Michael Lorenzen Returns May Close Games In Place Of Raisel Iglesias

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Michael Lorenzen returned from his rehab stint in Penascola on Wednesday.  Lorenzen was out with a right shoulder strain.   Austin Brice was placed on the disabled list with a with a mid-back strain.

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Raisel Iglesias went on the disabled list with soreness in his left bicep.  Iglesias felt it last week when he reached for a ball with his glove hand.  He was pitching through it but it was still bothering him.

"It is tender.  It prevents him from extending out with his front arm," Jim Riggleman said.  "Instead of dealing with it, we decided to put him on the DL. I don't know if it was a ball thrown back to him or a chopper hit to him but he reached.  It was brought to my attention that he was feeling it.  The next couple days we are going to Colorado, we have to have pitchers who are healthy.  We can use (Jared) Hughes and/or Lorenzen."

Lorenzen pitched against Jackson for Pensacola on Sunday.  He threw 20 pitches in two innings, retiring all six batters, including Colerain/UC grad, Ryan Atkinson who grounded out on a good sinker.

“I feel good. I pitched two innings my last time," Lorenzen said. "I got a day off, so I’m ready to go. It’s their decision. I’m sure the training staff is happy that I won’t be arguing with them any more. I wanted to be back three weeks ago. I’m excited to be able to come back and plug right in. I’ve felt great for a while. I’ve been feeling really, really good for a really, really long time, but they had to check all the boxes.”

Cubs Bring Big Bear Bats To Beat Reds

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Young Tyler Mahle faced the heavy lumber of the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.  Cubs hitters hit three home runs on the way to a 6-1 win to take three out of the four games.

In a successful homecoming for Ian Happ of  the University of Cincinnati and Kyle Schwarber, the pride of Middletown, Ohio, the Cubs negated the Reds first inning run with a three-run second inning, using the home run ball and a walk.

Cubs' starter Yu Darvish struggled in the first inning to get outs and keep his fielders awake with his deliberate style.

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Alex Blandino was giving Jose Peraza a rest.  He led the Reds' first inning off by working a walk.  One out later, Joey Votto singled to put runners at first and third.  Darvish hit Scooter Gennett with a 3-2 pitch.  Scott Schebler hit a ball into the hole at shortstop.  Javier Baez saved a run by making a sliding stop but he had no play.

Ian Happ, who has been on base 11 times with five extra base hits and six walks coming into the game, walked to start the second.  Scharber hit his eighth home run of the season and first since April 26 into the bleachers in right.  Baez followed with his 11th off the facing of the upper deck in left.  It was the Cubs first set of back-to-back home runs of the season.  Ben Zobrist hit his second home run of the season, leading off the fifth inning.

Darvish lasted six innings without allowing another hit.  He walked three and hit two batters.

Tommy La Stella pinch hit for Darvish, leading off the seventh.  As soon as La Stella was announced Jim Riggleman brought in Wandy Peralta to replace Mahle.

Mahle pitched six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks.  It was the three home runs that spoiled his outing.

"Tyler is a great competitor. We like having him out there," Reds' manager Jim Riggleman said. "There were a couple of off speed pitches and they got him. Home runs have hurt us and they did today."

Mahle .was asked to work on his slider and change up in the off season.  It has improved but is still a work-in-progress.

"If you don't throw good pitches to anybody, you're not going to have a good start. All the home runs were on pitches that weren't located well. Anything slower they are going to see it. When they're left over the plate, that's never good," Mahle said.

Peralta walked La Stella.  Votto's wild throw on a slow ground ball hit by Zobrist put Peralta in a second and third, no out jam.  Albert Almora Jr. hit a sacrifice fly gave the Cubs their five run.  Anthony Rizzo's single provided the sixth run.

David Hernandez finished the inning with no further scoring.  He ended the inning by catching Schwarber looking at a strike three.  Schwarber hotly contested the call by John Trumpane, who ejected the Middletown Middie and Indiana Hoosier.

