Anthony DeSclafani - Reds Embarrass Ball Park Full Of Cubs Fans

Anthony DeSclafani had a memorable day while making thousands of Cubs' fans who infiltrated Great American Ball Park want to forget it.

DeSclafani stymied and slammed the Chicago Cubs in an 11-2  Reds' win.  The sixth win in a row for Cincinnati.  The Reds are now 5-3 on the year against the division rivals, who came to town with the National League's best record.

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The Reds started fast against Luke Farrell.  Alex Blandino, who was giving Jose Peraza a day off, walked to open the Reds' half of the first.  Tucker Barnhart reached the seats on the first pitch for his fifth home run of the season.

"Tucker's home run was huge.  It was one of those games it was 8-2 but it felt a lot closer than that," Jim Riggleman said. "We're playing clean baseball.  We've strung some good ball games together."


Willson Contreras hit a line fly over the right field wall off Anthony DeSclafani the next half inning.  Reds' manager Jim Riggleman complained that a fan interfered with the ball but video review resulted in a confirmation.

The Reds' league leaders started a late rally in the third after two outs.

Joey Votto, the National League leader with a .451 on-base-percentage at game time, walked. Farrell who was making his first start, turned the game over to Brian Duensing.  Scooter Gennett the National League's leader  with a .335 average, doubled to the base of the fence in right.  Votto scored.  A good throw would have had him but Ben Zobrist, the Cubs second baseman, threw the ball over catcher Contreras' head.  Eugenio Suarez extended his NL lead to 58.  Those two runs were expected.  What happened next was remarkably rare.

Jesse Winker walked.  Adam Duvall hit a slow ground ball that was fielded by Duensing but Duvall But Duvall caused Duensing to hold the ball.  The bases were loaded for DeSclafani, who struck out in the second because he couldn't get a bunt down. took three pitches outside the strike zone.  DeSclafani took two strikes, then did something a Reds' pitcher hadn't done in 59 years.

"When the pitcher gets up at that point, you're glad the lineup is going to turnover at that point so worst case scenario, Billy is leading off the next inning.  Anthony has worked since the time he's been here in 2015.  He was not a good handler of the bat but if you look he's gotten a few hits," Riggleman said  "Once he knew the pitcher had ot come in there, he was feeling good about it.  I'm not surprised he hit it hard. I'm surprised he hit a home run."

DeSclafani lined the full count pitch on a line into the left field stands for his first career home run and first career grand slam.  It was the first grand slam hit by a Reds' pitcher since Bob Purkey hit one against the Cubs on August 1, 1959 off John Buzhardt.


"I wish I had some cool hitter's answer there.  All in all I was just trying to hit the ball hard somewhere and not strike out.  I got to a full count there.  I knew a fastball was coming.  So I just tried to square it up and it happened to go out," DeSclafani said.  "At first I didn't think it was a home run but I saw the left fielder kind of give up on it.  Then I saw the ball get into the stands. It was awesome.  Every thing in that at bat happened so quick from when I swung and hit the ball until I started shaking hands in the dugout."


In his next at bat DeSclafani flied out to left with two runners on base.

DeSclafani gave up Ben Zobrist's fifth home run in the sixth but only one other hit in 6 1/3 innings He left after walking Ian Happ with one out in the seventh. Michael Lorenzen replaced him.

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Lorenzen got pinch hitter Javier Baez to line out to Blandino, who erased Happ with a throw to Votto.

DeSclafani allowed two runs on three hits and walked four while improving his record to 3-1 and dropping his ERA from 4.60 to 4.09.

"I just tried filling up the strikezone as much as I could.  There were times when I tried to get too fine and ended up walking four guys.  If there's one thing on the day I wasn't happy about, it was that," DeScafani said.  "I got some quick outs."

"He did a good job on the mound.  He kind of faded a little at the end a couple walks and a home run but any time the pitcher gets us into the seventh inning, We'll take that every time," DeSclafani said.


The Cubs had two singles with one out against Lorenzen.  Amir Garrett came on to get Anthony Rizzo to bounce into a 4-6-3 double play.  Rizzo is 0-for-10 for the series.

The Cubs used catcher Chris Gimenez to mop up in the eighth inning.  Gimenez had nine previous appearances on the mound.  Brandon Dixon and Billy Hamilton walked before Votto hit his eighth home run of the season

Hamilton extended his hitting streak to six games with a single in the sixth.  He stole his 15th base of the season with Blandio at the plate.

DeSclafani joined Icebox Chamberlain, who hit an inside the park home run for the Reds in 1892, Al Hollingsworth who hit one against the Cubs in 1936 and Purkey.  The fan who got the ball gave it to DeSclafani for a signed baseball.

"I guess it makes it a little bit more special.  I had to re focus myself because it was still early in the game. I had to get through three or four more innings," DeSclafani said.  "The last home run I hit was in high school. I've never hit a grand slam."


"Thank you to the fan who ended up giving up the ball.  It means a lot to me," DeSclafani said.