Cincinnati Reds

Associated Press

CINCINNATI -- Buster Posey hit the third grand slam in Giants' postseason history, and San Francisco completed its startling comeback by holding off the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 on Thursday in the decisive Game 5 of the NL Division Series. 

The Giants won the final three games, all in Cincinnati, and advanced to the NL championship series. They will face either St. Louis or Washington.

Ahead 6-0, San Francisco saw the Reds rally throughout the late innings. Cincinnati scored once in the ninth before Sergio Romo struck out Scott Rolen with two runners on base to end it... read more

CINCINNATI -- Cincinnati's ace is out of action. His replacement let the Reds down on Wednesday. Now, they are turning to Mat Latos -- their biggest offseason addition -- to avoid an unprecedented playoff meltdown. 

The Reds saw the 2-0 lead they built in San Francisco evaporate as the Giants pounced on emergency starter Mike Leake for five runs in four-plus innings on the way to an 8-3 win that tied their best-of-five National League Division Series, 2-2. 

Cincinnati now pins its hopes on Latos in Thursday's decisive Game 5. Latos, helping out after starter Johnny Cueto suffered a strained muscle in his right side one out into Game 1 of the series Saturday, pitched four effective relief innings in the Reds' 5-2 win at San Francisco... read more

TIME: 08:15 P.M. ESTVENUE: Busch Stadium

The St. Louis Cardinals had plenty of doubters heading into 2012 after losing their best player and legendary manager from a team that won the World Series the previous fall.

Fast forward to another October, and St. Louis is on the verge of a return trip to the postseason.

With their magic number to clinch the NL's last playoff spot down to two, the Cardinals look to secure a postseason berth as they begin their final series Monday night at Busch Stadium against the Central champion Cincinnati Reds.

Shortly after St. Louis beat Texas in seven games to win the World Series last October, Tony La Russa retired and Albert Pujols bolted for the Los Angeles Angels in free agency... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 9/20/2012 1:51 AM ET

CIN@CHC: Stubbs delivers game-winner in win over Cubs

CHICAGO -- As the Reds try to prepare themselves for the postseason, they were given two optimistic signs on Wednesday.

In a 6-5 victory over the Cubs in 11 innings, Joey Votto's run production drought ended and Drew Stubbs emerged from his lengthy funk to get three hits, including the game-winning RBI single in the top of the 11th.

"Joey's been swinging the bat pretty well," said acting manager Chris Speier, who filled in while Dusty Baker was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 9/19/2012 12:48 AM ET

CIN@CHC: Hanigan clears the bases with a double

CHICAGO -- The air has turned cooler and the calendar reads September instead of August, but there has been a feeling of late that the dog days have set in on the Reds' lineup.

The offense has been slogging and notched only four hits in Tuesday's game. But it only took one clutch hit and Homer Bailey's superb pitching to secure a 3-1 win over the Cubs, which lowered the Reds' magic number to clinch the National League Central division to four... read more

By Mark Clements / MLB.com | 9/12/2012 1:22 AM ET

Must C Clips: Votto, Phillips catch runner at first

CINCINNATI -- There's a sign hanging in Dusty Baker's office that reads, "The most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen, and not necessarily in that order."

It's a mantra the Reds' skipper has lived up to throughout his managerial career, and one that came into effect again Tuesday night.

The Reds used seven different relievers in Monday night's 14-inning, 5-hour and 22-minute win against the Pirates, but they didn't seem to feel the effects when called upon Tuesday... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 9/4/2012 11:42 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- For the first time in about six weeks, the Reds had Joey Votto off of the disabled list and at their disposal. Manager Dusty Baker only considered Votto available to pinch-hit in case of an emergency.

On a tear of late, Jay Bruce made sure his team didn't need Votto. It was Bruce's two-run home run in the sixth inning that secured a 2-1 victory over the Phillies for the Reds and starter Mat Latos.

Cincinnati was trailing, 1-0, with two outs in the sixth when Ryan Ludwick singled to right field against Phillies starter Kyle Kendrick... read more

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Cincinnati Reds minor leaguer Billy Hamilton bolted to his record 146th stolen base of the season and kept running Tuesday night, swiping four in the first game of Double-A doubleheader.

Hamilton added his 147th steal in the final inning of Pensacola's 4-2 loss to Montgomery.

Hamilton stole 104 in the first half of the season with Class A Bakersfield, then was promoted to the Southern League.

Hamilton broke the record for steals by minor league teams affiliated with big league organizations set by Vince Coleman in 1983 with 145 for Macon in the Class A South Atlantic League... read more

CINCINNATI — After two months of dominance, Aroldis Chapman suddenly looks human.

