The Reds played 12 innings on Wednesday on a night their starter lasted just three innings. Last night the Reds were forced to use Cliff Pennington a shortstop to pitch the ninth inning.
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"It wasn't a great game. It was a one-run ballgame after a three-inning start in Philadelphia and a long game yesterday," Bryan Price said. "I needed the younger guys to come in and pitch today unless Sal could go deep in the game it was inevitable that they were going to pitch. It's not a bad thing. They've got to come up here and contribute as part of a big league bullpen. They do have to pitch. Unfortunately they struggled to throw it over. You don't want to use a position player. I didn't want to use Cody Reed. I didn't want to get Quackenbush up. Those other guys have to shoulder the load. That's just how it is."
Cliff Pennington issued the 10th and 11th walk by Reds' pitchers. Pennington was the only position player to pitch in the playoffs with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015.
"We were out of pitching and had to win the next day. We were up 2-1 in the series," Pennington said.
Pennington allowed the Cardinals their 13th run which matched the second highest total given up by Reds' pitching in 12 games.
"I was just trying to throw strikes. I wasn't perfect. I wanted to throw strikes and get us out of the game and get it over with," Pennington said. "I found out the third batter of the inning before. They told me if the pitchers spot was coming up, Mes was going to hit. I threw two pitches in the cage. I wasn't going to waste any."
Price hates having to use position players to save his bullpen. The Reds took steps to prevent that from happening on Friday.
Cincinnati purchased the contract of Dylan Floro from Louisville and optioned Rainey to Louisville, although he remained in the clubhouse Friday afternoon.
To make room on the 40-man roster the Reds designated Ariel Hernandez for assignment.
Floro, 27, pitched in 12 games for Tampa Bay in 2015 and three games for the Chicago Cubs last season.
"Dylan is a kid with some big league time," Price said. "He had a nice camp He has a good sinking fastball which is always a help particularly in this ballpark. He threw the ball well in the few outings he had in Louisville."
The Bats were in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvannia when Floro got the call.
I just flew in a couple hours ago. I had a delayed flight to start out with."
"I'm ready to go," Floro said. "The game plan is to take advantage of any opportunity I get and help this team get back to winning some ballgames. I talked to Price a little bit when I first got here. They told me to keep doing what I've been doing. I had a couple of good outings. I'll try to bring that up here."
"I throw mainly sinkers. I've been throwing the change up a little bit more this year."
Floro wants to help turn the team around.
"It wasn't disappointing to not make the team out of spring training. When you come into spring, your're trying to make that ballclub. You don't want to think of negatives. I went to Louisville and took advantage of my first couple outings. It got me a chance to get back up here. I thought of signing here as a good opportunity. We have a good club here. You can't doubt the guys that are here. I still have to do the best I can went I get a chance to come in a game."
Brandon Finnegan will replace Cody Reed in the Reds' rotation and start against the Cardinals on Saturday. The irony is that Finnegan's last game was against the Cardinals on June 26 after missing two months. Finnegan was coming off rehab for a strained left lat/trapezius. He left the game after the third inning with a strained teres major. He had season ending surgery on his dislocated right shoulder which he suffered in a off-field incident.
"Every body signed off on it. He's done everything we've asked him to do," Price said. "We're glad to have him back. We need to get him out to there to see where he's at."
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