuff out there today,” said Arroyo. “I was grinding from inning one and 86 and 87 miles an hour was top-end for me. The wind was blowing at my back down low and blowing out up high. That’s terrible for me because I can’t make the ball move.”

And yet he pitched 6 2/3s worth of shutout ball to push his record to 3-4 (3.76 ERA) and snap the streak of no-quality starts.

“One of those days, man,” he said. “It felt like 90 pitches by the third inning. We were rolling along as starters for quite a while, then suddenly hit the skid marks. The good thing is that we somehow kept winning ballgames.

Baker said Arroyo put them on Red Alert right from the first hitter, told them to keep an eye on him. So when Baker removed him with two on and two out in the seventh, Baker stood awaiting the arrival of relief pitcher Sam LeCure, shortstop Zack Cozart said, “Man, I love playing behind that guy. What a great teammate he is.”

PLAYING BASEBALL games at 4 o’clock is not ideal, but when TV says to play at 4 o’clock, baseball plays at 4 o’clock.

It is a bad time because the sun invariably is peeking just over the rim of the stadium, making finding baseballs in the air a troublesome thing.

Left field is particularly precarious and when Adam Dunn played there for the Reds he complained that at 4 o’clock the sun’s glare bounced off the windows and polished steel of the Great American Tower building across the interstate in downtown Cincinnati.

XAVIER PAUL MISPLAYED a couple of balls in left field Saturday and Zack Cozart, his sun glasses on top of his head, had difficulty snagging an early-game line drive.

“That’s very tough, 4 o’clock starts,” said manager Dusty Baker. “When I was playing I hated it. On the west coast, all the playoff games started then because of the three-hour time difference. We couldn’t see until the seventh inning. Ron Cey got hit in the head with a pitch by Goose Gossage with a 5 o’clock start.

“It’s really tough here because you have the sun field (left) and you have glare (from the building behind the home plate grandstands). It’s a tough time to play.”

AND THE SUN GLASSES on top of Cozart’s head?

“A lot of the players wear their sun glasses on top of their head,” said Baker. “I don’t know why. One time I had mine in my pocket, which is not so good, either.”

Baker brought up the story again about how he prefers the flip down sun glasses and was going to have flip down practice but the team didn’t have any flip down glasses.

But Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo wears the flip downs and Baker said, “He must have brought those with him from Korea.”

NOT THAT WINNING games is all that important in the minors, but Reds minor-league teams are losing at an alarming rate — a combined 51-88 (.366) for the four teams currently playing.

Class AAA Louisville is the best (17-19, third place), but Class AA Pensacola is 12-21 and in fifth place, Class A Bakersfield is 10-26 and in fifth place and Class A Dayton is 12-22 (sixth place).

Individually, after a slow start aat Class AAA Louisville, Billy Hamilton is on a four-game hitting streak that includes two home runs in one game and 7-for-15, bumping his average to .221.

SEAN MARSHALL briefly entertained the inhabitants of the Reds clubhouse before Sunday’s game by playing on his iPad a song by Simon & Garfunkel: ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters.’

Now THAT’S music, right? OK, OK, so there were some scowls from the younger players and Marshall was playing it as a favor to Reds Media Relations Director Rob Butcher, but it was, as Butcher said, “Soothing to the ear.”

BAKER SAID THE team hopes to have third base coach Mark Berry back at his position in less than a month, “Because he completes his (cancer) treatments in two weeks and then will have two weeks of recovery time.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Asked if he ever felt like he still wanted to be a player, manager Dusty Baker said: “I have no desire to play now because it hurts. Every once in a while I think about I’d like to be up there with the bases loaded and I’d get them home — when we have a succession of not scoring runs and not getting guys home.”

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Reds binge and feast of Brewers

By Hal McCoy | Saturday, May 11, 2013, 08:07 PM

CINCINNATI — For a six-run win, it was a seven on the ugly scale — a couple of outfield misplays by Xavier Paul, an error by Joey Votto and some sloppy deliveries by starting pitcher Mat Latos.

But the Milwaukee Brewers were worse, much worse, and the Cincinnati Reds accepted their care package, 13-7, Saturday afternoon.

Latos gave up two runs in the first and seven overall (six earned), but his offense bailed out all the water, enough for him to push his record to 4-0.

“I didn’t allow myself to have good stuff because I got aggravated with myself giving up two runs in the first,” he said. “It snowballed from there. It was a p-poor performance by me.”

