Cincinnati Reds

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June 7, 2017 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY

1953-Joe Nuxhall hits his first career home run. Nuxhall holds the Reds record for career home runs by a pitcher, with 13

MLB.COM

Electric Scooter! Slam 1st of 4 historic HRs

Reds' Gennett becomes 17th player to record ding quartet in 1 game

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 2:08 AM ET

CINCINNATI -- Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan didn't do it. Neither did George Foster, Eric Davis or Barry Larkin. Ditto for Joey

Votto, Jay Bruce or Brandon Phillips. The first Reds player to ever hit four home runs in one game will forever be … Scooter

Gennett?

That's right, Gennett. The utility player -- and Cincinnati native -- who got a start in left field on Tuesday slugged a franchise-record

four home runs and tied another team record with 10 RBIs while going 5-for-5 during the Reds' 13-1 rout of the Cardinals at Great

American Ball Park.

"It's surreal, man. It really is," Gennett marveled. "I'm truly blessed being from here, born here and watching all those guys play

when I was little. To do something that's never been done, I don't know, I can't put words to it. It's an honor for sure."

This was a feat of history seen less often in Major League history than a perfect game. There have been 23 perfect games, but

Gennett was just the 17th player to ever slug four homers.

"That's pretty crazy, man," the 5-foot-10 Gennett said. "Especially when you think of a guy like me, not a huge guy. But that's

baseball. It's not how big or strong you are, it's how efficient and sometimes lucky."

The homestand started Friday with Phillips -- now with the Braves -- taking issue with the Reds not removing his No. 4 jersey from

circulation following his February trade to honor his tenure with the club. The number was assigned to Gennett, who was claimed

off waivers from the Brewers near the end of Spring Training.

Hitting four home runs while wearing No. 4 will be seen on Reds highlight reels for decades to come. Gennett is the first player in

Major League history to have five hits, four home runs and 10 RBIs in a game. His 17 total bases is also a new club record.

The only other player with four hits and a grand slam in the same game was the Cardinals' Mark Whiten, and it happened in

Cincinnati vs. the Reds on Sept. 7, 1993, at Riverfront Stadium.

"Feels pretty cool," Gennett said. "That's something I never thought I would do. Even three home runs would be too crazy for me.

Obviously, it was a good night. I made a few adjustments, just more trying to relax. I think I was able to swing at better pitches,

which the end result was pretty good."

When Gennett busts out of slumps, he really busts out. He ended a 0-for-19 slump Monday with the game-winning two-run double

in a 4-2 over the Cardinals. His bountiful Tuesday evening started in less-grandiose fashion in the bottom of the first inning with

two outs. It was a blooped single to short left field that scored Billy Hamilton with the game's first run.

With one out in the third inning and the bases loaded, Gennett attacked a 3-2 sinker from starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, and

sent the ball into the right-center-field seats. According to Statcast™, the grand slam had a 102-mph exit velocity and traveled a

projected 404 feet.

It was the second grand slam of Gennett's career. His first came for the Brewers against the Nationals on June 25, 2015.

Wainwright was lifted following a bases-loaded triple by Suarez in the fourth with two outs. Reliever John Gant fared no better vs.

Gennett, who tattooed a 3-2 fastball to center field for a two-run homer. That gave him his first multi-homer game since Aug. 13,

2013, at Texas.

When Gennett connected again against Gant again in the sixth, he became the first Reds player to hit three homers in a game since

Votto on June 9, 2015, vs. the Phillies. The crowd of 18,620 fans erupted with an ovation and asked for a curtain call from Gennett,

who obliged.

"He had a career night, a great night," Wainwright said. "Guys do that every now and then. He almost beat us by himself tonight."

But Gennett was not quite done. He was the fourth batter due up in the eighth inning, but he got to bat when Scott Schebler drew a

walk two spots ahead of him. After looking at a first-pitch strike, Gennett appeared to be swinging out of his shoes and missed big

for strike two. But he said that was not the case.

"It obviously probably looked like it. But my batting glove got caught in my other hand and I released with my other hand. It was

like, 'Ahhh!'" Gennett said. "I know if I try to hit a home run, it's not going to happen. I just tried to relax and put a good swing on

the ball and it ended up working out."

On the next pitch, Gennett hit a drive into the right-field seats for his historic fourth homer.

"I kind of laughed, to be honest. It's just crazy," Gennett said. "For a guy like me to have done it, it's amazing. It's maybe a little bit

short of a miracle. Baseball is an amazing game. You can go from 0-for-19 to four home runs in a game. It's pretty wild."

Price on Gennett's effort

Price on Gennett's effort

Reds manager Bryan Price discusses Scooter Gennett's big four-homer night that powered the Reds to a 13-1 victory over the

Cardinals

It was the first time since Josh Hamilton did it for the Rangers on May 8, 2012, that there has been a four-homer game in the

Majors. According to Statcast™, Gennett's four homers totaled 1,568 feet.

"You're a point where it's very emotional, it really is. You're seeing history. Not many people have done it," Reds manager Bryan

Price said. "It's kind of an honor just to bear witness to it."

Below is a list of the 16 other players in big league history to record a four-homer game:

Josh Hamilton, Rangers, May 8, 2012

Carlos Delgado, Blue Jays, Sept. 25, 2003

Shawn Green, Dodgers, May 23, 2002

Mike Cameron, Mariners, May 2, 2002

Mark Whiten, Cardinals, Sept. 7, 1993

Bob Horner, Braves, July 6, 1986

Mike Schmidt, Phillies, April 17, 1976

Willie Mays, Giants, April 30, 1961

Rocky Colavito, Indians, June 10, 1959

Joe Adcock, Braves, July 31, 1954

Gil Hodges, Dodgers, Aug. 31, 1950

Pat Seerey, White Sox, July 18, 1948

Chuck Klein, Phillies, July 10, 1936

Lou Gehrig, Yankees, June 3, 1932

Ed Delahanty, Phillies, July 13, 1896

Bobby Lowe, Beaneaters, May 30, 1894

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on

Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball

or its clubs.

Reds ride Scooter's 4 HRs to rout of Cards

By Jenifer Langosch and Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 2:10 AM ET

CINCINNATI -- Scooter Gennett dominated with a franchise-best four home runs at the plate for the Reds, while Tim Adleman

worked smoothly from the mound. Put the two performances together, and a few other key contributions, and Cincinnati buried the

Cardinals with a 13-1 victory on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park.

Gennett blooped an RBI single to shallow left field in the first, but his night really took off when he slugged a grand slam to right-

center field against Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright in the third inning. During a five-run fourth, Eugenio Suarez ripped a bases-

loaded triple past a diving Dexter Fowler, and Gennett followed with a two-run homer to center field against reliever John Gant.

Gennett's third homer, also against Gant, traveled to the left-field corner and made it an 11-0 game. In the eighth inning, Gennett

jumped on a 0-2 pitch from John Brebbia for his historic fourth homer.

"Feels pretty cool," Gennett said. "That's something I never thought I would do. Even three home runs would be too crazy for me.

Obviously, it was a good night."

The first Red to ever accomplish the four-homer feat, Gennett's 10 RBIs tied the team record Walker Cooper set on July 6, 1949. It

also marked the first time in Cardinals history that they have been on the wrong end of a four-homer game.

"'Sounds like I'm not going to use that ball again,'" Brebbia said of his reaction to Gennett's final swing. "And when I looked at it,

that was the confirmation. I thought it was the right pitch. And then it came out of my hand, and it went belly-button high or so.

That's not the spot I wanted it."

On the heels of ending a 0-for-19 slump with the game-winning two-run double on Monday, Gennett is 6-for-6 since.

"You guys weren't all here when I was 0-for-19," Gennett joked. "It's good to see you guys again."

Wainwright was tagged with nine earned runs and seven hits over 3 2/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts. It was the most

runs he has allowed in a start since Aug. 28, 2013, also against Cincinnati. Wainwright entered the night having allowed one run in

his last 26 1/3 innings.

The Cardinals have dropped five straight games, their longest losing streak since June of last season. Not only have the Reds taken

the first two games of the four-game series, they have won nine of the last 14 games played against their National League Central

nemeses.

"It's not good," Wainwright said of the team's 5-15 skid. "Speaking from my point of view, I really wanted to come in here and stop

that streak. It just didn't happen. We needed zeros out of me tonight, and I didn't make it happen."

The rout made for a smooth night for Adleman, who delivered his third straight quality start with seven innings, one earned run,

three hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. The shutout bid ended in the seventh when Stephen Piscotty led off the inning with a

homer pulled just inside the left-field foul pole.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Grand night for Gennett: In the bottom of the third inning, Gennett slugged Wainwright's 3-2 sinker into right-center-field seats for

the grand slam that gave Cincinnati a five-run lead. According to Statcast™, the ball came off the bat with a 102-mph exit velocity

and traveled a projected 404 feet. It was the second grand slam of Gennett's career. His first came for the Brewers against the

Nationals on June 25, 2015.

Unique challenge by Cardinals: It was a different type of replay challenge than normal when Mike Matheny asked for one in the

bottom of the third. The Cardinals wanted an out the Reds made overturned. Suarez hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory near the right-

field corner that had scored Zack Cozart. Piscotty was ruled to have made the catch, but the Cardinals' video people noticed the ball

skipped off the wall first before it was secured in the right fielder's glove. It was a successful challenge and both the out and Reds'

run were taken off the scoreboard. Suarez would draw a walk to set up the big moment for Gennett.

"I was ok with it. I liked it," Wainwright said of sacrificing the out to wipe away a run. "It's a roll of the dice, right? Take your

chances with getting out of that inning with a ground ball. I was getting the ball on the ground and getting soft contact, so they liked

my chances there, and I did, too."

QUOTABLE

"When you've got Scooter on your team, everything is easy." -- Adleman, on pitching with a big lead and providing a strong

performance

"I think we're all tired of making excuses about anything. We've got to change what's going on. And it will. No question. It's one of

those bad runs that we have to work our way through. And we will make it look different than what it looked like tonight. It's no fun

while you're going through it." -- Matheny

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

A four-homer game has been achieved only 17 times in Major League history and not since Josh Hamilton did it for the Rangers on

May 8, 2012. The feat is rarer than a perfect game, which has been accomplished 23 times in MLB history. More >

TAKING ANOTHER LOOK

In the top of the first inning with two outs, Piscotty attempted to advance to second base on an Adleman wild pitch to Jedd Gyorko.

Piscotty slid into second base and was ruled safe on the field by umpire Bill Welke. The Reds were quick to challenge the call and

upon review, it was overturned when it was clear Jose Peraza applied the tag in time. Piscotty was called out to end the inning.

WHAT'S NEXT

Cardinals: Lance Lynn, who has yielded two or fewer earned runs in seven of his 11 starts this season, will start for the Cardinals in

Wednesday's game at Great American Ball Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CT. Lynn is 9-4 with a 3.22 ERA in 18 career

appearances (15 starts) against the Reds.