Pedtro Strop replaced Darvish.  He pitched a scoreless seventh.  Carl Edwards Jr. pitched a scoreless eighth.

Jared Hughes got into a jam in the ninth.  Almora singled.  Willson Contreras doubled with one out.  The Reds issued Happ his ninth walk of the four-game series intentionally.  Happ was on base 14 times in the set.  Victor Caratini hit into a 4-6-3 double play to thwart the threat.

For the series the Reds walked 30 batters, the most in club history for a four game series.

"We walked too many. About six of those were intentional," Riggleman said. "They dominated us. They're a hot club. It's a very good club. When you'[re playing a very good club that is playing good."

The Reds offense sputtered too.  Riggleman credited the Cubs pitchers acknowledging that some of his guys are struggling at the plate too.

"The world is enamored with velocity," Riggleman said. "They threw three pitchers at us that really pitched professional style, just pitching. They had enough velocity but they really pitched well. We ran into a hot club and pitched good. Someone threw up these numbers, we had 16 hits in four games. I didn't know it was that bad. We didn't do much offensively."

"Darvish was throwing some off speed stuff and this and that. All of a sudden he decided to throw some hard stuff in an area up around the chest that was very hard to hit and very hard to lay off of."  it is going to be tough to win some games. We only got one out of it, certainly we'd have liked to win two or three."

Anthony DeSclafani Michael Lorenzen CloseTo Return Colerain's Ryan Atkinson Vs Lorenzen Tonight

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Anthony DeSclafani pitched into the sixth inning for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos against the Jackson Generals last night in Pensacola.

DeSclafani has been on the shelf since an oblique strain caused his lengthy rehab for the third time in as many years.  Last year he did not pitch at all.

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Michael Lorenzen had a strained teres major and has also been out for the length of the season.

DeSclafani allowed three runs, two earned on five hits.  He struck out eight with one walk.  He pitched into the sixth but two doubles brought him to his pitch limit.

"I think he has two more starts," Reds' manager Jim Riggleman said.  "When he comes back he will go into the starting rotation.  The adjustment is yet to be determined.  It will be performance based but also who could adapt to the bullpen.  That takes into account how quickly they can get warm."

Lorenzen is the starter against Colerain and UC grad Ryan Atkinson tonight at 6:05 pm in Pensacola.

"Lorenzen is scheduled for two innings," Riggleman said.  "If  he feels good after it and can go more than one inning for us.  He will be back."

Lorenzen has pitched an inning in each of his two rehab games, allowing a hit and a walk with one strikeout.

DeSclafani has pitched eight innings in two starts, allowing two earned runs on five hits and a walk with 12 strikeouts.

It doesn't matter that the rehab is taking place in Double A instead of Triple A.

"Most of the best prospects of most organizations are in Double A," said Riggleman, who has 18 years experience in player development.  "The older more experienced players are in Triple A."

Cubs Maul Reds In Nightcap

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Sal Romano allowed the leadoff man on base in every inning.  He wriggled out of jams in the first four but on the fifth did him in as the Chicago Cubs scored five runs on the way to an 10-0.

The Cubs stranded 14 runners in the 5-4 11-inning loss in the first game.  They were 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Ian Happ, who homered in the first game, repeated the act with a home run to the rightfield bleachers.  Happ reached base in four of his five plate appearances in the first game.  He walked in the second.

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Jose Quintana walked Adam Duvall in two outs into the second inning but retired 12 of the first 13 Reds' batters.

Romano's fate was sealed in the fifth.

Zobrist walked to reach base for the third time in the game.  La Stella flew out but the Cubs were just getting started.  Kris Bryant walked.  Anthony Rizzo doubled to the rightfield corner and two runs scored.  Romano struck out Willson Contreras but walked Happ intentionally.  Happ reached base for the seventh time in eight plate appearances. Addison Russell walked. 