Latos had two hits at the plate and drove in two runs but said, “I don’t care about that. I gave up seven runs and got the crap kicked out of me. I couldn’t care less how many hits I got. Give the ‘W’ to the offense, don’t give me the ‘W.’

Milwaukee starter Hiram Burgos, a 25-year-old rookie, was a sacrificial lamb as pitch-strapped manager Ron Roenicke permitted him to absorb a savage beating — three innings, 12 runs (10 earned), 11 hits, three walks, two strikeouts.

FOR THE REDS it was a day to fatten up the averages and Jay Bruce, unlike Latos, did care about the hits. He did the most fattening with three hits that included two doubles in one inning and a home run in the second inning when the Reds scored five. They scored seven more in the third, an inning started by Bruce’s double during which he also doubled home another run.

“I told Jay, ‘You are on the way,’ and you could tell it the last couple of days the way he swung the bat,” said manager Dusty Baker. “That’s very encouraging for us in the middle of the lineup. It is very important for us because Jay comes up with a lot of runners on base — he is in the RBI fifth spot, the foundation spot of your lineup.”

Bruce, too, is encouraged.

“It’s a long season and I’m trying to get good pitches to hit and I have been lately,” said Bruce. “On the home run he gave me something to hit and I didn’t miss it. When I have gotten pitches I’ve fouled them off.”

Of his two doubles in one inning, Bruce said, “That’s pretty cool. To even have the opportunity to do it shows the way we were swinging the bats as a team today.”

Todd Frazier had two hits and scored three runs, Xavier Paul had two hits and Joey Votto had two hits.

DERRICK ROBINSON TOOK up switch-hitting when he was in junior high school and it came from a suggestion by his uncle.

His uncle? Yes, and not just any uncle.

Robinson’s uncle is Ricky Nattiel, one of the famous Three Amigos — defensive backs for the Denver Broncos.

“He played a little baseball, too,” said Robinson. “I always messed around as a kid with switch-hitting, but never took it seriously. I just batted from the left side. Then my Uncle Ricky said to me, “Become a switch-hitter. Don’t waste that other side of the plate.”

ROBINSON SPENT NEARLY seven years in the minors with Kansas City, three years in Class A. The Reds signed him as a six-year free agent last December.

“I didn’t know anything about him and neither did any of my coaches,” said manager Dusty Baker. “I liked his speed and liked how he works out. He has a few things to learn hitting. He is a valuable addition to our club, a club that doesn’t have much speed.”

Robinson is getting spot duty in left field and some pinch-hitting assignments and, as Baker said, “He is a center fielder playing left field for us. With him we weren’t afraid to steal third (Friday night). Normally that’s a dangerous move, but it is not as dangerous with a guy like him who can really run.”

ROBINSON IS HITTING .318 — .400 from his natural left handed side and .250 from the right side and Baker said, “He’d struck out quite a bit and a guy with his speed needs to cut down on strikeouts (Are we talking Drew Stubbs here, or Derrick Robinson?). His right handed hitting isn’t as good as his left handed side.”

Robinson has another athletic uncle, a brother to Ricky Nattiel. His name is Michael and he actually signed with the Reds and played rookie ball in Billings, Mont., with Barry Larkin and Tom Browning, but never advanced beyond the rookie league.

OUTFIELDER DONALD LUTZ was a last-resort turn-to guy when the Reds lost two outfielders in the first month — Ryan Ludwick on Opening Day and Chris Heisey late in the month.

Lutz was at Double-A Pensacola, and not torching the league. He was barely a flicker, hitting .211. But he had impressed manager Dusty Baker during spring training, so he was called up.

In his first eight games he is hitting .313 with two RBIs and two stolen bases.

“I liked him in spring training but I was disappointed on how he was doing at Double A and I wished he had done better,” said Baker. “He got out of whack and we think we have him straight. He is back to being aggressive.

“He runs a whole lot better than it appears he should for his size (6-3, 250),” Baker added. “He is going to be a good one. It is just a matter of him going out to play. He still has a few things to straighten out. It has been a benefit for him and for us while he is here. He is going to have to go back eventually.

“He’ll go back with the knowledge that he had some success here,” Baker added. “He had some of his homeboys come here from Germany, his girl friend, some friends from Australia. People flew in from all over the world to watch him and he has not disappointed them.”

Clue: When Chris Heisey comes back, probably next weekend, Lutz is probably headed back to the minors.

