Cincinnati Reds (9-24, fifth in the NL Central) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (13-19, third in the NL Central)Pittsburgh; Saturday, 6:35 p.m. EDTPITCHING PROBABLES: Reds: Luis Castillo (0-0, 5.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, five strikeouts); Pirates: Zach Thompson (1-3, 7.08 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 19 strikeouts) FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Reds -115, Pirates -104; over/under is 8 runsBOTTOM LINE: The Cincinnati Reds will try to extend a three-game win streak with a victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Pittsburgh has a 13-19 record overall and a 7-10 record in home games. The Pirates have an 11-4 record in games when they have more hits than their opponents.Cincinnati has a 5-9 record at home and a 9-24 record overall. The Reds are 3-5 in games when they hit two or more home runs.The teams play Saturday for the sixth time this season. The Reds lead the season series 4-1.TOP PERFORMERS: Daniel Vogelbach leads the Pirates with five home runs while slugging .464. Ben Gamel is 17-for-40 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBI over the last 10 games.Tyler Naquin ranks sixth on the Reds with a .263 batting average, and has 10 doubles, a triple, two home runs, six walks and 19 RBI. Tyler Stephenson is 14-for-33 with two home runs and 13 RBI over the last 10 games.LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 4-6, .239 batting average, 4.66 ERA, outscored by 18 runsReds: 6-4, .265 batting average, 6.55 ERA, outscored opponents by six runsINJURIES: Pirates: Roberto Perez: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Marisnick: 10-Day IL (thumb), Kevin Newman: 10-Day IL (groin), Greg Allen: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Blake Cederlind: 60-Day IL (elbow), Nick Mears: 60-Day IL (elbow)Reds: Lucas Sims: 15-Day IL (lower back), Nick Senzel: 10-Day IL (covid-19), Joey Votto: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), Jonathan India: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Fraley: 10-Day IL (knee), Nick Lodolo: 10-Day IL (back), Justin Wilson: 10-Day IL (elbow), Daniel Duarte: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jose Garcia: 10-Day IL (hand), Mike Minor: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Max Schrock: 60-Day IL (calf), Donovan Solano: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Justin Dunn: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Tejay Antone: 60-Day IL (undisclosed)

TORONTO, ON —

The return of Joey Votto has been long-awaited, but the wait was worth it after he hit a tiebreaking homerun to give the Reds' a lead over Toronto on Sunday.

It seems fitting that Votto would hit a homerun against he Blue Jays after he was asked what sights he wanted to see on his trip back home and he responded, "Sights-wise, the center of the baseball. Parts of the city, somewhere around windows, maybe the second deck. Somewhere around there. That’s what I’m targeting.”

The Reds have been without their star first baseman since May 3 when he was placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

Votto was reassigned to play with the Reds' Triple A affiliate Louisville Bats before returning to the major league club. When he was placed on the injured list, he was hitting .122 with four runs, three RBI's and a double, so far this season.

On May 16, the Reds announced that Votto would continue his rehab assignment in Dayton with the Dayton Dragons, where he started out his MLB career when he first got drafted in 2002.

Votto returned to the Reds' roster on Friday when the team traveled to his hometown of Toronto to face the Blue Jays.

Although the Reds' only won one game out of the three-game series, this win was a meaningful one for the first baseman.

Bally Sports Jim Day asked Votto how much his tiebreaking homerun meant to him, since it was Votto's first home run of the season as well.

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"It has meaning, but I gotta start hitting. So, I could've done it on Mars and it would have felt satisfying. You know, I have to perform well, I've got to fit with these guys. I've got to do my job and you know, I have to do it ASAP and that was ASAP," Votto replied.

Day then teased that it could be Votto's last time playing in the Blue Jay's stadium, but Votto wasn't thinking about that, his mind was set on the game and doing what he did best.

"I wasn't thinking like that," Votto said. "I'm thinking I'm in the middle of competition, our teams tied. I've got to get a good pitch to hit. I'm starting to feel better at the plate. I don't want to get cheated. I want to make sure that I'm being myself and competing well... When you're in the middle of work like this, that's the priority, you know? I'm wearing a Reds uniform right now in a road city. No question about, it has great meaning, but I'm not thinking about that right in the heart of competition."

Votto also spoke about how returning to his hometown means a lot to him because he gets to see and spend time with his family that he doesn't normally see all the time.

"I got to see my mother. You know, you go months, months without seeing family. And it's the nature of our job I wouldn't have any other way, but I got to see my little nephew and my brother and his and his wife. They got to play on the field yesterday after the game. It means a great deal to me to be able to see so many familiar faces and receive a ton of support in my home city," Votto told Day.

The Cincinnati Reds will be back in action at Great American Ball Park on Monday against the Chicago Cubs, where hopefully Votto and the Reds can keep the ball rolling.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler said that he will no longer participate in pregame national anthem ceremonies following last week’s mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas.

The Giants’ skipper wrote that his dad inspired him to protest when the country is not representing its people well.

“I’m often struck before our games by the lack of delivery of the promise of what our national anthem represents,” he wrote. “We stand in honor of a country where we elect representatives to serve us, to thoughtfully consider and enact legislation that protects the interests of all the people in this country and to move this country forward towards the vision of the “shining city on the hill.” But instead, we thoughtlessly link our moment of silence and grief with the equally thoughtless display of celebration for a country that refuses to take up the concept of controlling the sale of weapons used nearly exclusively for the mass slaughter of human beings.”

“We have our moment (over and over), and then we move on without demanding real change from the people we empower to make these changes. We stand, we bow our heads, and the people in power leave on recess, celebrating their own patriotism at every turn.