Reds: Bronson Arroyo will be on the mound when the Reds try to take the four-game series with a third straight win at 7:10 p.m. ET

Wednesday. Arroyo provided a quality start his last time out vs. the Braves with two runs allowed over six innings in a no-decision

but is winless in his last five starts.

Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

Jenifer Langosch has covered the Cardinals for MLB.com since 2012, and previously covered the Pirates from 2007-11. Follow her

on Twitter, like her Facebook page and listen to her podcast.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on

Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast.

Sources: Reds to sign Cuban prospect Garcia

Contract for 19-year-old SS reported to contain signing bonus near $5 million

By Jesse Sanchez / MLB.com | 2:59 AM ET

The Reds are expected to add another highly touted Cuban player to their system this week.

The club and shortstop Jose Israel Garcia, 19, have agreed to a signing bonus expected to be near $5 million, according to sources.

The deal, which is pending a physical and has not been confirmed by the club, is expected to become official Thursday.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound Garcia is an intriguing prospect. A veteran of the Cuban junior leagues -- 16U and 18U -- Garcia also

played for Cuba at the 18U World Cup two years ago.

A plus runner with a plus arm and quick feet, the right-handed-hitter projects as an everyday shortstop. Garcia is athletic with line-

drive, gap-to-gap power, and he has the potential to hit home runs.

The signing will mark another bold move for the Reds on the international front. In accordance with the Collective Bargaining

Agreement that governs the 2016-17 signing period that expires June 15, each team was allotted a $700,000 base and a bonus pool

with four slot values based on the team's record in 2015 for the international signing period. Cincinnati's pool total was $5,163,400,

and the club passed that threshold and into the maximum penalty by signing Cuban shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez for $7 million in

July, and right-handed pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez for $4.75 million in September.

Including the Garcia signing, the Reds will have committed more than $17.5 million to 20 prospects during the current international

signing period, and will be subjected to an additional overage fee close to $12.5 million. The Reds, who will have $5.25 million to

spend when the next international signing period begins July 2, will not be allowed to sign a player for more than $300,000 for the

following two periods as part of the penalty.

The deal was first reported by Baseball America.

Jesse Sanchez, who has been writing for MLB.com since 2001, is a national reporter based in Phoenix. Follow him on Twitter

@JesseSanchezMLB and Facebook. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

DYK: Gennett has a slam and career night

By Chad Thornburg / MLB.com | 12:45 AM ET

Scooter Gennett was a one-man offense Tuesday, propelling the Reds to a 13-1 win over the Cardinals with a four-homer, 10-RBI

performance at Great American Ball Park.

In the best game of his career, the Reds' utility man singled in his first trip to the plate against the Cardinals, then homered in each

subsequent at-bat, including a grand slam in the third inning. He totaled 17 bases on the night.

Full Game Coverage

• Gennett 17th in MLB history with 4-HR game

Below is a look at some facts and figures from Gennett's historic game:

• Gennett's performance marked the 17th four-home run game in Major League history, and the first since Josh Hamilton did it on

May 8, 2012.

• Gennett is the first Reds player to collect four home runs in a single game, and he's also the first to do it at Great American Ball

Park. The last Reds batter to homer three times in a game was Joey Votto on June 9, 2015, in Cincinnati.

• Grand slams mean 40% off pizza

• Of the 17 players who've accomplished the feat, only Gennett and Mark Whiten did so while hitting a grand slam. Gennett's 10

RBIs are also second to Whiten's 12 among the players in the four-home run club. Whiten's 12 RBIs are tied for the MLB record for

any game with Jim Bottomley (Sept. 16, 1924).

• Gennett has just one other multihomer game in his five-year big league career. He hit two home runs against the Rangers on Aug.

13, 2013, during his rookie season with the Brewers. He's never had more than three extra-base hits in a game.

• Gennett entered Tuesday with just three home runs in 2017, all within the first two weeks of the season. He last homered on April

11.

• Gennett's home runs combined to total a Statcast-projected distance of 1,568 feet, the longest cumulative distance for a single

game in the Statcast™ era (2015-present). It bested Alex Rodriguez's previous record of 1,324 feet on July 25, 2015.

• Gennett's 38 career homers entering Tuesday tied Whiten for the fewest at the time of a four-homer game (among the 15 since

1901). Whiten went on to collect 105 throughout his 11-year career. Fourteen of the 17 players hit at least 100 throughout their

careers, while nine belted more than 300, including Willie Mays, whose 660 represent the highest total among the list. Only

Gennett, Bobby Lowe (71) and Pat Seerey (86) fall short of 100.

Gennett on four-homer game

Gennett on four-homer game

Scooter Gennett joins MLB Tonight to talk about his four-homer game against the Cardinals and if he's ever done anything like this

before

• Gennett's 17 total bases are tied with Gil Hodges and Mike Schmidt for the third most since at least 1913, trailing only Shawn

Green (19), Hamilton (18) and Joe Adcock's (18) four-homer games.

• Gennett bested his previous career highs for home runs (two), hits (four), RBIs (five), extra-base hits (three) and total bases

(eight). He's had four four-hit performances prior to Tuesday, all with the Brewers in 2015-16.

• Whiten also had his four-homer game in Cincinnati, but at Riverfront Stadium. The only ballpark in which the feat happened twice

was Brooklyn's Ebbets Field, where Hodges did it in 1950 and Adcock in '54. The only city in which it has happened three times is

Chicago, but at three different venues: Ed Delahanty did it at West Side Grounds in 1896, Schmidt at Wrigley Field in 1976, and

Mike Cameron at U.S. Cellular Field in 2002.

• The list of players who've homered four times in a game is as follows:

American League

Hamilton, Texas Rangers, May 8, 2012

Carlos Delgado, Toronto Blue Jays, Sept. 25, 2003

Mike Cameron, Seattle Mariners, May 2, 2002

Rocky Colavito, Cleveland Indians, June 10, 1959

Seerey, Chicago White Sox, July 18, 1948

Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, June 3, 1932

National League

Gennett, Cincinnati Reds, June 6, 2017

Green, Los Angeles Dodgers, May 23, 2002

Whiten, St. Louis Cardinals, Sept. 7, 1993

Bob Horner, Atlanta Braves, July 6, 1986

Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, April 17, 1976

Mays, San Francisco Giants, April 30, 1961

Adcock, Milwaukee Braves, July 31, 1954

Hodges, Brooklyn Dodgers, Aug. 31, 1950

Chuck Klein, Philadelphia Phillies, July 10, 1936

Ed Delahanty, Philadelphia Phillies, July 13, 1896

Lowe, Boston Beaneaters, May 30, 1894

Chad Thornburg is a reporter for MLB.com based in Los Angeles. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League

Baseball or its clubs.

Ranking top single-game offensive performances

By Joe Posnanski / MLB.com | @JPosnanski | 1:57 AM ET

There are countless ways, of course, to try and rank where Scooter Gennett's unthinkable five-hit, four-homer, 10-RBI game ranks

in the annals of baseball history. Begin with the scale of unlikelihood; in that way, it has to rank more or less at the top. Entering the

game, Gennett had three home runs all season. He's so vividly not a home-run hitter -- he's a scrappy middle infielder, as all men

named Scooter are.

Scooters do not hit four homers in a game.

But Gennett did so in the Reds' 13-1 win over the Cardinals on Tuesday, becoming the 17th player in baseball history to hit four

homers in a single game. He is, almost without question, the most improbable of the 17.

(The only player who is even close, I suppose, was the first to do it, a popular second baseman named Bobby Lowe. Lowe was a

very good player, but that was in 1894. Home runs were rare things then -- 18 homers were enough to lead the league. When Lowe

hit his fourth, the crowd was so overcome with shock and glee that it began throwing coins on the field in his honor. The money was

collected and totaled $160 -- about $4,000 with inflation).

But forget the wonderful "any player on any day" absurdity of this. Where does Gennett's game rank, simply, by the numbers? Well,

you can just go by total bases. Gennett became the sixth player since 1900 to have at least 17 total bases in a single game.

1. 19 TBs: Shawn Green on May 23, 2002

2. 18 TBs (tie): Josh Hamilton on May 8, 2012, and Joe Adcock on July 31, 1954

4. 17 TBs (tie): Gennett on June 6, 2017; Mike Schmidt on April 17, 1976; and Gil Hodges on Aug. 31, 1950

But here's something fun: There's a statistic that goes back to legendary sports statistician Pete Palmer called RE24 -- Run

Expectancy based on 24 base-out states. Yes, it can sound a bit daunting, but it's really pretty easy. There are 24 possible situations

for any hitter in any inning. These depend on how many players are on base and how many outs there are. For example, a hitter can

come up with no one on base and one out. He can come up with the bases loaded and two outs. He can come up with men on second

and third and no outs. And so on. There are 24 possible scenarios like these.

Each state has what you would call a run expectancy -- that is, how many runs you would expect to score. If there is nobody on and

two outs, how many runs would you expect the team to score? In that scenario, the run expectancy is minuscule -- less than a tenth

of a run. If the bases are loaded with nobody out, though, you would expect to score two runs or more. The run expectancy in that

scenario is around 2.3 runs.

By looking at the greatest single RE24 games, you will find the hitters that provided the most runs above the expectation. The top

seven RE24 games in baseball history are:

1. 9.5 RE24: Mark Whiten, 4-for-5, 4 HRs, 12 RBIs on Sept. 7, 1993

Hard hittin' Whiten was playing for the Cardinals and facing the Reds, a mirror image of Gennett's magical game on Tuesday.

Coincidentally, Whiten and Gennett are the only two players in baseball history to have a grand slam among their four homers in a

single game.

Whiten hit his slam in the first inning with two outs to give the Cards a 4-0 lead. He fouled out in the third, then hit a three-run

homer in the sixth. One inning later, he hit another three-run homer, and in the ninth -- with his team already up 13-2 -- smashed a

two-run homer. He created 9.5 more runs than the average player in a single game.

2. 9.4 RE24: Anthony Rendon, 6-for-6, 2B, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs on April 30, 2017

Funny, it seems like only yesterday that we were talking about this as the greatest offensive day in baseball history. Rendon began

with a two-run single, followed with a solo homer, then a three-run homer, a three-run double, a regular old single that didn't score

anybody and finally a solo shot to finish it off.

3. 9.3 RE24: Phil Weintraub, 4-for-5, 2 2Bs, 3B, HR, 11 RBIs on April 30, 1944

Weintraub was an aging veteran playing out the string as the war raged on; he lived a fascinating baseball life that was filled with a

lot of pain. But that's a story for another time. This was his magical day. He doubled in two in the first, walked with the bases

loaded in the second, tripled with the bases loaded in the third and doubled with the bases loaded in the fourth. Coming up with the

bases loaded in three consecutive innings is pretty impressive. He later hit a three-run homer. The only thing he did not do on this

day was hit for the cycle, falling a single short.