Chapman threw a wild pitch that allowed the winning run to score during the Cincinnati Reds’ 7-6 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night.

Virtually unhittable all season, Chapman (4-2) entered with two on in the eighth and the Reds leading 6-3. He yielded a single to pinch-hitter Brennan Boesch that loaded the bases and hit Matt Young with a pitch, forcing in a run.

Austin Jackson then hit a tying two-run double and Young scampered home on Chapman’s wild pitch, helping the Tigers take two of three in the interleague series... read more

CINCINNATI — Michael McKenry was prepared for the ultimate fastball.

Pittsburgh’s reserve catcher caught up with one of Aroldis Chapman’s blink-of-an-eye fastballs and ended the reliever’s season-long streak of not allowing an earned run, hitting an RBI double in the 10th inning Thursday night for a 5-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Chapman (4-1) hadn’t allowed an earned run in a club-record 24 appearances covering 29 innings. He came in to start the 10th with a 0.00 ERA and gave up a leadoff double by Clint Barmes — only the eighth hit off the left-hander all season... read more

By JOE KAY — AP Sports Writer

CINCINNATI — Facing Johnny Cueto twice in a week was too much for the Pirates.

Cueto allowed only six hits over 7 2-3 innings on Wednesday night, and Ryan Ludwick drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double, leading the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh... read more

By JOE KAY 

AP Sports Writer 

CINCINNATI -- The fastball wouldn't stay down. The other pitches? Not much better. Homer Bailey knew he was in trouble right away.

Clint Barmes had three hits and drove in three runs off Bailey, and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their home-run tear by hitting three more for an 8-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night... read more

Associated Press

 HOUSTON (AP) — Cincinnati Reds starter Bronson Arroyo entered Sunday's game looking to get his first win in nearly a month.

Instead, the last pitch he threw was hit by Houston pinch-hitter Justin Maxwell for a two-run home run that helped the Astros to a 5-3 win.

"Those are the chess-match battles that go wrong sometimes," Arroyo said. "It was a battle, but we just got beat."

The first six innings looked a lot like many of Arroyo's starts this season. He held the opponent close but didn't get much run support. Despite entering the game with a 3... read more

KRISTIE RIEKEN - AP Sports Writer (AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — Drew Stubbs homered and drove in four runs, Brandon Phillips added three RBIs and the Cincinnati Reds outlasted Houston 12-9 Saturday night to hand the Astros their eighth straight defeat.

Joey Votto went 4 for 4 with a home run and a walk. Todd Frazier and Ryan Ludwick also connected for the Reds, who set a season high for runs. Brandon Phillips doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning and added two RBIs in the eighth.

The Reds were up 8-2 after hitting three homers off starter Wandy Rodriguez in the first two innings... read more

HOUSTON -- The Cincinnati Reds arrived here for a well-earned, one-day break. The Reds not only survived a 20-games-in-20-days stretch, they thrived.

Cincinnati went 12-8 in a stretch that saw it play 14 games against teams with records above .500.

The Reds find themselves six games over at 28-22 and atop the NL Central after the first two months of the season.

So far, so good, right?

"We're not as good as were going to get," Baker said. "But, as long as you keep getting good pitching, you stay in every ballgame... read more

By  Will Graves 

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH — Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker and first baseman Joey Votto agreed a week ago to give the slugger a much-needed break last night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

As it turns out, the rest of the Reds offense took the night off, too.

A.J. Burnett allowed just two hits over seven innings, Matt Hague delivered a two-run double and the Pirates edged the Reds 2-1.

Burnett (4-2) outdueled Johnny Cueto (5-3) on a night when Cincinnati managed just four hits, one of them a pinch-hit single by Votto in the ninth... read more

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- If the whole baseball thing doesn't work out for Todd Frazier , he may have discovered a second career as an emergency medical technician. Or maybe a lifeguard.

The Cincinnati Reds third baseman had two hits and drove in two runs during an 8-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after saving a local restaurant-goer from a serious medical emergency with some quick thinking.

Frazier and teammate Ryan Ludwick were eating dinner on Monday night when they noticed a customer across the room struggling to breathe. Frazier leapt into action, jumping behind the man and using the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a sizable piece of meat... read more

Will Graves, AP Sports Writer

James McDonald didn’t have his best stuff on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Then again, neither did the Reds.

Cincinnati couldn’t capitalize on a pair of two-on, no-out situations against McDonald, then went down meekly to the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1.

“(McDonald) threw a good game against us,’’ manager Dusty Baker said. “We weren’t swinging real good against him.’’