"Zobrist and La Stella got big hits all day," Reds' manager Jim Riggleman said.  "They aren't starters but they play a lot.  It was a tough challenge for Sal."

Jason Hayward, making his first start since suffering a concussion two weeks ago in St. Louis, hit a bloop to shallow right, toward the foul line.  Gennett came close but the ball hit off his glove, past a charging Jesse Winker for a three-run triple and a 7-0 lead.

"It was an extraordinary effort by Scooter on the triple by Hayward.  I think Wink broke back on the ball.  That was his all the way," Riggleman said.

Romano pitched five innings, allowing seven runs on six hits and a career-high six walks.

"The fastball command wasn't there," Romano said. "My off speed stuff was pretty good.  That was something I worked on the last four days.  I think I'm flying open on the fastball.  When you walk six in a big league game, you're going to get hurt."


The Reds appeared to challenge Quintana in the fifth.  Duvall walked again with one out. Scott Schebler drilled a single past La Stella at second for the Reds' first hit.

Kevin Shackelford, who was called up as the 26th man, finally got the leadoff hitter out.   He walked Bryant with two outs but retired Rizzon on a fly out.

The Cubs renewed its habit of putting the leadoff man on when Contreras Russell singled.  Shackelford threw a wild pitch.  Hayward earned his fourth RBI with a sacrifice fly.

The Cubs put runners at first and third with no outs in the eighth inning on a pair of bloop singles. Rizzo's sacrifice fly sent the ninth Cubs' run home.

Quintana finished with seven scoreless innings.  He allowed one hit and walked four, including Schebler three times.  Suarez took the other walk.

"Their pitchers have thrown three pretty good outings against us," Riggleman said.

Alex Blandino's pinch hit single off Mike Montgomery was the Reds' second hit.

Austin Brice mopped up for the Reds.  Heyward singled and scored on a double by Albert Almora Jr.

First Game Of Double Header Belongs To The Reds

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Talk about your walk offs.  Billy Hamilton drew a bases loaded walk in the 11th inning to give the Reds a 5-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Dylan Floro pitched the final two innings to earn his first Major League win.

"Floro has been good for us in a lot of situations," Reds' manager Jim Riggleman said..  "We couldn't afford to use any one else in that game.  It was his game all the way."

Floro was left off the roster for Opening Day but impressed everyone with his spring in Goodyear.  He brought some big league experience to a very young bullpen.  Floro pitched in three games for the Cubs last year for 9 2/3 innings.

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"It's awesome," a smiling Floro said.  "For it to happen like that it's a great experience.  I'm excited. It is hard to catch my breath.  I was with them last year.  They're a great organization. I appreciate them.  It is always nice to get a W against them.  I've been in a lot of situations.  It is a great feeling for him to put me in those situations.  I want to prove I can do it."

The Reds slept fast on Friday night to take on the Cubs in the first game of a double header.

The first inning looked eerily like Homer Bailey's Friday night in a three-run first inning.  Like the first five Cubs' batters hit their way on base on Friday, the first two batters, Albert Almora Jr. and Kris Bryant singled.  Anthony Rizzo flied out to shallow right.   Addison Russell walked to fill the bases. Middletown's Kyle Schwarber hit into an inning ending double play.

The Reds went to work on Kyle Hendricks immediately.  Jose Peraza walked, a rare occurrence because it was his seventh walk in 108 plate appearances.  Peraza stole second base, his seventh to put himself in position to score on Scooter Gennett's single.

The Cubs got even in the third Almora Jr. singled and scored on Bryant's double.

Joey Votto doubled to open the Reds' fourth.  It was 30th game in 32 appearances for Votto to reach base.  Gennett bunted Votto to third.  He was credited with a sacrifice but it looked like he was bunting for a hit.  Eugenio Suarez gave the Reds a lead with a sacrifice fly to center.