4. 9.1 RE24: Norm Zauchin, 4-for-5, 2B, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs on May 27, 1955

Zauchin was a 25-year-old rookie in 1955, and on his grand day he began with a two-run homer off Washington pitcher Bob

Porterfield. Next time up, he faced a different pitcher, Dean Stone. He hit a grand slam. Next time up, the pitcher was Ted

Abernathy. He hit an RBI double and followed an inning later with a three-run homer.

Zauchin came up once more with a chance to get his fourth homer, this time off pitcher Pedro Ramos. He struck out.

5. 8.6 RE24: Alex Rodriguez, 4-for-5, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs on April 26, 2005

A-Rod hit a three-run homer off Bartolo Colon in the first, a two-run homer off Colon in the third and a grand slam off Colon in the

fourth. In his career, Rodriguez hit .411 and slugged a nice even 1.000 against Colon with eight homers in 63 plate appearances.

6. 8.6 RE24: Fred Lynn, 5-for-6, 3B, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs on June 18, 1975

This was during Lynn's extraordinary 1975 season, when he won the Rookie of the Year Award and the MVP Award. He homered

in the first and second innings and tripled in the third inning. That's about as good a start as any player in baseball history. Lynn

later added a single and a three-run homer.

7. 8.3 RE24: Gennett, 5-for-5, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs on June 6, 2017

A little more than a month after Rendon's amazing game, Gennett put up his own historic performance. How rare a game was it?

Only Whiten had ever managed at least 10 RBIs in a four-homer game. Only Green, Hamilton, Adcock and Carlos Delgado had

ever managed to hit four home runs in a game and not make an out.

Gennett began with a run-scoring single. His grand slam in the third was made possible by a bizarre decision from Cardinals

manager Mike Matheny, who decided to challenge the fact that his own outfielder had caught the ball (a Reds player had tagged up

and scored, Matheny challenged and won, taking the out off the board and leading to the slam).

Gennett hit his second homer in the fourth, a two-run shot. He hit his third homer in the sixth, a solo blast. He finished it off with a

two-run home run in the eighth. You can argue things a lot of different ways. But when you add up actual offensive damage, the

situation of each hit and the sheer improbability of it all, yeah, I think you could call Gennett's day the greatest in baseball history.

Joe Posnanski is an executive columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its

clubs.

Arroyo, Reds face familiar foe in Cards

By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com | @LangoschMLB | June 6th, 2017

The first of three season series between the Cardinals and Reds at Great American Ball Park will continue on Wednesday when two

familiar foes, Lance Lynn and Bronson Arroyo, take the mound.

It will be Lynn's 19th career appearance against Cincinnati and the 42nd versus the Cardinals for Arroyo, who has already faced

them twice this season. He combined to allow 10 earned runs in eight innings over those two April outings. Arroyo, who has

allowed a Major League-most 19 home runs this season, has a career 8-18 record and a 4.91 ERA against St. Louis.

Full Game Coverage

Lynn, who will be trying to halt the Cardinals' five-game losing streak, enters the start ranking second among all National League

pitchers with an opponents' batting average of .192. However, he is also winless over his past five starts. During that stretch, Lynn

has allowed 13 earned runs on 18 hits and 12 walks. He's pitched past the sixth just once.

The lineups facing the two right-handers are expected to have a different look than they did on Tuesday. Adam Duvall, who was

given a breather in the second game of the four-game series, will be back in the lineup. Scott Schebler could return as well. He hit

three home runs against the Cardinals in April, but he hasn't played since suffering a left shoulder strain on Saturday.

For the Cardinals, Aledmys Diaz is likely to be back at shortstop after being given the day off. Diaz had started 32 of the team's

previous 33 games. He is 4-for-13 on this road trip.

Three things to know about this game

• Reds shortstop Zack Cozart will enter Wednesday having reached base safely in 28 consecutive games, the longest on-base streak

in MLB this season. Cozart has recorded 41 hits and scored 24 runs during the streak.

• There's no active pitcher that Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina has faced more often than Arroyo. In 61 plate appearances against

the right-hander, Molina has 12 hits -- including four doubles -- and no walks.

• Arroyo has recorded 31 of his 36 strikeouts this season on offspeed pitches, giving his third strikes an average velocity of 76.2

mph. Among all pitchers with at least 25 strikeouts this season, that's the second-lowest average, ahead of only Mets reliever Jerry

Blevins (73.6 mph). Lynn, in comparison, averages 91.4 mph on his strikeouts.

Jenifer Langosch has covered the Cardinals for MLB.com since 2012, and previously covered the Pirates from 2007-11. This story

was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Reds in awe of Gennett's historic power display

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | 12:45 AM ET

CINCINNATI -- Scooter Gennett was soaked from head to toe after Reds teammates Bronson Arroyo and Amir Garrett dumped

two coolers of liquid on him. It was just one way the utility player was recognized after an historic four-home-run game that helped

defeat the Cardinals, 13-1.

Another came later, out of the public eye. Gennett was asked to give up that same wet uniform -- along with his bat and spikes -- for

authentication. The items will be divided up among the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds Hall of Fame and Gennett -- who

went 5-for-5, and became the first player in team history to hit four homers in a game. He also became the second to collect 10

RBIs.

"Mike Cameron hit four home runs [on May 2] when I was with Seattle in 2002 in Chicago at Comiskey Park," said Reds manager

Bryan Price, who was the Mariners' pitching coach then. "It was another one of those nights. You didn't think he'd hit four in one

game. Three in one game is special. Certainly, those two are sitting neck-and-neck as by far and away the best offensive

performances I've ever seen."

On Tuesday, the crowd of 18,620 was quick to its feet in celebration in the eighth inning after Gennett slugged Cardinals reliever

John Brebbia's 0-2 pitch into the right-field seats for his fourth homer of the game. Having already given him a curtain call in the

sixth following his third homer -- against John Gant -- the crowd summoned Gennett for a second one in appreciation of the rare

feat that has been done only 17 times in Major League history.

Not only were fans pulling for Gennett, the Reds also appreciated what they were witnessing.

"It was incredible; absolutely incredible. Speechless, really," catcher Tucker Barnhart said. "Scooter works extremely hard, and has

been through a lot. A new organization at the end of Spring Training, and was asked to come off of the bench in a multitude of roles

that he hasn't really done in the big leagues during his career. But he comes to work every day, and keeps the clubhouse light. He's a

pleasure to play with.

"Everybody in the dugout was obviously hopeful that he would hit a homer. We didn't know what would happen. Then he got to

two strikes and it was, 'Here we go. Is he going to punch out or is he going to homer?' Sure enough, he hit a homer."

Gennett, who snapped an 0-for-19 funk with a game-winning, two-run double in Monday's 4-2 contest, enjoyed that support in the

dugout. He did not join the Reds until he was claimed off waivers from the Brewers on March 28, one game before the end of

Spring Training.

"My teammates were awesome the whole time, letting me know what I needed to do, how many home runs I had each point," said

Gennett, who was filling in Cincinnati's lineup for regular left fielder Adam Duvall.

Price was waiting for Gennett in the dugout when he finished rounding the bases following his final homer.

"I gave him a hug and said, 'You're unreal.' There was not really a whole lot any of us could say, other than just kind of look at

him," Price said.

Reds pitcher Tim Adleman may have been the biggest beneficiary of Gennett's night, while having the most overlooked

performance. Adleman pitched seven strong innings, with one run and three hits allowed.

Working with a big lead certainly made Adleman's job easier.

"It's always nice when Scooter Gennett is on your team, you know what I mean?" Adleman said.

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on

Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball

or its clubs.

Romano fans 8 for Louisville

By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com | 1:28 AM ET

Drew Robinson didn't hit his first home run this season until May 23, while playing in his 36th game for Triple-A Round Rock.

Since then, however, opposing pitchers have had trouble keeping him in the park.

The Rangers' No. 23 prospect hit a pair of solo shots on Tuesday night, including his second leadoff homer in as many days. He also

hit a double and scored three runs before finishing 3-for-5, though it wasn't enough to prevent the Express from falling to Colorado

Springs, 12-8.

With the multihomer performance, Robinson has now hit all six of his home runs during his last nine games. The 25-year-old utility

man has hit .405, with 12 extra-base hits (of his 15 hits) and 13 RBIs, in that stretch to lift his overall slash line from .243/.368/.346

to .277/.384/.509.

A fourth-round Draft pick in 2010, Robinson posted back-to-back 20-homer seasons (2015-16) en route to cracking the Rangers'

Opening Day roster this year -- the first of his two stints in the Majors this season. He made his big league debut on April 5, going

0-for-2 as the Rangers' designated hitter.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Tuesday

• No. 16 overall prospect Willy Adames (Rays' No. 1) extended his hitting streak to seven games and his RBI streak to five games

as he connected on his second home run in four games for Triple-A Durham. It was the fourth homer in 52 games for the 21-year-

old shortstop, who's batting .385 with nine RBIs and five walks during his current hitting streak.

• No. 31 overall prospect Tyler O'Neill (Mariners' No. 2) belted his fourth career grand slam to cap a seven-run third inning for

Triple-A Tacoma. The homer, O'Neill's sixth of the year, was the only hit collected by the 21-year-old outfielder in five at-bats,

though he does have knocks in four straight for the Rainiers.

• No. 89 overall prospect Matt Chapman (A's No. 4) homered for the third time in four games for Triple-A Nashville, giving him 14

homers in 42 games this season. Chapman also owns a five-game hitting streak, during which he's tallied six RBIs and five runs

scored. The 24-year-old third baseman is hitting .255/.355/.595 overall.

• Orioles No. 7 prospect Austin Hays hit a two-run homer before finishing 3-for-5 out of the leadoff spot in Class A Advanced

Frederick's win against Potomac. The homer was the 11th of the season for the 21-year-old outfielder, and he's now hitting

.321/.356/.555 on the season through 53 games.

• Brewers No. 7 prospect Lucas Erceg went a combined 3-for-6 with four RBIs to pace Class A Advanced Carolina in a

doubleheader sweep of Winston-Salem. After finishing 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the opener, Erceg staked the Mudcats to

an early lead in the nightcap with a three-run homer, his sixth, in the first inning. The 22-year-old third baseman has swung a hot bat

over his last three games, going 7-for-11 with seven RBIs.

• D-backs No. 28 prospect Ildemaro Vargas recorded a career-best five RBIs with his second consecutive 4-for-5 game for Triple-A

Reno. He pushed across four runs with a second-inning grand slam off of Mariners ace Felix Hernandez and later added a run-

scoring single before finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The 25-year-old middle infielder is having a strong season in the Pacific

Coast League, with a .322/.354/.473 batting line, 79 hits and 51 runs scored in 56 games.

• Marlins No. 16 prospect Jeff Brigham allowed one earned run on two hits in 6 2/3 innings in his second start of the season for

Class A Advanced Jupiter. He struck out five and walked one, throwing 57 of his 75 pitches for strikes in the outing.