The Reds have bolted to the top of the NL Central behind a high-powered offense that mashed 17 home runs during a just concluded seven-game homestand that vaulted them into first... read more

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN | The Associated Press

After hitting plenty of homers on a homestand, the Cincinnati Reds could find it difficult to go deep against a pitcher who has been keeping the ball in the stadium of late.

Pittsburgh Pirates starter James McDonald hasn't allowed a homer over his last 33 2-3 innings heading into Monday's opener of a three-game set against the first-place Reds.

Cincinnati (27-20) has won eight of nine, completing a 6-1 homestand in which it homered 17 times with Sunday's 7-5 victory over Colorado. Four Reds homered Sunday in a game that featured a record nine longballs at Great American Ball Park... read more

6:43 PM, May. 27, 2012 

The game featured a Great American Ball Park-record nine homers but, in the end, the power arm of Aroldis Chapman saved the day.

The Reds beat Colorado 7-5 on a sunny, sweltering afternoon, with the temperature 90 degrees at game time. It was a perfect baseball storm at hitter-friendly GABP, as the Reds hit four homers (Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips, Todd Frazier) and the Rockies hit five solo shots (two by Carlos Gonzalez, one by Troy Tulowitzki, Michael Cuddyer and Dexter Fowler)... read more

CINCINNATI -- Memo to Reds' clubhouse staff: Buy more shaving cream. Fast.

Rookie catcher Devin Mesoraco capped a series full of homers with his first career grand slam Thursday, leading Cincinnati to a 6-3 victory and four-game sweep of the Atlanta Braves.

Mesoraco got a face full of shaving cream after delivering the biggest home run in a series full of them. He pulled the ball down the left-field line and watched it fly straight rather than tailing foul.

"That's kind of why I paused at the plate at the start," Mesoraco said. "I wasn't sure it was going to stay fair, but it stayed true... read more

CINCINNATI -- Todd Frazier paused for an on-field interview after rounding the bases and got a face full of shaving cream from a Reds teammate.

Couldn't see? No problem. Second baseman Brandon Phillips followed with an over-the-head dousing with one of the dugout water coolers.

So, that's what it's like to hit a game-ending homer.

Frazier connected on his first game-ender with one out in the ninth inning Wednesday, extending Cincinnati's best run of the season with a 2-1 victory that left the Atlanta Braves in disbelief about the Reds' homer-cozy ballpark... read more

NEW YORK -- Johnny Cueto pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Ryan Ludwick delivered two big hits and the Cincinnati Reds closed out their extended visit to New York by beating the Yankees 5-2 Sunday.

The Reds rallied late against CC Sabathia, sending the Yankees to their fifth loss in six games. Aroldis Chapman closed it out as Cincinnati took two of three at Yankee Stadium, right after splitting a pair at Citi Field against the Mets.

Cueto (5-1) gave up a two-run homer to Raul Ibanez in the sixth. The Yankees had plenty of traffic against him, but couldn't score more... read more

NEW YORK — CC Sabathia was in complete command, seemingly ready to give the Yankees exactly what they needed at a time when they're struggling to score.

Then suddenly, the game got away from him.

The Cincinnati Reds rallied against the Yankees' ace in the seventh inning, turning a pair of solo home runs and three straight walks into a 5-2 victory Sunday that sent New York to its fifth loss in six games.

"I felt like I let the team down... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 5/17/2012 6:14 PM ET

EW YORK -- Even the jet noise from next door at LaGuardia Airport couldn't drown out the thud the Reds collectively had as they fell hard at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon.

When dissecting a 9-4 loss to the Mets, where does one start? Over the final five innings, just about every portion of the team contributed to the ugliest of outcomes. The lineup was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The defense committed two errors. And the bullpen had the rarity of giving up a lead.

Cincinnati was up, 4-0, through 4 1/2 innings before the Mets scored nine unanswered runs... read more

After only scoring one run in the loss against the Cincinnati Redsthe previous game, the Atlanta Braves recovered on offense on May 15, splitting the two game series with a win by the score of 6-2.Tim Hudson picked up his second win of the season for the Braves, while Johnny Cueto had his first loss.

 Tim Hudson

Recovering from back surgery in the offseason, Tim Hudson got hisfirst start of the year on April 29 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and since that time has steadily been improving (aside from the game against the Colorado Rockies in his second outing)... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com |

MILWAUKEE -- Johnny Cueto and Zack Greinke provided a pitchers' battle of the highest quality on Wednesday afternoon -- the kind that would make it worth playing hooky from work to take in.