TONY CINGRANI breezed through Friday’s start against Milwaukee, no runs, two hits, the first time through the lineup. But in the fourth, he gave up back-to-back home runs, a walk and a single. He was removed after the fourth. In his previous start in Chicago, the same thing happened. He was effective once through the lineup, then struggled.

“You can get by with basically one pitch the first time through a lineup, especially with his 95 miles an hour fastball,” said Baker. “But the second and third time is much tougher. The hitters know the action on your ball. He is going to have to come up with a secondary pitch. He throws his fastball about 95 per cent of the time.

“HE IS ON THE way and I’m glad he has had the success he has had so far (2-0, 2.89 ERA in five starts with seven walks and 37 strikeouts in 28 innings. But he also has given up six home runs.

“The silver lining is that Cingrani has put us in a chance to win (filling in for Johnny Cueto),” said Baker. “We’re not here to try out or get a look-see. He has gotten an extended time here. What if he had come up and got shelled and then who would be our next line of defense? Had we lost four out of his five starts, we’d be seven games out — or worse.”

Clue II: When Cueto comes back, Cingrani may be the odd man out after all, a trip back to the minors to work on that secondary pitch.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “No, but I eat German.” — Dusty Baker, when asked if he could speak German to converse with Donald Lutz.

QUOTE OF THE DAY II: “It’s Mat with one ‘t,’ like Cincinnati. Don’t forget it.” — Dallas Latos, wife of pitcher Mat Latos, when somebody on a tweet spelled his name Matt.

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Robinson listens to ‘Uncle Ricky’

By Hal McCoy | Saturday, May 11, 2013, 02:11 PM

CINCINNATI — Derrick Robinson took up switch-hitting when he was in junior high school and it came from a suggestion by his uncle.

His uncle? Yes, and not just any uncle.

Robinson’s uncle is Ricky Nattiel, one of the famous Three Amigos — wide receivers for the Denver Broncos.

“He played a little baseball, too,” said Robinson. “I always messed around as a kid with switch-hitting, but never took it seriously. I just batted from the left side. Then my Uncle Ricky said to me, “Become a switch-hitter. Don’t waste that other side of the plate.”

ROBINSON SPENT NEARLY seven years in the minors with Kansas City, three years in Class A. The Reds signed him as a six-year free agent last December.

“I didn’t know anything about him and neither did any of my coaches,” said manager Dusty Baker. “I liked his speed and liked how he works out. He has a few things to learn hitting. He is a valuable addition to our club, a club that doesn’t have much speed.”

Robinson is getting spot duty in left field and some pinch-hitting assignments and, as Baker said, “He is a center fielder playing left field for us. With him we weren’t afraid to steal third (Friday night). Normally that’s a dangerous move, but it is not as dangerous with a guy like him who can really run.”

ROBINSON IS HITTING .318 — .400 from his natural left handed side and .250 from the right side and Baker said, “He’d struck out quite a bit and a guy with his speed needs to cut down on strikeouts (Are we talking Drew Stubbs here, or Derrick Robinson?). His right handed hitting isn’t as good as his left handed side.”

Robinson has another athletic uncle, a brother to Ricky Nattiel. His name is Michael and he actually signed with the Reds and played rookie ball in Billings, Mont., with Barry Larkin and Tom Browning, but never advanced beyond the rookie league.

OUTFIELDER DONALD LUTZ was a last-resort turn-to guy when the Reds lost two outfielders in the first month — Ryan Ludwick on Opening Day and Chris Heisey late in the month.

Lutz was at Double-A Pensacola, and not torching the league. He was barely a flicker, hitting .211. But he had impressed manager Dusty Baker during spring training, so he was called up.

In his first eight games he is hitting .313 with two RBIs and two stolen bases.

“I liked him in spring training but I was disappointed on how he was doing at Double A and I wished he had done better,” said Baker. “He got out of whack and we think we have him straight. He is back to being aggressive.

“He runs a whole lot better than it appears he should for his size (6-3, 250),” Baker added. “He is going to be a good one. It is just a matter of him going out to play. He still has a few things to straighten out. It has been a benefit for him and for us while he is here. He is going to have to go back eventually.

“He’ll go back with the knowledge that he had some success here,” Baker added. “He had some of his homeboys come here from Germany, his girl friend, some friends from Australia. People flew in from all over the world to watch him and he has not disappointed them.”

Clue: When Chris Heisey comes back, probably next weekend, Lutz is probably headed back to the minors.