• Pirates No. 30 prospect Jordan Luplow went deep for a third consecutive game as he helped lead Double-A Altoona past

Harrisburg, 4-3. The solo shot in the seventh inning pushed the 23-year-old outfielder's season total to 14 home runs, a new career-

high.

• Reds No. 8 prospect Sal Romano struck out a season-high eight batters over five scoreless innings for Triple-A Louisville in his

first start back from the disabled list. The 23-year-old righty threw 56 of his 82 pitches for strikes, as he allowed five hits, walked

two and generated five ground-ball outs. He'd been on the disabled list since April 27 with right shoulder inflammation.

• White Sox No. 11 prospect Dane Dunning was a tough-luck loser despite a dominant outing for Class A Advanced Winston-

Salem. Starting game two of a double dip against Carolina, the 22-year-old righty recorded 11 of his 15 outs via the strikeout over

five innings, within which he allowed four unearned runs on four hits. It was his best performance in six starts since being promoted

to the Carolina League.

• White Sox No. 19 prospect Bernardo Flores scattered five hits over six scoreless frames and recorded a season-high seven

strikeouts in a no-decision for Class A Kannapolis against Lakewood. The 21-year-old lefty has pitched well across his last three

starts, posting a 1.06 ERA with a 16-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 17 innings. Kannapolis ultimately won the contest in 16 innings,

2-1.

Mike Rosenbaum is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @GoldenSombrero. This story was not subject to the

approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Despite the best efforts of the Cardinals infield, this Billy Hamilton grounder refused to roll foul

By Chris Landers

Billy Hamilton is so fast that even the most innocuous balls in play are just base hits waiting to happen. He's even started to

incorporate bunting into his game, as if he doesn't terrify defenses enough already.

But for the times when going home-to-home in less than 14 seconds isn't enough of a cheat code, Hamilton also has the ability to

control baseballs with his mind. Exhibit A: Tuesday night's game against the Cardinals.

Join us next time, when Hamilton will presumably have dispensed with making contact entirely and moved on to just stealing all

four bases somehow. (Hey, don't put it past him.)

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Reds activate Cingrani, option Bonilla

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | June 6th, 2017

CINCINNATI -- The Reds have a second left-hander back in their bullpen with the activation of reliever Tony Cingrani from the

10-day disabled list on Tuesday. To make room for Cingrani on the roster, right-handed long reliever Lisalverto Bonilla was

optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Cingrani has been on the DL with a right oblique strain since April 21 and pitched in three rehab assignment games for Louisville or

Class A Dayton with no runs, no hits and three walks allowed and one strikeout.

Full Game Coverage

Since he's been out, the lefty late-inning high leverage role has been assumed by Wandy Peralta mostly successfully. Where does

that leave Cingrani?

"He comes in and he pitches and we establish he's back to being sharp, that's the responsible thing to do," Reds manager Bryan Price

said. "This wasn't a 10-day or two-week injury rehab. This was several, several weeks. To be fair to Tony and to our ballclub, we'll

get him in. That's not to say we're going to give him a soft landing, he's too experienced for that. I'm not going to immediately put

him in and say you have to get the biggest outs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. I try to get him in there in less stressful

situations."

Bonilla earned a win with a perfect seventh inning of relief Monday during the Reds' 4-2 victory over the Cardinals. He was 1-3

with a 7.43 ERA in six games, including four starts.

During the win on Monday, Reds center fielder and speedster Billy Hamilton set up the winning four-run rally in the seventh with a

leadoff bunt single. Hamilton bounced the pitch from Carlos Martinez in front of the plate and easily reached first when the pitcher

couldn't field the ball.

"It wasn't as perfect as I wanted it," Hamilton said on Tuesday. "You want to get a ball down the third-base or first-base line. I kind

of bunted it right back to the pitcher. If I didn't get a high bounce, it's more likely an out."

Hamilton's bunt to start the 7th

Hamilton's bunt to start the 7th

Billy Hamilton starts the bottom of the 7th with an infield single as he lays down a terrific bunt and easily reaches first

It was Hamilton's fourth bunt single this season and his second in the past couple of weeks. He likes having the extra weapon at his

disposal when at the plate.

"For me to really focus on it and want to do it, it helps me out a lot," Hamilton said. "In the past, I've really focused on trying to hit

baseballs first and come back to bunting a bit more. But the last couple of weeks, I've been seeing I can get a few bunt hits, and it

can take the pressure off of me hitting somewhat."

Mark Sheldon has covered the Reds for MLB.com since 2006, and previously covered the Twins from 2001-05. Follow him on

Twitter @m_sheldon and Facebook and listen to his podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball

or its clubs.

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Scooter Gennett becomes 17th MLB, 1st Reds player to hit 4 home runs

C. Trent Rosecrans , crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 12:35 a.m. ET June 7, 2017 | Updated 4 hours ago

Scooter Gennett wasn’t supposed to be in Tuesday’s Reds lineup.

A brief rain storm on Monday caused the Reds’ batting practice to be cancelled, meaning Scott Schebler couldn’t test his left

shoulder that caused him to leave Saturday’s game.

Reds manager Bryan Price had already planned on giving Adam Duvall the day off in left field and starting Patrick Kivlehan. Price

wanted Schebler to have a full workout under his belt, so instead of putting Duvall back in the lineup, he decided to give Gennett the

start in left field.

So on a day that he wasn’t even supposed to start, Ryan Joseph “Scooter” Gennett became the first Cincinnati Red and 17th Major

League Baseball player to hit four home runs in a game.

He also became the first player in Major League history to have four home runs, five hits and 10 RBI, as the Reds cruised to a 13-1

victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Cincinnati Reds recap: Scooter Gennett has record-setting night against St. Louis Cardinals

Nobody expects to hit four home runs in a game, but Gennett didn’t even come to the ballpark knowing he’d be in the lineup.

“I’m glad I was, though,” Gennett joked afterwards.

He’s not alone.

“When you’ve got Scooter on your team, everything’s easy,” Reds starter Tim Adleman joked after he went seven innings allowing

just one run on three hits to earn his fourth win, and he was pretty much an afterthought as reporters waited for Gennett to finish

stripping down to his underwear so that every single thing he wore – aside from his underwear – could be authenticated by Major

League Baseball officials.

By the time Gennett spoke to reporters, he still didn’t have the words to describe his historic night.

“That’s something I never thought I would do,” Gennett said. “Even three home runs would be too crazy for me.”

It wasn’t but a day earlier that four hits, much less four homers, sounded far-fetched. Gennett was 0-for-his-last-19 heading into the

seventh inning of Monday’s game against the Cardinals when he hit a two-run double that end up being the difference in the team’s

4-2 Reds victory.

In his first at-bat on Tuesday, Gennett blooped a single to left to score Billy Hamilton from first with two outs in the first to put the

Reds in front of Adam Wainwright and the Cardinals. It was just his sixth hit in 25 at-bats against Wainwright in his career.

Gennett came to the plate in the third with bases loaded only because Cardinals manager Mike Matheny decided to give back an out

and take a run off the board. With one out in the inning and runners on first and third, Eugenio Suarez hit a sacrifice fly to right

field. The replay clearly showed the ball hit the wall before Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty caught it. Instead of falling

behind 2-0 and having two outs, Matheny challenged it, putting Zack Cozart back and third and Suarez back at the plate. Suarez

ended up walking to load the bases. Gennett still would have come up in that situation, but with two on and and two outs.

Although he’d never homered against Wainwright, Gennett hammered a 92-mph fastball 404 feet to right-center for his second

career grand slam, putting the Reds up 5-0.

An inning Later, Suarez hit a two-out bases-clearing triple, chasing Wainwright from the game. Gennett once again went to a full

count, this time against right-hander John Gant, and again he got a fastball. This one he sent to center field to make it 10-0.

Gennett faced Gant again in the sixth, this time hitting a 3-1 pitch down the left-field line for his third homer of the game, doubling

his season total, and drawing a curtain call from the 18,620 fans at Great American Ball Park.

At this point, with the Reds leading 11-0, all that was left to do was the math, to see if and when Gennett could get to the plate

again.

The Reds would need just one batter to reach for Gennett to get a chance at history. But the next two batters in the sixth went in

order. The Reds then went three-up, three-down in the seventh.

Arismendy Alcantara, who had come in to replace Zack Cozart earlier in the game, grounded out to start the eighth.

But then Schebler, who entered in the seventh in right field and in Joey Votto’s spot, came up. Schebler, whose absence allowed

Gennett to start, then worked a walk, allowing Gennett to get another at-bat (as long as Suarez didn’t hit into a double play, which

he didn’t).

“I didn’t even think about it, because I didn’t know exactly where he was in the order,” he said. “I was watching the game, but I

wasn’t really instinctually seeing the lineup and all that. I guess that may have helped me that I didn’t put pressure on myself.”

Gennett watched the first pitch go by for a strike. He swung at the second one and went down to a knee as he missed. He said he

didn’t really swing that hard, it just looked worse because his hand got stuck in his batting glove and his top hand flew off the bat.

The third was a 93-mph fastball from John Brebbia. He didn’t miss.

“Just by the noise of the barrel,” Brebbia told reporters afterward, “I thought what that sounds like, sounds like I’m not going to use

that ball again.”

Gennett said he just laughed as he rounded the bases. He, like everyone else, couldn’t believe that of all the players that have played

for baseball’s first professional team, from Frank Robinson to Johnny Bench to Tony Perez to George Foster to Ken Griffey Jr. and

Adam Dunn, not to mention Schebler, Duvall and Votto, that it was Scooter Gennett, born in Cincinnati, that became the first ever

Red to hit four home runs in one game.

“It really is (special), especially when you think of a guy like me, not a huge guy,” said the 5-foot-10 Gennett, who was claimed off

of waivers by the Reds in the waning days of spring training. “That’s baseball. It’s not how big or strong you are, it’s how efficient

and sometimes lucky.”

Reds close to deal with Cuban infielder Jose Garcia

Cincinnati Enquirer 1:07 a.m. ET June 7, 2017

The Reds are close to an agreement with 19-year-old Cuban infielder Jose Garcia, The Enquirer confirmed.

Garcia has yet to be declared eligible to sign, but is expected to be cleared before the end of the International Signing Period on June

15. Baseball America’s Ben Badler, who first reported the agreement, reports the Reds will pay Garcia around $5 million and then

will pay a 100 percent overage tax because the team has exceeded its spending limits.

Garcia is 6-foot-3, 170 pounds and been described by some scouts as “Manny Machado-type with less power,” according to

FanRagSports.com's Jon Heyman. Garcia has played second base, third base, shortstop and center field.

According to a source, he has shown plus running and throwing tools, as well as instincts.

In 2015, Garcia was one of the top players at the 18U World Cup in Japan, along with celebrated White Sox signee Luis Robert and

Canadian Josh Naylor, now in the Padres’ organization. In that tournament, he hit .382/.417/.500 in 36 plate appearances.