Castillo left after five innings with the lead but David Hernandez was greeted with disrespect by Ian Happ who tripled.  Hendricks the pitcher doubled to the base of the bullpen fence.  Hernandez bowed his neck after that, retiring the next two batters and Russell after an intentional walk to Rizzo.

The Reds answered quickly with the aid of Cubs' second baseman Javier Baez, who fumbled Peraza's ground ball.  Votto walked.  Gennett drove in his second run of the game with a single.  Suarez did likewise with an RBI double.

Amir Garrett, sporting an glistening 1.40 ERA, pitched the seventh.   The long, tall, lefty walked Schwarber to open the inning but catcher Victor Caratini hit into a double play.   Garrett struck out Baez looking.  The pitcher's on-mound celebration irked Baez and the pair squared off near home plate.  Reinforcements arrived from benches and bullpens but tempers cooled.  No one was ejected.

"That's how it goes," Garrett said. "There are no hard feelings there. It's over.  I believe so, I believed he pimped a home run on me last year.  He got me and I got him.  It's over. I am sure we will have plenty more match ups.  I love the way he plays the game.  He's very flashy and I love that. I love all of it but if you dish it, you gotta take it.

Iglesias replaced Garrett.

Former UC Bearcat, Ian Happ hit his sixth home run to open the eighth.  It was his third hit and left him a single short of the cycle combined with his triple and second inning double.

Tommy La Stella pinch hit for Randy Rosario, the Cubs 26th man, pitched two scoreless innings. LaStella singled on a full count pitch.  Iglesias struck out Almora and retired Bryant on a routine fly to right.  Rizzo tied the game with a double into the left centerfield gap.  Iglesias struck out Russell to end the inning.

Carl Edwards Jr. issued a two-out walk to Scott Schebler, who stole second base but Tucker Barnhart grounded to short.

Wandy Peralta took over in the ninth for Iglesias and set the Cubs down in order.

Pedto Strop gave up a two-out double to Billy Hamilton but struck out Tony Cruz and Peraza to send the game to the 10th inning.

Dylan Floro started the 10th for the Reds.  The Cubs went down in order.

Brian Duensing retired Votto on a soft liner to short and struck out Gennett.   Steve Cishek took over to pitch to Suarez.  Suarez grounded out to short.

Floro allowed an infield hit and an intentional walk but preserved the tie into the bottom of the 11th.

Schebler took a walk from boom Justin Wilson to open the bottom of the 11th.  Barnhart singled.  Wilson got behind Duvall 3-0 and lost him to load the bases with no outs.  Hamilton took three pitches off the plate with five Cubs in the infield and outfielders shallow in the two gaps.  Wilson threw a 3-0 strike but missed badly with ball four.

"If he threw a strike, I'd have to put the ball in play," Hamilton said.  "It's kind of tough when you see a five-man infield and two guys playing up the middle.  It gets you to thinking you've got to do something different but you've got to relax."

Hamilton had an awful at bat in the sixth inning against Randy Rosario with the bases loaded.

"Billy had a great at bat.  We let some chances go by.  I thought it would haunt us and sure enough it did.  We we had a lot of good at bats. Schebler and Duvall, Tucker gave us a chance," Riggleman said.

Who's On First?

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Who's on first?

At Great American Ball Park the answer to that question is Joey Votto, Mr. Costello.

Not only is that Votto's natural defensive position but when the Reds are at the plate it is more than likely it is Votto on first base as a base runner.

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Consider these numbers.

Votto has reached base in 29 of his last 31 appearances, including the last 16 in a row.  This season he is seventh in the National League with an on-base-percentage at .411.  Votto has walked 30 times, two intentionally.  In his career to date, Votto has been on base in 42.8 % of his plate appearances.

In 12 seasons, Votto walked intentionally 134 times second to Johnny Bench's team record of 135.  He has a career total of 1,630 walks and 1,001 singles.  (Votto has 349 2B, 17 3B and 263 HR).