TONY CINGRANI breezed through Friday’s start against Milwaukee, no runs, two hits, the first time through the lineup. But in the fourth, he gave up back-to-back home runs, a walk and a single. He was removed after the fourth. In his previous start in Chicago, the same thing happened. He was effective once through the lineup, then struggled.

“You can get by with basically one pitch the first time through a lineup, especially with his 95 miles an hour fastball,” said Baker. “But the second and third time is much tougher. The hitters know the action on your ball. He is going to have to come up with a secondary pitch. He throws his fastball about 95 per cent of the time.

“HE IS ON THE way and I’m glad he has had the success he has had so far (2-0, 2.89 ERA in five starts with seven walks and 37 strikeouts in 28 innings. But he also has given up six home runs.

“The silver lining is that Cingrani has put us in a chance to win (filling in for Johnny Cueto),” said Baker. “We’re not here to try out or get a look-see. He has gotten an extended time here. What if he had come up and got shelled and then who would be our next line of defense? Had we lost four out of his five starts, we’d be seven games out — or worse.”

Clue II: When Cueto comes back, Cingrani may be the odd man out after all, a trip back to the minors to work on that secondary pitch.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “No, but I eat German.” — Dusty Baker, when asked if he could speak German to converse with Donald Lutz.

QUOTE OF THE DAY II: “It’s Mat with one ‘t,’ like Cincinnati. Don’t forget it.” — Dallas Latos, wife of pitcher Mat Latos, when somebody on a tweet spelled his name Matt.

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Phillips wows ‘The Big Boss’

By Hal McCoy | Friday, May 10, 2013, 11:48 PM

CINCINNATI — It is good to wow the boss and when Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips wowed the boss, he wowed The Big Boss.

Shortly after the Reds completed their 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers Friday night, Reds CEO/President Bob Castellini walked out of the clubhouse and asked me, “Have you ever seen a double play like that?”

Frankly, no. Not in 41 years of covering the Reds. But then again, that WAS Brandon Phillips, the best second baseman I’ve ever seen — not just the Reds, but anywhere on this planet.

He makes an astounding, jaw-dropping, head-shaking play at least once a week, sometimes twice.

On Friday night he was above and beyond this baseball universe.

THE REDS LED by just 3-2 in the seventh inning and the Brewers had two on and one out with Ryan Braun battling Sam LeCure on a 3-and-2 count. He fouled off four pitches and on the 10th pitch he bounced one up the middle.

Phillips barged over from his position to near the bag. Not only did he field the ball near the bag, he fielded it barehanded. Not only did he field it barehanded, he fielded it barehanded on the short hop.

Not only did he field the ball barehanded on the short hop, he dropped to one knee to do it and tagged second base with his knee for the force out, then threw to first base for the rally-killing double play.

Call ESPN and tell them they’ve got one coming even they won’t believe.

To sprinkle sugar on it, Phillips came up in the bottom of the seventh and drove his seventh home run into the left field seats, a home run that turned out to be the game-winner when the Brewers scored a run off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth.

“That’s the best double play by a second baseman I’ve ever seen,” said manager Dusty Baker. “Brandon practices all kinds of stuff. You never know when it is going to come in handy. He is one of the best I’ve ever seen at that position. And he works at it.”

Said Phillips, “Our team is defense and pitching. I don’t know how I made that play, but I’m glad I made it. I took a gamble to try to turn the double play. I would have used my glove but I knew it was going to be a short hop. If it had hit my glove, it probably would have hit the bag.

“I just took a chance and I’m thankful I made the play,” he said. “I’ve practiced short hops with my bare hand but I never had a bag in the way. I’ve never fielded a a short hop barehanded by the bag before. That’s a first.”

Of his following home run, Phillips said, “Now that felt good. But I’m still p.o.’d at myself for striking out (in the eighth with two on and two out). One of my goals is to get 100 RBIs since I’ve been moved to the fourth spot and I should have got at least one in there at that time, but I didn’t do my job.”

Phillips drove in the first run of the game with a two-out single in the third after Shin-Soo Choo walked and stole second. And Phillips scored the team’s second run on Jay Bruce’s double.

Phillips leads the league in RBIs with 31 and said, “That feels good but I don’t worry about leading the league, as long as I reach my goal. It would be nice to lead the league, but I don’t pay attention to it.”

TONY CINGRANI started and pitched three scoreless innings, giving up two hits one time through the lineup. But Jean Segura homered leading off the fourth and Ryan Braun hit the next pitch for another home run.