Another source said some teams saw him as a first-round talent if he were in the upcoming MLB draft.

The Reds blew past their international signing, signing shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez and right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez out of

Cuba in the period that began July 2. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the Reds will not be able to sign international

amateur players for more than $300,000 in either of the next two signing periods.

Cincinnati Reds recap: Scooter Gennett has record-setting night against St. Louis Cardinals

C. Trent Rosecrans , crosecrans@enquirer.com Published 10:03 p.m. ET June 6, 2017 | Updated 12 hours ago

Scooter Gennett became the first player in Reds history to hit four home runs in a game and just the 17th in the history of Major

League Baseball in Tuesday’s 13-1 victory over the Cardinals.

Box score: Reds 13, Cardinals 1

Here are the main storylines from Tuesday night’s game:

• Scooter’s big night: Gennett’s night started modestly with an RBI single in the first inning, before getting much, much more

interesting later on.

Gennett hit his second career grand slam in the third inning to give the Reds’ a 5-0 lead.

An inning later, he came up with one on and the Reds up 8-0 and hit a two-run home run.

Then in the sixth, Gennett hit a solo home run, giving him three homers and eight RBI.

Gennett was due up fourth in the eighth inning, so he needed at least one runner to get on base for him to have a shot against

Cardinals reliever John Brebbia to become the first Reds player to ever hit four home runs in a game.

Scott Schebler, who entered the game in the seventh, walked with one out and Gennett got his chance after Eugenio Suarez struck

out.

Gennett watched strike one before taking a huge cut at strike two. Brebbia tried to throw a fastball by Gennett for a strikeout, but

couldn’t. Gennett lined it 377 feet into the stands in right for his fourth home run of the game.

Play Video

Scooter Gennett knocked in two runs via a ninth-inning homer April 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Enquirer/Patrick

Brennan

• Adleman overshadowed: Without Gennett’s fireworks, the story of the game would have been Tim Adleman, who quietly

dominated the Cardinals, allowing just one run on three hits over seven innings. He walked two and struck out two. The only run

Adleman allowed came on Stephen Piscotty’s solo homer in the seventh that cut the Reds’ lead to 11-1.

• Decisions, decisions: Cardinals manager Mike Matheny made what, at the time, seemed to be the biggest decision of the game in

the third inning, when he took an out and a a Reds run off the scoreboard in the third inning.

With one out and runners on the corners, Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez hit what appeared to be a sacrifice fly to right field,

scoring Zack Cozart easily and giving the Reds two outs in the inning.

Instead, Matheny challenged the call on the field when replays clearly showed the ball hit the wall in right field before Piscotty

caught it.

Matheny knew he had a sure-fire win, but the question became, what was more valuable — the run or the out?

Matheny seemed to trust his starter, Adam Wainwright, more than his offense to overcome a two-run deficit.

Wainwright followed by walking Suarez and giving up a grand slam to Gennett, giving the Reds a 5-0 lead.

Another decision backfired on Matheny in the fourth when he decided to intentionally walk Joey Votto with two outs and runners

on second and third. Eugenio Suarez tripled, clearing the bases and giving the Reds a 8-0 lead.

WCPO - CHANNEL 9 Fay: Behind Gennett's 'surreal' feat, a humble attitude and commitment to the team

John Fay

11:38 PM, Jun 6, 2017

3 hours ago

CINCINNATI -- Scooter Gennett's historic night was brought to you -- at least partially -- by Brandon Phillips.

If the Reds hadn't traded the old No. 4, Phillips, they almost certainly would not have picked up the new No. 4, Gennett.

What Gennett did Tuesday night was ridiculous: Four home runs, a single and 10 RBI. He's the first Red and the 17th player in

history to hit four home runs in a game.

"It's surreal, man," he said. "I'm truly blessed. To be from here, to be born here, watching all those guys play when I was little. To

do something that's never been done. I can't put words on it. It's an honor for sure."

Tuesday was a once-a-generation game, but what Gennett does on an everyday basis is fill a very important role that Phillips would

have never accepted: Utility man.

"It comes down to the right attitude," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "This is a guy who is used to playing more than he's playing

here. And he's accepted the role and he's thrived in it."

Gennett started in left field Tuesday night. It was Gennett's third start in left. He's made nine at second base, four at third base and

three in right field.

If Phillips had stayed, he would have shared second with Jose Peraza, forcing the Reds to figure how to get Peraza enough playing

time to continue his development.

Gennett's bat has been invaluable as well. He filled in for the injured Scott Schebler on Monday and gave Adam Duvall a day off

Tuesday. Both days, Gennett's bat basically won the game. Overall, Gennett is hitting .302 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in

116 at-bats.

Gennett is also content with his role.

"It was an adjustment for sure," he said. "But Bryan's given me the opportunity to play multiple positions and play against lefties.

That's huge for a guy that's on the bench to get consistent at-bats. I thank him for that."

Phillips would not have been content. He sees himself as an everyday player. The Reds accommodated him by trading him to his

hometown Braves so he could play every day.

Instead of being grateful, Phillips ripped the Reds and called giving his number to Gennett "a slap in the face."

Gennett thinks he's an everyday player, too. He played every day for the Milwaukee Brewers before they placed him on waivers,

opening the way for the Reds to pick him up six days before Opening Day.

But, again, he gladly accepted the role the Reds offered.

"Nobody would say this guy is a utility player," Price said. "However, for our team, he fills a void we needed to fill. He's doing a

sensational job of it. How many teams have a guy they can just put in the line and they hit four homers.

"Apparently, it's just the Reds."

Price laughed when he said that.

That's what Gennett did, too, when he got to first after his fourth home run.

"I kind of laughed," Gennett said. "It's crazy. It's amazing. It's a little short of a miracle. Baseball's an amazing game. From 0-for-19

to four home runs in a game."

Gennett was, indeed, on an 0-for-19 coming into his last at-bat Monday. Since then, he's 6-for-6 with with four home runs and 12

RBI.

"It's crazy, especially when you think of a guy like me -- not a huge guy," said Gennett, who is listed as 5-10, 185. "That's baseball.

It's not how big and strong you are, it's how efficient you are. And sometimes lucky."

The Reds would tell you they're lucky to have Gennett.

John Fay is a freelance sports columnist; this column represents his opinion. Contact him at johnfayman@aol.com.

Fay: Billy Hamilton brings unquantifiable benefits to the Reds

John Fay

7:28 PM, Jun 6, 2017

CINCINNATI — In the Sabermetric/Statcast world that baseball has become, everything is measured.

You’ve got exit velocity.

You’ve got launch angle.

You’ve got catch probability.

And, of course, you’ve the acronym soup of stats: OPS, BABIP and WAR.

But it seems to me nothing quite measures accurately the impact Billy Hamilton has a game.

If you go by OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage), Hamilton is terrible. His OPS was .628, fifth worst in the National

League going into Tuesday. His average was at .252. His on-base was .304.

But he can change a game like few others because of his speed.

Take Monday night. St. Louis right-hander Carlos Martinez was working on a one-hit shutout. He had faced the minimum 18 batters

going into the seventh.

Then Hamilton reached on a bunt single.

“Going into the at-bat, I knew I was going to bunt,” Hamilton said. “That’s what’s been getting me in the past. I didn’t know if I

wanted to hit this pitch or bunt this pitch. You have to go into that pitch knowing you’re going to bunt.

“If you go in, ‘I want to bunt. No, I want to hit.’ The next thing you know is you’re late on pitches. You’re popping the ball because

you’re late.”

Once Hamilton gets on, he changes the game.

“We talk about the types of pitches guys get to hit when guys are rushing the ball to the plate,” Reds manager Bryan Price said.

“Maybe throwing more fastballs to give the catcher a chance to throw Billy out.

“He’s a huge distraction. That may be more important than the stolen base impact.”

Martinez certainly was a different pitcher once Hamilton got on. Martinez fell behind Zack Cozart 3-1 before allowing a single.

Joey Votto walked. An out later, Eugenio Suarez doubled and Martinez was done. The Reds went on to win 4-2.

My guess is Hamilton’s bunt single was more than the first domino, i.e, if he doesn’t reach, Martinez doesn’t give it up.

Again, it’s impossible to quantify it, but Hamilton being on base impacts the game in a dozen little ways.

“No one advances more bases than Billy Hamilton,” Price said. “I’m not talking about an overall number. I’m talking the amount of

times he’s on base and he’s able to go from first to third where very few could, advancing on a short wild pitch or a bunt or a slow

ground ball that might otherwise be an out.

“I think the other thing for Billy is what he does for the guys hitting behind when he’s on the base. If you have runners at first and

third and choose to run, it’s very unlikely that catcher is going to throw through simple because of the probability of Billy being able

to steal home plate. It’s hard to play the infield in with Billy on third because with hard contact, it’s going to be a rarity that you’re

going to be able to get him unless the ball is hit right to a position player.”

Hamilton’s scored from second on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. He won a game by scoring from first on a single. The thing you

see when you watch Hamilton play a lot is not only is he fast — by most measures the fastest runner in baseball — he trusts his

speed and takes chances.

The play he scored from first on a single? A lot of runners could have made it — there wasn’t even a throw home — but Hamilton

is probably the only runner who would have tried it.

Hamilton has also been very good this year at getting the Reds started well. He entered Tuesday hitting .333 with .412 on-base in

the first inning. And when he’s gotten on, he’s gotten in more times than not. He’s reached base 21 times in the first and scored 15

runs.

Hamilton entered Tuesday 10th in the NL in runs with 38.

Of course, with Hamilton, everybody always wants more and everyone thinks Hamilton can elevate his game with bunting.

He’s attempted bunts for a hit 100 times in his career. He’s been successful 38 times. That’s in line with Juan Pierre, one the great

recent bunters. Pierre had a .388 average on bunts. The difference is it was a major focus of his game.

“I didn’t focus on it a lot. I focused on hitting baseball first,” he said. “I’ve come back to the bunt a little more. The past few weeks

I’ve gotten a few more bunt hits. It can take the pressure off me hitting.”

Hamilton seems to have found his bunting stroke. He didn’t have a bunt hit until May 20. He’s had three more since.

Hamilton is not bunting because of Reds’ edict.

“The part for me is he has a lot of elements to his game offensively to focus on,” Price said. “We saw the evolution of base-stealing

at this level after 2014, the decrease in the balls in the air, the hard contact. There’s a lot to cover with young players, especially

young players who being challenged by Major League pitching.

“(Bunting) was emphasized. But not overemphasized. We wanted to focus on him getting comfortable from both sides of the plate

and get efficient, especially with strike zone command, which greatly improved.”

John Fay is a freelance sports columnist; this column represents his opinion. Contact him at johnfayman@aol.com.