"It's rare that a pitchers' duel like that lives up to its billing, but it certainly did today," said Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

MILWAUKEE -- Sometimes the luck of the draw in a baseball schedule is as good as a lottery scratch-off that never pays. The Reds certainly felt that way last month, when they caught the Nationals and Cardinals when they were white hot and struggled... read more

By George Von Benko / Special to MLB.com

PITTSBURGH -- Powered by the long ball and a gutsy performance from right-hander Mat Latos, the Reds rolled to a 5-0 win over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game at PNC Park.

"The first inning was a little tough, he was sick today," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of his starter... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- Except for the wet and blustery weather, Saturday was the type of game the Reds would love to reassemble and reproduce another 80-85 times over the rest of the season.

A 6-0 win over the Astros was an occasion where all three elements of the game were synched in perfect harmony... read more

By Cash Kruth / MLB.com

CHICAGO -- There's no such thing as a bad win.

An ugly or sloppy win? Oh yeah, those happen... read more

By Cash Kruth / MLB.com |

CHICAGO -- The first professional franchise in baseball history has reached a milestone that only comes thanks to longevity and plenty of success.

The Reds, formed in 1882 as the Cincinnati Red Stockings, defeated the Cubs, 9-4, on Friday at Wrigley Field to become the sixth organization in Major League history to win 10,000 games... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

ST. LOUIS -- When the Reds really needed it most, Bronson Arroyo pitched a superb game. So far this season, even that hadn't always been good enough.

But it was sufficient on Thursday during a 6-3 Reds victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- It wasn't clean. It wasn't pretty. And it certainly wasn't easy.

But the Reds got the win on Sunday, and no one worried about style points for the moment... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- No one on the Reds was equating a mid-April tilt vs. the Cardinals to a possible tense mid-August showdown with the National League Central hanging in the balance.

But once the Reds dropped the first two games of the series, looking anemic at the plate in doing so, Wednesday's finale still took on some added meaning... read more

Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.

The first series is now under our belt and what have we learned?  We’ve learned that the first ever undefeated MLB season is out of the conversation, that this offense will be just fine without Albert Pujols and that, conversely, great pitching still stifles great offense.

There really isn’t much more we could’ve asked for after 4-games.  Pending Jake Westbrook’s start tonight, our rotation looks every bit as solid as we hoped for coming out of the gates.  Wain-O wasn’t bad by any means, just got out pitched by an excellent opponent... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- The way Scott Rolen was talking, you'd think he was lousy at pinch-hitting. Games like Sunday's certainly proved again that's not really the case.

Rested from the lineup, Rolen's RBI infield single as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the ninth scored Drew Stubbs to give the Reds a thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Marlins and two of three in the series... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- Johnny Cueto earned ace status in the Reds' rotation with his efforts in 2011, and promptly backed up why he is the No. 1 starter and an Opening Day pitcher.

With three hits allowed over seven scoreless innings by Cueto, the Reds were winners on their Opening Day after beating the Marlins, 4-0, on Thursday before 42,956 -- the largest crowd for a regular-season game at Great American Ball Park... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

CINCINNATI -- The Reds have agreed to terms on a 10-year, $225 million contract extension with first baseman Joey Votto, according to a report Monday evening by USA Today.

The blockbuster deal would keep Votto with the Reds through the 2023 season, and reportedly includes a no-trade clause... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Seeing Reds first baseman Joey Votto struggle at the plate during Spring Training is nothing new. It's been like that since Votto first came to a big league camp.

Last spring, Votto struck out in eight of his first 16 at-bats before things started to click... read more

Ante up, folks; you’re now in The Card Room w/KMFP.

Spring Training is just about over and the games will soon count toward something.  They’re fun to watch but, like “Obama-care”, they will mean nothing by the end of March.  The Chris Carpenter situation is obviously troubling, but all other signs from Cardinals camp have been pretty good.  The rest of the rotation looks solid and Lance Lynn seems like he’ll make a smooth transition to starting.  And we should all know better than to question this team’s resiliency by now.

I’d rather have a healthy Carpenter for a playoff run, where he’s money, so rest him as long as it takes to get that way... read more

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- While the Reds stayed mostly silent Friday about the nature of closer Ryan Madson's elbow injury, it was revealed that he is headed back to Cincinnati to be checked out.

Madson, 31, will be examined by team medical director Dr... read more

Posted: February 23rd, 2012

Sponsored By Capital One

By Bob Kimball

Hall of Fame baseball player and a former student-athlete at the University of Michigan, Barry Larkin serves as an Advisory Board member for the Capital One Cup, an award honoring the best men’s and women’s Division I college athletic programs in the country across 20 women’s sports and 19 men’s sports. One winning men’s and one winning women’s program will be crowned after the completion of the final NCAA spring championship... read more