The 2,631 trips from home to first totals 44.8 miles.

Cubs Rain On Reds Parade

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On a soggy night in Cincinnati, Homer Bailey lasted 4 1/3 innings which is amazing considering that the first five Chicago Cubs' batters hit the ball like they knew what pitches were coming.

Ben Zobrist singled and Kris Bryant doubled within the first three pitches after an hour and a half of rain delay that cost fans some fireworks.  Anthony Rizzo, Willson Contreras and Addison Russell continued a hit parade that put three runs on the board on the way to an 8-1.

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The Reds have a double header on Saturday made necessary by an April 3 rainout.

It was important that Bailey eat some innings and he did that.  Jackson Stephens gave the Reds' three good innings.  The Reds have called up Kevin Shackelford as their 26th man to add depth to the bullpen.  Austin Brice worked an inning.

“Homer battled,” Reds’ manager Jim Riggleman said. “Zobrist and Bryant had hits within three or four pitches to set the tone.  I tip my hat to Homer.  With the double header tomorrow, we needed to use as few pitchers as possible.  Jackson came in and saved us.  Homer was hit but we were down 4-0.  That’s not something we can’t overcome.  Jon Lester was the bigger issue.”

John Lester had the luxury of a uncontested six run lead.

The Cubs added one run in the fourth after a double play with the bases loaded, blunted another big rally.  Addison Russell's third hit of his career-high four on the night, setup a two run fifth when Kyle Schwarber doubled Russel home.  Schwarber scored on a safety squeeze by Lester.

Scooter Gennett broke up Lester's modest no-hitter with a single and Adam Duvall homered for the second straight day.  It was Duvall's team leading ninth of the season and spoiled Lester's shutout.

The Cubs added a run off Stephens and a run off Brice.

Lester left after six innings allowing one run on two hits. It was the fourth straight start that he had to deal with rain, including last night in Atlanta.

Bailey knew the Reds needed innings.

“I looked at the pitches and they hit some good ones.  That is frustrating.  They are a good offense and did a good job of hitting good pitches.  In the back of my mind, I knew I had to grind out some innings.  That’s what I tried to do.”

Eugenio Suarez Is Ready Joey Votto Bats Fourth

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Eugenio Suarez missed one game with a slightly sprained right ankle that he suffered on Tuesday in San Francisco.  Suarez was trying to return to second base after a line drive when he twisted it. He remained in the game and hit a two-run home run.

The Reds gave him Wednesday afternoon off and they had an off-day on Thursday.   Suarez was in the lineup and batting third with Joey Votto in the cleanup spot in the batting order.

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"I hit a double two and my ankle felt good," Suarez said.  "It was sore the next morning when I got out of bed.  I want to be in the lineup.  It has happened before to me.  I just needed a little rest."

The Reds put Suarez through a series of test in the afternoon.  He fielded ground balls, ran forward and backward.  He passed all of the tests.

Votto is batting fourth for the 29th time in his career but the first time since May 14, 2014, when hit fourth in both games of a doubleheader with San Diego.

The Reds had a day off before and a day off after the Cubs series which means they will not need an extra starting pitcher for the double header on Saturday.  The Reds and Cubs were washed out of a game on April 3.  The Cubs were late arriving in Cincinnati as their game on Thursday was rained out.  Luis Castillo will pitch the first game against Kyle Hendricks.  Sal Romano will pitch the second game against Jose Quintana.

"We will see where we are after the game tonight," Reds' interim manager Jim Riggleman said.  "We have to see what we need and who is scheduled to pitch at Louisville."

The starters can stay on schedule unless rain zaps one of the four games.

Anthony DeSclafani and Michael Lorenzen are getting close to a return. 

"They are both throwing well," Riggleman said.  "Lorenzen threw a bullpen yesterday to simulate back-to-back outings.  His next time out he will go more than one innings so when he returns we can use him for more than one inning."