DAYTON DAILY NEWS

Gennett on 4-homer feat: ‘Crazy … a little short of a miracle’

Mark Schmetzer Contributing Writer

11:10 p.m Tuesday, June 6, 2017 Sports

CINCINNATI

Scooter Gennett broke out of his slump Monday. He followed up Tuesday by accomplishing something previously done by, well,

nobody in Cincinnati Reds franchise history — not Johnny Bench or Tony Perez or Ted Kluszewski or Frank Robinson or Eric

Davis or Adam Dunn or Ken Griffey Jr.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound left-handed batter became the first player in franchise history and 17th player in major-league history to

hit four home runs in one game as the Reds pounded the St. Louis Cardinals, 13-1. He also drove in 10 runs, tying the club record

set by Walker Cooper on July 6, 1949, against the Chicago Cubs.

“I was kind of laughing, to be honest with you,” the Lebanon native said about his reaction to watching homer No. 4 sail over the

right field wall. “For a guy like me to do that is crazy — a little short of a miracle.

“It’s surreal. I’m truly blessed. Being from here and born here and watching (the Reds) play when I was little — I can’t put it into

words.”

Manager Bryan Price was similarly at a loss.

“It’s amazing, especially since he’s not an everyday player for us,” Price said. “He’s got power, but four homers in onegame? I

don’t know what to tell you. It’s very emotional. It was an honor to witness that.”

Going into his last at-bat Monday, the utility player claimed off waivers from Milwaukee on March 28 was hitless in 19 at-bats, the

second-longest stretch of his career.

By the end of eight innings Tuesday, Gennett had six hits and 12 RBIs over his last six at-bats. His seventh-inning, two-run double

snapped a 2-2 tie in the Reds’ 4-2 win over St. Louis on Monday, and on Tuesday, he added an RBI single in the first inning, his

second career grand-slam in the third, a two-run homer in the fourth, a solo shot in the sixth and a two-run shot in the eighth.

That’s four home runs in four straight at-bats.

“It feels pretty cool,” Gennett said. “It’s something I never thought I’d do. Even three home runs is crazy. I made a few adjustments

trying to relax and swing at better pitches.”

Shortstop Zack Cozart went 2-for-3 with a walk to extend to 28 his streak of consecutive games reaching base at least once as the

Reds matched their widest winning margin of the season. The streak is the longest of his career and the longest active streak in the

major leagues.

The beneficiary of the Gennett eruption was right-hander Tim Adleman, who extended his recent surge by allowing three hits and

one run with two walks while tying his career high with seven strikeouts in seven innings. Adleman (4-2) improved to 2-0 with 1.71

earned-run average over his last three starts.

Cincinnati Reds' Scooter Gennett, center, is lifted up by Eugenio Suarez as he celebrates in the dugout during the eighth inning of a

baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Tuesday, June 6, 2017, in Cincinnati. The Reds won 13-1. AP Photo/John Minchillo

“It’s always nice to have Scooter Gennett on your team,” Adleman said. “It’s funny. A buddy just texted me and said Scooter just

hit more home runs than he had in his entire minor league career.”

St. Louis starting pitcher Adam Wainwright had allowed one run in 26 1/3 innings over his last four starts and lugged an active

scoreless-inning streak of 16 1/3 into Tuesday’s appearance, but the Reds wasted no time snapping it. Billy Hamilton, who used a

bunt single to start Monday’s seventh-inning, four-run rally, led off the first inning with a swinging bunt that hugged the first base

line and came to rest squarely on the chalk about seven feet short of the bag.

Two outs later, Wainwright (6-4) grazed Eugenio Suarez with a pitch and Gennett, who started in left field as Adam Duvall got a

day off, singled to left field for a 1-0 Cincinnati lead.

The Reds caught a break on a video review that temporarily cost them a run in the third. Cozart was on third and Joey Votto on first

with one out when Suarez hit a fly ball down the right field line that Stephen Piscotty originally was ruled to have caught for a

sacrifice fly. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny asked for a review, which showed the ball grazed the wall first, wiping out the run.

Suarez walked to load the bases, settting up Gennett’s fourth homer of the season and second career grand-slam.

The Reds knocked Wainwright out in the fourth with a two-out rally that started with Hamilton’s infield second to second. He went

to third on Cozart’s double and, after Votto was intentionally walked, Suarez cleared the bases with a line drive triple to left-center

field that eluded center fielder Dexter Fowler’s attempt at a diving catch.

Wainwright left having tied his single-game career high for earned runs allowed with nine, and Gennett greeted reliever John Gant

with a two-run homer to deep right-center field.

Gennett added an opposite-field solo homer in the sixth, prompting a curtain call from the giddy crowd of 18,620.

Sports Today: Scooter Gennett’s 4 HRs part of memorable season building in Cincinnati

Marcus Hartman

10:07 a.m. Wednesday, June 7, 2017 Sports

So much for this being another forgettable season on the riverfront in Cincinnati.

The Reds are not only hanging around within striking distance in the National League Central, they are putting together a comeback

year to remember with some amazing flair.

Topping Scooter Gennett’s unbelievable four-home run game against the Cardinals last night is going to be nearly impossible, but it

fits in with the type of year the Reds are having.

Just in the past week they have come off the mat twice when trailing late and won games in which they looked like they were going

to be shut out.

Billy Hamilton ran the Reds to an improbable victory in Cleveland last month, and the speedy center fielder has a walk-off hit

against the Pirates under his belt this season.

Of course, Hamilton’s ability to wreak havoc on the base paths adds at least a little (and usually more) juice every night. It

complements quite well the power bats of Joey Votto, Adam Duval and Scott Schebler.

Oh yeah, and advanced stats say Zack Cozart has been the best player (not just shortstop) in the National League so far.

The rotation has been a disaster, but they’ve got a reliable bullpen again, including another Cuban closer who does the job with

some pizzazz.

I’m not printing up postseason tickets any time soon, but this is the type of team I was hoping the Reds could be last year with some

new faces in the lineup. It is a sight for sore eyes after even the last team that made the postseason was fairly listless and unexciting.

It could all fall apart tomorrow (although there’s no indication anyone is going to pick up and run away with the division), so enjoy

it while it lasts.

And how about Gennett?

I guess every 11 years the Reds are just destined to find a 20-something infielder whose old team doesn’t want him.

I’m always a sucker for a great homecoming story, so it is great to see the southwest Ohio native have such an impact on a team

sorely needing some positive vibes after the last few seasons.

I have to admit as I heard him tell that story on Opening Day in the Reds clubhouse I was thinking,”This is cool. Too bad he

probably won’t make much of an impact.”

Welp…

Now we just need to give him a nickname.

Oh, sure, Scooter is not his real name, but does it really count? Nobody is supposed to give themselves a nickname, so I am going to

say no.

I’m partial to the Lebanon Launcher, but I’m open to other suggestions.

I would also like to see a section at Great American Ball Park set aside for a group to be called, “Scooter’s Rooters.”

So, what else is going on?

As Ohio State began its search for a new men’s basketball coach, another recruit jumped ship.

Versailles guard/forward Justin Ahrens’ decision to re-open his recruitment is certainly understanding upon the end of the Thad

Matta era.

It’s also intriguing to see him pick up an offer from Anthony Grant’s Dayton Flyers.

Ahrens is the reigning Ohio Division II Co-Player of the Year.

Who will replace Matta?

Well-connected national basketball analyst Brian Snow of scout.com says we can rule out three names while Ben Axelrod of

landof10.com reports hearing some chatter about Grant’s former boss at Florida and Oklahoma City, Billy Donovan.

I’m skeptical of Ohio State’s ability to lure an active NBA coach back to college, particularly one Urban Meyer could probably

connect to OSU AD Gene Smith easily if there were any mutual interest at all.

The more I read about potential candidates, the more I think the best (realistic) one still out there is probably Chris Holtmann of

Butler.

That is not based on any inside information or knowledge of whether or not he might actually be interested, just my observation…

On the football recruiting front, Meyer keeps adding highly regarded national prospects to the 2018 Ohio State class, Penn State lost

five-star quarterback Justin Fields.

He is the second five-star to defect from the Nittany Lions in this recruiting cycle.

On the local scene, our latest recruiting roundup covered a local running back checking out UC while adding a couple of Big Ten

offers, a visit by a pair of rising juniors and new lists of finalists for two Dunbar standouts.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Scooter turns slugger, ties MLB record with 4 homers

CINCINNATI (AP) — Kluszewski. Robinson. Bench. Perez. Junior. All of them can just scooter on down the list of great

Cincinnati slugfests.

By JOE KAY

19 minutes ago

A diminutive infielder has done all of them one better.

Scooter Gennett put on the greatest home run show in franchise history and ended the night grinning at the sheer improbability of it.

The Cincinnati native hit four homers — only the 17th to do it in major league history — and matched the Reds record by driving in

10 runs during a 13-1 victory over the shell-shocked St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

“I was kind of laughing, to be honest with you,” Gennett said. “For a guy like me to do that is crazy — a little short of a miracle.”

With homers in his last four at-bats , Scooter became a slugger. Baseball’s Hall of Fame called, wanting his uniform from the

historic night. He stripped from his cap to his cleats, which were still wet from a celebratory on-field soaking by teammates.

“It’s surreal, man, it really is,” Gennett said, wearing backup clothes after the others were whisked away. “I’m truly blessed. I’m

from here, born here. Watching all those guys play when I was little. And to do something that’s never been done — I can’t put

words on it.”

Try one: Unmatched.

No major leaguer had ever gotten five hits, four homers and 10 RBIs in a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Gennett’s 17

total bases also were a club record.

“He had a career night, a great night,” said Adam Wainwright (6-4), who gave up Gennett’s second career grand slam. “Guys do

that now and then. He almost beat us by himself tonight.”

He was the most unlikely player on the roster to power his way into history.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound infielder was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee during spring training for a utility role. Some seasons,

he barely hit four homers at all — he reached double-digits only once and had 38 career heading into the game.

And then, there was Tuesday.

The 27-year-old Gennett joined the Cardinals’ Mark Whiten as the only players with a grand slam among four homers in a game,

according to Elias. Whiten did it in 1993 at the Reds’ old riverfront ballpark, driving in 12 runs that stand as the major league

record.

Josh Hamilton was the last player to hit four home runs in one game, for Texas against Baltimore in May 2012. The last National

League player to hit four home runs in one game was Shawn Green for the Los Angeles Dodgers against Milwaukee in May 2002.

“It’s amazing, especially since he’s not an everyday player for us,” manager Bryan Price said. “He’s got power, but four homers in

one game? I don’t know what to tell you.

“It’s very emotional. It was an honor to witness that.”

Adding to the surprise: Gennett had just ended an 0-for-19 slump with a double on Monday night. By going 5 for 5 on Tuesday, he

raised his batting average 32 points to .302.

Gennett got his big night started with an RBI single off Wainwright , who brought a long scoreless streak into the game but couldn’t

handle a team that has hit him like no other. He lasted only 3 2/3 innings and gave up nine runs for just the third time in his career.

The last time? Also against Cincinnati in 2013.