That was followed by two walks and a single before the inning ended on Cingrani’s 85th pitch

“Cingrani pitched well until the second time through their order,” said Baker. “They were zeroing in on him and his pitch count got high. It was time to get him and we had a fresh bullpen.”

WHILE JOHNNY CUETO was doing his first rehabilitation assignment in Dayton Thursday ni\ght, he had two interesting observers sitting in club president Bob Murphy’s box: Dallas and Mat Latos.

“I didn’t do it for brownie points,” said Latos. “My wife asked what it was like sitting in the stands and I said, ‘Weird, because I’m usually down in one of those dugouts.”

Latos actually pitched in the Midwest Leaguye briefly in 2008 and briefly in 2009 for Fort Wayne, San Diego’s low Class A team, but never accompanied the team to Dayton to face the Dragons.

“Dayton was my kryptonite,” he said. “In ’08 I got injured and was sent down to the rookie league because I tore my oblique. In 2009 we were on our way to Dayton but before we got there I got sent up to Double-A.

“IT WAS INTERESTING to see (Fifth Third Field) and a packed frickin’ house,” he said. “I was surprised to see that many people at that kind of game, especially in that city — an old industrial city with a lot of old factories and old rundown buildings. “People were very nice and very polite and said, ‘Hello.’”

Latos obviously wasn’t clued in that the Dragons put that many people in the stands for every game.

Latos won’t be able to see Cueto’s next rehab start — probably Tuesday, once again in Dayton. He’ll be in Miami with the Reds.”

LATOS SAID his wife, Dallas, recently kiddingly said to him, “I don’t know why I ever married you.”

His answer?

“You had three chances. I asked you to date me and you said, ‘Yes.’ I asked you to marry me and you said, ‘Yes.’ When we got to the alter, you said, ‘I do.’ That was three chances to say no — three strikes and you are out.”

NEVER WAS THERE a more compelling reason to do away with replays in baseball than on Wednesday night Cleveland.

They want to add more replays and they can’t even get it right with what they have.

The Oakland A’s trailed the Indians, 4-3, in the ninth inning when former Cincinnati outfielder Adam Rosales hit a home run to left field. Yes, a home run.

Even with my diminished eyesight I could see in real time that the ball struck a railing above the yellow home run line and bounced back on the field.

Umpire Angel Hernandez (yeah, him) rules it a double. Then the umpires checked the replay. It took them more than three minutes. Meanwhile, they played and replayed the incident during the dealy and it was clear. The ball struck a railing beyond the wall and bounced back. Home run.

But out came Hernandez and his crew to rule it, uh, a double. Executive vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre said Hernandez got it wrong, but nothing could be done because replay decisions are not reviewable.

Then why have it? Isn’t the replay system to get plays correct? And they want more plays reviewed? Forge it, please.

NOT ONLY WAS catcher Ryan Hanigan activated off the disabled list Friday, he was immediately inserted into the lineup to catch rooke Tony Cingrani.

“We need to get Hanigan back to where he was before,” said manager Dusty Baker. “We need him back for this series because these guys (Milwaukee Brewers) run a lot (league-leading 27 steals) and Hanigan usually shuts down the running game. So let’s hope he is himself.”

Hanigan crept out of the gate offensively and then his injured thumb and sore oblique made it difficult to hit (.079 for his 38 at-bats before going on the DL).

“He is a lot better than that, I’m going to tell him to start the year over from today,” said Baker. “There is nothing you can do about yesterday. You can’t bring it back. Start all over.”

BAKER SAID disabled outfielder Chris Heisey is scheduled to go out on a rehab assignment Saturday. But he won’t be going to Dayton. He’ll play for Class AA Pensacola.

“He wasn’t doing as well as he wanted to do or we wanted him to do (.173, two homers, five RBI), we still need him against a left hander, especially off the bench. We’re hoping he’ll be ready and feeling good by the time we get to Philadelphia (next Friday) because the Phillies have quite a few left handers, especially in the bullpen.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Former Reds pitcher Kent Mercker upon hearing the National Anthem: “I hated hearing that song. Every time I heard it pitched a bad game.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY II: “I don’t like hockey. Every time I try to watch it on TV I end up changing the channel because I never see a goal.”

QUOTE OF THE DAY III: Joey Votto made an on-air appearance on MLB Network, wearing an extremely tight Reds’ undershirt and when asked why he didn’t wear his uniform top, he said, “Because I wanted my nipples to show.”

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