Adam Duvall Clutch Home Run Beats The Mets

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Adam Duvall hit his sixth home run of the season, leading off the 10th inning to give the Reds win of the game and the series, 2-1.  It was the first career walk off home run for the struggling outfielder who entered the game on a double switch.

“It was a fastball, middle in. I was able to get the barrel to it. It was exciting," said Duvall.  Winning the series was the icing on top. “This game’s about momentum. You’d like to take that hot streak and try to extend it. It feels good to get win the series. That’s what you’re trying to do.”

The Reds won a series for only the second time this season and the blow was struck by a player who was hitting .169 at game time.

“Nobody’s more deserving than Adam. He’s not out there feeling sorry for himself. He’s putting in the work and it’s paying off.," Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.

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The Mets had to learn to take turns when Sal Romano and Zack Wheeler met up in a old fashioned pitcher's duel.

With two outs in the second Asdrubal Cabrera, batting third hit a ground rule double.  The only problem was he was supposed to bat second.  That made Jay Bruce scheduled to hit fourth out for batting out of turn and he was called out by home plate umpire Gabe Morales.  The umpires and the Reds' manager, Jim Riggleman was given a lineup with Cabrera second and Flores third. The Mets gave the Reds and the umpire the intended lineup but posted another lineup on the dugout wall for the players to follow.

"The team comes out and tells us a guy is batting out of order.  It's not our job to tell them," crew chief  Jerry Meals said. "What happens is you find the proper batter.  In this case Flores hit second and made an out. It doesn't benefit the Reds.  They already have an out. Cabrera hit and got a hit. Now it benefits them.  Hey he batted out of order  When they threw the first pitch to Cabrera that legalized Flores as a hitter.  Now the proper batter is Bruce.  In that case you take Cabrera off the field and call Bruce out.  Now the batter is Gonzalez."

It happened to the Reds in late 2008 at Shea Stadium when Dusty Baker made a double switch but there was miscommunication among the players.
"I've seen it happen in the minor leagues.  It's been a long time, 32 years," Meals said.
It happened to the Reds in late 2008 at Shea Stadium when Dusty Baker made a double switch but changed his mind after the umpires made it official.
It was just an administrative thing that I didn’t take care of," first year manager Mickey Calloway said. "It’s frustrating. It probably cost us a game. We had a chance to score in the first and we didn’t. The most frustrated I’ve been is about the administrative thing today. I didn’t get the job done."
Once that mess was straightened out the young pitchers took over.

“Sal and Wheeler both really threw the ball well. They both got a lot of strikeouts and groundballs," Riggleman said.  


Brandon Nimmo led off the third inning with a triple.  He scored when Cabrera, now in his proper spot in the order grounded out to Joey Votto at first base.  Romano also retired the next six batters in order until Amed Rosario singled with two outs in the fifth.  Romano walked Nimmo but retired the last five batters he faced.

Romano finished with six innings, one earned run on four hits and a walk.  He has five straight good starts.

“He’s throwing good. He knows what he is – a power pitcher with a hard sinker,” Riggleman said.

The Reds put two runners on base against Wheeler in the first inning but Scott Schebler grounded out to end the inning.  Alex Blandion led off the second inning with a single but Wheeler retired 12 straight before Jesse Winker walked to start the sixth.  Jose Peraza reached on an infield single.  Votto drove in Winker with a solid single to right, tying the game and putting runners at the corners with no out.  Eugenio Suarez struck out.  Schebler walked to load the bases with one out but Blandino popped to short and Tony Cruz, replacing the traded Devin Mesoraco, struck out.

Wheeler finished with nearly the same line Romano did, six innings one run on four hits.  He walked three.

Jared Hughes and Amir Garrett  pitched a scoreless inning apiece for the Reds.  Robert Gsellman pitched two perfect innings for the Mets.

Raisel Iglesias got the Mets out 1-2-3 in the ninth.

