Cody Reed Rests His Case For Reds Rotation

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Cody Reed won't be told that he isn't one of the top five pitchers on the Reds' roster

Reed pitched four strong innings , allowing a pair of home runs on 0-2 pitches in the Reds' 5-4 win over the San Francisco Giants split-squad.  Buster Posey and Austin Slater hit them in the fourth inning.

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"Who says I can't be a starter?" Reed said. "Who says, I'm not one of the top five guys?  Whoever does need to re-evaluate whatever they're saying. I think I'm good enough to pitch as a top five. I know that I'm one of them.  I'll be the best bullpen guy that there is. I'll be the best starter, I can be.  I had the opportunity today and though I made pretty good progress."

Reed allowed six hits, a couple were flukes, lost in the sun.  Gorkys Hernandez hit a double but Jesse Winker threw him out at third.  Reed didn't walk any one.

"My mindset coming today was throwing strikes.  I was behind (Andrew) McCutchen 2-0 twice, I got him to hit into a double play one time and struck him out the other.  I threw my slider for strikes. The two home runs I got 0-2 on both of them. Everyone knows I throw a slider to strike out guys. I had to make sure I could throw my fastball for an out pitch.  I shook slider and threw fastball that got over the plate.  Buster Posey is the type of guy who won't miss that pitch."

Reed is taking advantage of opportunities to win a job in the rotation or at least the bullpen in Cincinnati.

"He looked really good.  He got the two strike pitch up to Posey.  The ball down the right field line the kid (Slater) hit is pretty good I didn't know if it was a home run ball," Bryan Price said.  "It was really encouraging.  He got a lot of balls on the ground.  He was under control.  The first couple outings he got hit but he threw a ton of strikes.  The shape of his pitches are better now.  He is one of guys who will come down to the end to put together our best club."

The Reds scored four runs off Giants' starter Chris Stratton in the fifh.

Devin Mesoraco single to start the inning.  Alex Blandino singled.  Phil Gosselin batted for Kevin Quackenbush, who followed Reed with a scoreless inning.  Gosselin singled to score Mesoraco.  Winker's second hit scored Blandino.

Gosselin singled home Mesoraco, who had two hits in three trips.

Wandy Peralta allowed two runs in his lone inning.

Kevin Quackenbush, David Hernandez, Oliver Perez and Tanner Rainey pitched one scoreless frame each.