Gennett’s grand slam in his next at-bat was the first Wainwright had allowed since 2012. Gennett then connected for a solo shot and

a two-run homer off John Gant.

With the crowd of 18,620 on its feet in the eighth inning, Gennett hit a two-run shot off John Brebbia for a place in history and his

second curtain call.

“My teammates were awesome the whole time,” Gennett said. “They made me know exactly what I needed to do and exactly how

many homers I had at each point.”

Tim Adleman (4-2) gave up one run — on Stephen Piscotty’s homer — in seven innings, sending the Cardinals to their season-high

fifth loss in a row. They’ve dropped eight of their last 10 overall.

HOMER HISTORY

Gennett is the seventh player to hit homers in four consecutive at-bats during a game, joining American Leaguers Carlos Delgado,

Mike Cameron, Rocky Colavito and Lou Gehrig along with National Leaguers Mike Schmidt and Robert Lowe from 1894.

WAINWRIGHT’S WOES

Wainwright’s streak of scoreless innings ended at 17 in the first inning. Wainwright fell to 9-11 career against Cincinnati with a

5.01 ERA.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn (4-3) gave up only one run in six innings of a 7-5 win over the Reds at Busch Stadium on April 28. He

is 9-4 career against Cincinnati.

Reds: RHP Bronson Arroyo (3-4) is coming off one of the best outings of his comeback season. He allowed only two runs in six

innings of a 3-2 victory over Atlanta on Friday.

By The Associated Press

Today

LEADING OFF: Gennett follows 4-HR game; Kershaw vs Strasburg

A look at what’s happening all around the majors today:

BIG SWINGS FOR SCOOTER

One night after hitting four home runs to match the major league record, Scooter Gennett tries to extend his stunning power surge

when the Reds host the Cardinals again. Gennett became the 17th player to go deep four times in one game — and perhaps the least

likely. Claimed off waivers from Milwaukee in late March, he began the night with 38 career home runs in five seasons, including

three this year. Josh Hamilton was the previous player to hit four home runs in one game, for Texas against Baltimore in 2012. The

27-year-old Gennett singled his first time up and then homered in four straight at-bats, including a grand slam. His 10 RBIs tied

Cincinnati’s club record. He went 5 for 5 and raised his batting average 32 points to .302.

PRIZE FIGHT

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw and Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg square off in a matinee matchup of NL Cy Young

Award contenders. Kershaw (7-2, 2.28 ERA) struck out 14 in his last start against Milwaukee to reach 2,000 strikeouts for his

career, although the ace has allowed four homers over his past two starts. Strasburg (7-1, 2.91) is two starts removed from striking

out a career-high 15 against San Diego. Los Angeles has won six straight games with Kershaw starting, and Washington has also

won six consecutive when Strasburg has pitched. Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig had a testy exchange with Nats closer Koda Glover

after Tuesday’s game, which could add some drama, too.

PERFECT 10

Dallas Keuchel attempts to go 10-0 when the major league-best Astros (42-17) play at Kansas City. Keuchel leads the majors with a

1.67 ERA and will face fellow left-hander Jason Vargas (7-3), who ranks second with a 2.08 ERA. Keuchel’s nine-game winning

streak is the longest by an Astros pitcher since Roger Clemens won nine straight in 2004. The Royals rallied from a six-run deficit

and stopped Houston’s 11-game winning streak Tuesday night when Mike Moustakas hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the

bottom of the ninth inning off closer Ken Giles.

STRONG ARMS

In a matchup of Cy Young Award winners, Rick Porcello (3-7) starts for the Red Sox against CC Sabathia (6-2) at Yankee Stadium.

Porcello has thrown at least six innings in each of his last 18 road starts, the longest active streak in the majors. The next-longest

string is seven, by Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner. Sabathia has won four straight starts for the first time since 2012. He

is 13-13 in 35 career starts vs. Boston.

NOT SO KUHL

Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl attempts to end a five-game losing streak in a matchup against Baltimore at Camden Yards. After

winning his first outing of the season on April 8 against Atlanta, Kuhl (1-5, 6.02 ERA) has gone 10 straight starts without a win.

This will be the first time in his career he faces the Orioles, who send Wade Miley to the mound in this interleague contest.

Scooter Gennett hits 4 home runs for Reds to tie MLB record

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett hit four home runs, matching the major league record, and finished with 10 RBIs as the

Cincinnati Reds routed the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 on Tuesday night.

Gennett became the 17th player to homer four times in one game — and perhaps the least likely. A scrappy second baseman who

was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee in late March, he began the night with 38 career home runs in five seasons, including

three this year.

Josh Hamilton was the previous player to hit four home runs in one game, for Texas against Baltimore in May 2012.

The 27-year-old Gennett singled his first time up and then homered in four straight at-bats, including a grand slam. His 10 RBIs tied

Cincinnati’s club record.

Gennett ended an 0-for-19 slump during the Reds’ 4-2 win over the Cardinals on Monday. He went 5 for 5 on Tuesday and raised

his batting average 32 points to .302.

Since being picked up by the Reds late in spring training, Gennett has played a utility role for Cincinnati. He started in left field

Tuesday night.

Gennett hit an RBI single and his second career slam off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright (6-4)

Tim Adleman (4-2) gave up one run — on Stephen Piscotty’s homer — in seven innings.

Reds’ Scooter Gennett homers 4 times, drives in 10 runs

By JOE KAY

Today

CINCINNATI (AP) — Scooter Gennett has tied a major league record by homering four times for the Cincinnati Reds against the

St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Gennett, who drove in 10 runs, connected for his second career grand slam off Adam Wainwright, then had a solo homer and two

two-run shots as he became the 17th major leaguer with four in a game and the first since Josh Hamilton in 2012.

His 10 RBIs matched the club record.

ESPN Utility man Scooter Gennett joins elite group with 4 HRs on 'surreal' night

9:51 AM ET

ESPN.com news services

CINCINNATI -- Improbable. Inconceivable. Incredible.

Scooter Gennett hit four home runs, matching the major league record, and finished with 10 RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds routed the

slumping St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 on Tuesday night.

ADVERTISEMENT

Gennett became the 17th player to homer four times in one game -- and perhaps the least likely. A second baseman who was

claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers in late March, he began the night with 38 career home runs in five seasons,

including three this year. He was averaging one home run every 46.2 plate appearances.

"It's surreal, man. It really is," the Cincinnati native said after putting on the greatest home run show in franchise history. "I'm truly

blessed. I'm from here, born here. Watching all those guys play when I was little. And to do something that's never been done -- I

can't put words on it."

Gennett, 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, became the first major leaguer to have four homers, five hits and 10 RBIs in a game, according

to the Elias Sports Bureau. His 17 total bases also set a franchise record, and his 10 RBIs tied the club mark.

"It's amazing, especially since he's not an every-day player for us," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He's got power, but four

homers in one game? I don't know what to tell you.

"It's very emotional. It was an honor to witness that."

The Reds' Scooter Gennett began his home run binge with a grand slam off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright. AP Photo/John

Minchillo

Gennett gave his postgame interviews in a backup set of clothes after his game uniform -- still dripping from a douse of celebratory

ice water -- was whisked away to be sent to Cooperstown.

"I was kind of laughing, to be honest with you," Gennett said of his response when he hit the fourth homer. "For a guy like me to do

that is crazy -- a little short of a miracle."

Josh Hamilton was last player to hit four home runs in one game, for the Texas Rangers against the Baltimore Orioles in May 2012.

The last National League player to hit four homers in one game was Shawn Green for the Los Angeles Dodgers against Milwaukee

in May 2002.

Gennett, 27, was claimed off waivers late in spring training, and he has played a utility role for Cincinnati. He started in left field on

Tuesday night.

He singled his first time up, then homered in four straight at-bats, including a grand slam. He became the seventh player to hit

homers in four consecutive at-bats during a game, joining American Leaguers Carlos Delgado, Mike Cameron, Rocky Colavito and

Lou Gehrig, along with National Leaguers Mike Schmidt and Robert Lowe (1894).

Gennett joined the Cardinals' Mark Whiten as the only players with a grand slam among four homers in a game, according to Elias.

Whiten did it in 1993 at the Reds' old riverfront ballpark, driving in 12 runs that stands as the major league record.

Gennett had snapped an 0 for 19 slump during the Reds' 4-2 win over the Cardinals on Monday. He went 5-for-5 on Tuesday and

raised his batting average 32 points to .302.

He hit an RBI single and his second career slam off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright (6-4), who brought a 17-inning scoreless

streak into the game but couldn't handle a team that has hit him like no other. Wainwright lasted only 3⅔ innings and gave up nine

runs for just the third time in his career.

The last time? Also against Cincinnati, in 2013.

Gennett's grand slam was the first Wainwright had allowed since 2012.

"He had a career night, a great night," Wainwright said. "Guys do that now and then. He almost beat us by himself tonight."

Eugenio Suarez's bases-loaded triple in the fourth ended Wainwright's outing. Gennett followed with his fifth homer of the season

off John Gant, then hit a solo shot off the right-hander.

With the crowd of 18,620 on its feet, Gennett hit a two-run drive in the eighth off John Brebbia for a place in history and his second

curtain call.

"My teammates were awesome the whole time," Gennett said. "They made me know exactly what I needed to do and exactly how

many homers I had at each point."

Prior to Tuesday night, the shortest span over which Gennett had hit four home runs was a 12-game span from Aug. 10 to Aug. 23,

2013, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Real or not? Did Scooter Gennett have the best offensive performance ever?

9:08 AM ET

David Schoenfield

ESPN Senior Writer

His given name is Ryan Joseph Gennett and the story goes that he earned the nickname Scooter when he was 5 years old and his

mother took him to the police station in order to scare him into wearing his seat belt.

"I told the cops Scooter Gennett because that was my favorite Muppet Babies character," he said back in 2014. "I kind of just used it

as an alias, I thought I would get in trouble if I told them my real name."

Now the name Scooter Gennett goes into the record books as just the 17th player to hit four home runs in a game, the first since

Josh Hamilton in 2012. He entered the game with three home runs all season, just 38 in his career, and just one two-homer game. It

makes him the least likely member of the four-homer club, at least since Bobby Lowe all the way back in 1894. It also was one of

the greatest individual performances in major league history, as Gennett went 5-for-5 with 10 RBIs in the Cincinnati Reds' 13-1

victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

My friend Jim Baker keeps a list of the greatest single-game offensive performances. It employs a list utilized in many fantasy

leagues: You get one point for every total base, run scored, RBI, walk and stolen base. There is no weighing for park or era or

quality of competition; it's just a raw point total.