Seth Lugo retired Scott Schebler to start the bottom of the ninth.  Blandino and Cruz struck out to send the game to the 10th inning.

Iglesias retired the side in order again.

“When Iglesias was fielding a ball in the ninth, he raised his arm and did something. When he came in, he went into the cage and worked it out. He actually threw the ball better in the 10th," Riggleman said.

Adam Duvall stepped in to face A.J. Ramos.

It was Riggleman, who realized the Mets were batting out of turn.

“I want to say as little about that as possible. I have a bad feeling about that. I felt bad. It’s so easy to have that happen. When I saw the lineup card, for some reason, it stuck with me that Flores was hitting third. When he walked up to hit second, it clicked and I checked the card," Riggleman said.

Riggleman thought he caught them again in the second inning.

 “When I saw Gonzalez leading off, I thought they might be out of order again, but the umpires explained that the double didn’t count and Jay Bruce was out. Nobody had ever seen that happen, that part of it. The umpires were on it. They were the only four people in the place who knew the rule. They did a good job of letting both benches know what was going on.”

Matt Harvey's Role Uncertain Gets Clean Slate Devin Mesoraco Starts For Mets

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Matt Harvey is in Los Angeles awaiting the Reds arrival.

Before the game on Tuesday night, the Reds traded Devin Mesoraco for Harvey, the Mets first draft pick in 2010 and the seventh pick overall.

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Mesoraco and Harvey both have a history of injuries.  Harvey missed the entire 2014 season with "Tommy John" surgery.  Mesoraco has been limited to 95 games the last three seasons with 56 of those coming last season.  He has appeared in 19 this season, including a pinch hit appearance for the Mets Tuesday night.

Harvey also has a history of being hard for management to handle.  Interim manager Jim Riggleman will give Harvey a clean slate.

"We have not nailed down when Harvey will pitch," Riggleman said.  "I talked to him last night.  He is in Los Angeles.  He is throwing significant bullpen seasons, lengthy sessions.  He is extending himself a little bit, thinking no matter where he signed, he'd pitch some length.  He's ready to do what we need him to do.  We will determine that in the next day or two.  I expect he will pitch in some capacity against the Dodgers but whether it is starting or relieving, I don't know yet."

When Riggleman said that Harvey is ready to do whatever the Reds want him to do, it runs counter to his reputation for demanding his role and resisting a demotion to the minor leagues  Harvey made eight appearances, four starts for the Mets this season.  He is 0-2 with an even 7.00 ERA.  He has allowed six home runs in 27 innings.

"Harvey was very excited," Riggleman said.  "He's anxious to help us and re establish his career. I think it's a good fit.  I will absolutely give him a fresh start.  So much of that can be blown out of proportion.  We've talked to a lot of people, who said, Matt Harvey's a good guy.  Some stuff got exaggerated.  That's in the past."

Mesoraco will get his fresh start with the Mets against the Reds after an awkward trip across the field last night.  He is in the lineup for the Mets, who have had both of their top catchers Jose Loboton and Travis d'Arnaud miss significant time with injuries.

Mesoraco has a new pitching staff to learn but Mets' manager Micky Calloway, the former Cleveland Indians pitching coach, doesn't see it as a problem.

"He knows their hitters better than anyone," Calloway said.  "He's going to call the game.  Zach Wheeler has to throw the ball over the plate, whatever, Devin calls.  Mesoraco has a very good reputation for leading a pitching staff.  His bat will be very helpful.  He's a guy who has done damage and been an All-Star."

The Reds starting catcher will be Tony Cruz, giving Tucker Barnhart a rest, Cruz was Yadier Molina's backup with St. Louis and spent Spring Training with the Reds.  He had a very good spring, the Reds nearly brought him with the team as a backup catcher/first baseman.  Cruz had been in Louisville.

Cruz played in 14 games at Louisville, hitting .170 with a home run and a double.