Dog Meat - Reds and Royals Less Than Regal In Battle Of Basement

On Bark-in-the-Park night canine friends were welcome to the spectacle of the 54-102 Kansas City Royals and the 66-91 Reds.  Both bring up the rear of the Central Division of their respective leagues.

The Royals prevailed with a 4-3 win. On Hunter Dozier's 11th home run of the season off Raisel Iglesias, leading off the ninth.

http://www.wiedemannbeer.com/

Matt Harvey made his last start of the season for the Reds and possible his last start ever for the Reds.  Before the game manager Jim Riggleman acknowledged that Harvey, who started the game with 150 innings, would not start on Sunday.

"In all likely hood.  He has 150 innings. He's probably maxed out with the innings," Riggleman said. "If he had gone the last couple years like he did before the injury, he wouldn't be here.  The last two years he's gone about 100 innings."

Harvey worked five innings against the Royals on Tuesday.  He allowed a single to All-Star Salvador Perez and a double to Ryan O'Hearn to open the second inning.  Perez scored on an infield single by Brian Goodwin.  Perez opened the fourth with another single and scored on O'Hearn's 12th home run of the season.  Harvey allowed six hits.  Harvey did return after a 51 minute rain delay between the third and fourth innings.

"I'm happy with the body of work from Harvey," Jim Riggleman said.  "He hung a slider to O'Hearn in the second inning and almost pitched out of it.  The home run, we don't like to make excuses but it was a Great American Ball Park home run."

"It was frustrating," said Harvey, who is a free agent at the end of the year.  "I was pretty sharp in the first three innings.  After the delay, I wasn't as sharp.  I've pitched here enough to know those balls go out sometime but it was a bad curve ball, too far out over the plate."

Harvey was considered the ace of the New York Mets staff before injuries and battles with the New York media made his stay there unpleasant.

"I'd like to come back here sure," Harvey said.   "Any thing is possible.  I don't know what's going to happen but there is one team that I won't go to."

Harvey was able to accomplish his goal of maintaining good health through the end of the season.

"I just wanted to pitch every fifth day when I got here," Harvey said.  "They let me do that.  If you would have told me in May that I wouldn't miss a start and pitch 150 innings I would have told you that you were crazy."

The Reds will contemplate his return later this month.

"We are having an organizational meeting after the season," President Dick Williams said.  "We will discuss all of the internal options and take a look at who is available in the free agent market.  We are open to bringing Matt Harvey back."

Eric Skoglund started for the Royals.

Joey Votto singled with two outs in the first. Skoglund retired the last five batters he faced before the rain.  Brian Flynn took over when play resumed and retired the first five batters he faced.

http://donatelifeohio.org/

Phil Ervin singled one out into the fifth.  Dilson Herrara hit for Harvey and lifted his fourth home run of the season to cut the Royals lead to one.   It was Herrera's fourth home run of the season and third pinch hit home run.

Scooter Gennett was 0-2 and fighting to stay in the hunt for the batting title with Christian Yellich of Milwaukee, tripled down the right field line with one out in the seventh off Brandon Maurer.  Ervin singled through a drawn in right side to tie the score.

Amir Garrett turned in two scoreless innings for the Reds.  David Hernandez took over in the eighth.

The Reds loaded the bases off Kevin McCarthy in the eighth.  Scott Schebler walked.  Jose Peraza singled between short and third.  Votto's swinging bunt loaded the bases with no out.  Eugenio Suarez, leading the Reds with 101 RBI stepped in.  He took three balls from McCarthy.  Suarez swinging 3-0 hit a hard ground ball that a drawn in Adalberto Mondesi speared and turned into a force at home.  Gennett struck out swinging.  Ervin forced Suarez at second to end the threat.

Iglesias was warmed up in anticipation of a save that didn't occur.

Wily Peralta, a former starter for Milwuakee, entered to nail down his 14th save in 14 tries.

Brandon Dixon walked with one out. Billy Hamilton dribbled a single into right field to become the potential winning run.  Schebler forced Dixon at third.  Peraza singled to third when Dozier made a game saving stop that loaded the bases.  The ball was headed down the line and could have scored both runners.  Votto stepped to the plate with the bases loaded.  He grounded out to second to end the game.

"They made some good plays," Riggleman said.. "I was shocked that Dozier got to that ball. I thought it was down the line and would at least tie the game."