Anyway, Gennett's game scores 31 points -- just one behind the all-time mark, although remarkably, only tied for the best score of

2017. Here are the games that have scored 30 points:

32

Shawn Green, Dodgers, 5/23/2002: 6-for-6, 4 HRs, 2B, 7 RBIs, 6 R's

Mark Whiten, Cardinals, 9/7/1993: 4-for-5, 4 HRs, 12 RBIs, 4 R's

31

Scooter Gennett, Reds, 6/6/2017: 5-for-5, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs, 4 R's

Anthony Rendon, Nationals, 4/30/2017: 6-for-6, 3 HRs, 2B, 10 RBIs, 6 R's

Gil Hodges, Dodgers, 8/31/1950: 5-for-6, 4 HRs, 9 RBIs, 5 R's

Tony Lazzeri, Yankees, 5/24/1936: 4-for-5, 3 HRs, 3B, BB, 11 RBIs, 4 R's

30

Josh Hamilton, Rangers, 5/8/2012: 5-for-5, 4 HRs, 2B, 8 RBIs, 4 R's

Fred Lynn, Red Sox, 6/18/1975: 5-for-6, 3 HRs, 3B, 10 RBIs, 4 R's

Joe Adcock, Braves, 7/31/1954: 5-for-5, 4 HRs, 2B, 7 RBIs, 5 R's

Walker Cooper, Reds, 7/6/1949: 6-for-7, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, 5 R's

Is Gennett's game the best ever? Only Whiten had more RBIs in a four-homer game, but he also made an out. Green didn't have as

many RBIs, but had six hits, including a fifth extra-base hit. Rendon's game was awesome, but I'd say Gennett's fourth home run

trumps Rendon's. So I say it's between Green and Gennett; I'm still partial to Green's game, but if you like RBIs, you can make the

case that Scooter Gennett just had the best game ever.

Amazingly, Gennett isn't even a regular starter for the Reds. In fact, just last weekend when the Reds hosted the Braves and

longtime second baseman Brandon Phillips returned to Cincinnati, he called it a "slap in the face" that the Reds had issued his No. 4

to Gennett.

Gennett's historic night started innocently enough, with a bloop single to left off Adam Wainwright in the first inning, knocking in

Billy Hamilton.

In the third inning, he fouled off a 3-2 curveball and then crushed a fastball 424 feet to right-center for a grand slam.

In the fourth, now facing John Gant, he hit another 3-2 fastball, a line drive to center also estimated at 424 feet.

In the sixth, sitting on a 3-1 fastball from Gant, he went the opposite way to left field for his third home run.

Finally, facing somebody named John Brebbia, he lined out an 0-2 fastball a couple of rows into the right-field stands. It might have

been a home run only in the small confines of Great American Ball Park, but the box score doesn't care about dimensions. Gennett

had made history.

Why Brebbia challenged him with a fastball while ahead of the count was certainly a bit odd. Even Gennett said after the game that

he was surprised, "but that's baseball, I guess." He also said he wasn't necessarily trying to hit a home run.

"I never get good results when I try to do that," he said.

Although I'd say when he swung through an 0-1 fastball, it certainly looked like he was swinging for the fences.

Gennett was actually born in Cincinnati, although he moved to Florida when he was 9. The Reds claimed him on waivers late in

spring training, when the Brewers surprisingly cut him, even though he had been the club's primary second baseman in 2016. He

said his first call would be to his mom and dad.

"My dad was pretty pissed I was 0-for-19," Gennett joked (he entered in a 1-for-20 slump).

As they say in baseball, you just never know what will happen.

Who the heck is Scooter Gennett?

12:21 AM ET

ESPN Stats & Information

The 2009 MLB draft is best known as the one in which Stephen Strasburg was selected first and Mike Trout wasn’t tabbed until the

Angels snagged him at No. 25.

But Tuesday was a night in which the 496th pick was the best choice of them all. Scooter Gennett, selected that day by the Brewers,

did something as memorable as Strasburg and Trout have ever done, hitting four home runs in a game for the Cincinnati Reds.

That Gennett did this for the Reds, the team that plays in the city in which he was born (and for a team he was a fan of “since I was

2”), was an amazing twist of fate. He was claimed off waivers for the Brewers prior to the start of the season and given Brandon

Phillips’ No. 4 (Phillips remarked recently that he was insulted the Reds gave the number away).

Gennett shares the distinction of wearing No. 4 with a four-homer hitter of acclaim -- Lou Gehrig -- who happens to be the only

player to hit four homers in a game for the team that plays its home games in the city of that player’s birth.

Gennett had previously shown he could hit. He hit .324 with six home runs as a rookie in 2013, but he posted a below-average .729

OPS last season, despite 14 home runs in 136 games.

With the Reds, he established his role as that of utility man, not unlike Scooter the Muppet, whom Gennett is nicknamed for.

Scooter the Muppet has been known to say “I’ll go for anything you need.” Gennett has done that by playing two positions –- third

base and left field -- that he had never played before prior to this season.

Tuesday night he was in left field and was in the throes of a 1-for-20 slump, broken with a hit in his last at-bat on Monday.

Gennett had two of his four home runs on pitches in the upper third of the strike zone and hit another pitch there for a first-inning

single. He entered the game 2-for-17 this season in at-bats ending with a pitch that high.

When Gennett gets going, he’s pretty good, though he had never shown power like this. He had only one prior multi-homer game,

during a 22-game stretch in which he hit .429 with 33 hits. That included four home runs in a 12-game span. It was the quickest he

hit four home runs in his career.

Until Tuesday night.

Sports world reacts to Scooter Gennett's four-homer game

2:51 AM ET

SN Staff

Cincinnati Reds utility player Scooter Gennett became the first player in franchise history to record a four-home run game during

the Reds' 13-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

Gennett's monumental performance seemed to come out of nowhere. He entered the night hitting 1-for-his-last-20 with three home

runs on the entire season.

Mike Cameron, who recorded a four-homer game while with the Mariners in 2002, congratulated Gennett on joining an "exclusive

club."

Cameron @_darkman44

Congratulations to Scooter Gennett joining the very exclusive club of 4 homers!! 🙌🏿👏🏿👏🏿 #17thguy #TheNatti

Of course, Gennett's teammates showed him lots of love.

Rookie Davis @rookdavis24

SCOOT SCOOT!!!!! 💣💣💣💣

Brandon Finnegan @bfinny29

Jesus Scoot! Have a day kid!!

Tucker Barnhart @Tucker_Barnhart

Wow!! @Sgennett2

Anthony DeSclafani @ADeSclafani

That was SHOW!! Have a night @Sgennett2

Gennett, a 27-year-old Cincinnati native, stuck around after the game to meet the 12-year-old fan who caught his fourth homer.

Gennett's feat was even recognized by a familiar name from the college hoops world, Dick Vitale.

Dick Vitale @DickieV

Can't believe it @Sgennett2 with 4 bombs /Scooter had only 3 all yr / What did he eat ? @Reds @dfernsports /only 16 ever did this

b4

J.A. Adande chimed in with a hilarious take on Gennett, who apparently flies under the radar.

J.A. Adande @jadande

Yesterday I wasn't aware Scooter Gennett existed

And C. Trent Rosecrans, the Reds beat reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer, said what every Reds fan was probably thinking

following Brandon Phillips' recent remarks.

C. Trent Rosecrans @ctrent

I think Scooter Gennett has earned the right to wear No. 4

After Gennett's accomplishment Tuesday, we definitely won't be forgetting the name "Scooter" anytime soon.

-- Sarah Scrivens

TRANSACTIONS 06/07/17 Toronto Blue Jays sent RHP Glenn Sparkman on a rehab assignment to New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

06/06/17 St. Louis Cardinals sent 2B Kolten Wong on a rehab assignment to Peoria Chiefs.

Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Jake Junis from Omaha Storm Chasers.

Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Seth Maness to Omaha Storm Chasers.

Baltimore Orioles designated SS Paul Janish for assignment.

Baltimore Orioles selected the contract of SS Ruben Tejada from Norfolk Tides.

Chicago White Sox signed free agent RHP Bobby Parnell to a minor league contract.

Texas Rangers placed 1B Mike Napoli on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 4, 2017. Lower back strain.

Texas Rangers activated LHP Dario Alvarez from the 10-day disabled list.

Chicago White Sox sent LHP Carlos Rodon on a rehab assignment to Winston-Salem Dash.

Chicago Cubs optioned RHP Dylan Floro to Iowa Cubs.

Chicago Cubs activated RHP Wade Davis from the paternity list.

Detroit Tigers sent C James McCann on a rehab assignment to Toledo Mud Hens.

Miami Marlins recalled C Tomas Telis from New Orleans Baby Cakes.

Miami Marlins placed 1B Justin Bour on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 5, 2017. Left ankle contusion.

Cleveland Indians activated CF Lonnie Chisenhall from the 10-day disabled list.

Cleveland Indians placed RHP Danny Salazar on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 4, 2017. Right shoulder

soreness.

Colorado Rockies placed LF Alexi Amarista on the paternity list.

Colorado Rockies recalled CF Raimel Tapia from Albuquerque Isotopes.

Cincinnati Reds activated LHP Tony Cingrani from the 10-day disabled list.

Cincinnati Reds optioned RHP Lisalverto Bonilla to Louisville Bats.

Detroit Tigers optioned JaCoby Jones to Toledo Mud Hens.

Detroit Tigers activated 2B Ian Kinsler from the 10-day disabled list.

Arizona Diamondbacks recalled RHP Zack Godley from Reno Aces.

Arizona Diamondbacks recalled CF Jeremy Hazelbaker from Reno Aces.

Arizona Diamondbacks optioned RHP Braden Shipley to Reno Aces.

Arizona Diamondbacks placed LF Yasmany Tomas on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to June 3, 2017. Right groin

tendinitis.

Atlanta Braves recalled RHP Jason Hursh from Mississippi Braves.

Atlanta Braves placed RHP Bartolo Colon on the 10-day disabled list. left oblique strain

Los Angeles Angels sent RHP Deolis Guerra outright to Salt Lake Bees.

Oakland Athletics optioned RF Matt Olson to Nashville Sounds.

Oakland Athletics activated RHP Jesse Hahn from the 10-day disabled list.

Atlanta Braves released LF Emilio Bonifacio.

San Diego Padres transferred LF Travis Jankowski from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Right foot bone

bruise.

San Diego Padres placed RHP Jarred Cosart on the 10-day disabled list. Foot contusion.

San Diego Padres selected the contract of OF Jose Pirela from El Paso Chihuahuas.

Tampa Bay Rays sent RHP Jumbo Diaz on a rehab assignment to Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Seattle Mariners sent RHP Felix Hernandez on a rehab assignment to Tacoma Rainiers.

Seattle Mariners sent RF Mitch Haniger on a rehab assignment to Tacoma Rainiers.

San Francisco Giants transferred LHP Madison Bumgarner from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Bruised ribs and sprained left shoulder.

Texas Rangers traded RHP Sam Dyson and cash to San Francisco Giants for Player To Be Named Later.

Toronto Blue Jays recalled Dominic Leone from Buffalo Bisons.

Toronto Blue Jays placed 2B Devon Travis on the 10-day disabled list. Right knee bone bruise