“Every time I place my hand over my heart and remove my hat, I’m participating in a self-congratulatory glorification of the ONLY country where these mass shootings take place. On Wednesday, I walked out onto the field, I listened to the announcement as we honored the victims in Uvalde. I bowed my head. I stood for the national anthem. Metallica riffed on City Connect guitars.”

According to ESPN, many fellow MLB managers commended Kapler, but none said they would be willing to join him in protest.

“I think he's exactly right to be concerned ... with what's happening in our country," White Sox manager Tony La Russa said. "He's right there. Where I disagree is the flag and the anthem are not appropriate places to try to voice your objections."

Unlike the NFL, NBA and MLS, MLB has not had large-scale protests during the national anthem. Colin Kapernick, who made his living in San Francisco as a member of the 49ers, kneeled for the national anthem in 2016 to protest the treatment of Black people by the government.

Kaepernick’s protests were politically divisive, and many argued that the demonstration led to him getting blacklisted by the NFL following the 2016 season. The result was a settlement between Kaepernick and the NFL in 2019.

ST. LOUIS —

Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning for the first walkoff RBI of his major league career, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals over Cincinnati 5-4 on Saturday in yet another Reds bullpen collapse.

Paul Goldschmidt’s streak of reaching base ended at 46 games with an 0-for-4 day for the NL Central-leading Cardinals.

St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina made their 316th start together, tying the Boston and Milwaukee Braves’ Warren Spahn and Del Crandall for second-most behind the 324 of Detroit’s Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan.

Wainwright, 40, was matched up against Cincinnati's 22-year-old Hunter Greene.

Cincinnati led 4-1 in the eighth inning but blew a save for the seventh time in 17 chances, and the Cardinals won despite getting outhit 12-7.

Tyler O'Neill, who had three RBIs, hit a two-run double off Hunter Strickland that pulled St. Louis to 4-3 in the eighth.

Joel Kuhnel (0-1), a 27-year-old rookie right-hander, walked Dylan Carlson leading off the ninth but got Molina to ground into a double play.

Juan Yepez singled and Edman reached down for a slider at the knees, driving the ball to right-center for his sixth home run and giving the Cardinals their third walkoff win this season.

St. Louis (34-26) won the first two games of the three-game series and sent the NL-worst Reds (20-39) to their fourth straight loss and seventh defeat in nine games,

Nick Wittgren (1-0) pitched a one-hit ninth for his first win with St. Louis.

Wainwright allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings.

Greene gave up one run, two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts before being pulled after allowing the first two batters to reach base in the sixth. He topped 100 mph with five pitches and averaged 98.7 mph with his fastball.

Tommy Pham put the Reds ahead with a two-run double in the third off Wainwright, his former teammate, and scored on Kyle Farmer's single for a 3-0 lead.

O'Neill hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth and Alejo López, who had replaced an injured Colin Moran, hit an RBI single off Drew VerHagen in the eighth for a 4-1 lead.

MOVES

Cincinnati claimed OF Stuart Fairchild off waivers from San Francisco and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. RHP James Marinan was designated for assignment.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Moran left in the bottom of the seventh after getting tangled with Dylan Carlson on a tag at first. Moran veered into Carlson’s path trying to field an errant throw from second baseman Matt Reynolds.

Cardinals: LHP Steven Matz (left shoulder impingement) threw long toss in the outfield prior to the game. “He’s still feeling a little bit of that discomfort in the impingement,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. “Until you get past that hurdle, you’re not really cleared to take that next step forward. I know he’s going to be reassessed by our medical staff and, hopefully, he’s able to resolve that.”

UP NEXT

RHP Dakota Hudson (4-2, 2.76 ERA) is 6-0 against Cincinnati going into Sunday's start, joining David Weathers (8-0) as the only pitchers since 1901 with at least six decisions against the Reds and a perfect winning percentage. RHP Graham Ashcraft (3-0, 1.14 ERA) will be making his fifth career start in Sunday’s series finale.

SEATTLE —

Elias Díaz hit a two-run homer off Félix Bautista in the eighth inning, and the National League snapped a nine-game losing streak in the All-Star Game with a 3-2 win over the American League on Tuesday night.

The NL won for the first time since an 8-0 victory in 2012 in Kansas City thanks to Díaz, a catcher who became the first Rockies player to win the All-Star MVP award.

Díaz, who was non-tendered by the Pirates at the end of 2019, drove a 2-2 pitch from Baltimore's hard-throwing closer deep to left to put the NL in front. Díaz was the lone representative for Colorado in his first All-Star Game appearance.

He has nine homers this season, but hadn't hit a long ball since June 23 against the Los Angeles Angels.

"This means a lot to me, to my family," he said. "Being in the ASG for me is amazing."

For most of the night, the All-Star Game was a pitchers' duel highlighted by a couple big hits and some excellent defense.

It got nervous for the NL in the ninth. Wander Franco flied out to the warning track leading off against Philadelphia closer Craig Kimbrel, who issued two-out walks to Kyle Tucker and Seattle star Julio Rodríguez.

Kimbrel recovered to strike out José Ramírez to end it. Kimbrel also pitched in the previous NL win, recording two outs in 2012.

Yandy Díaz hit a solo homer in the second inning and Bo Bichette's sacrifice fly in the sixth inning gave the AL a 2-1 lead.

J.D. Martinez doubled and scored on Luis Arraez's single in the fourth against Seattle's George Kirby, tying it at 1. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. appeared to tie the game again in the seventh when his shot down the left-field line was originally ruled a homer but was overturned as a foul ball on replay.

The All-Star Game returned to the Emerald City for the first time since 2001 when the Mariners were in the middle of their magical 116-win regular season, Cal Ripken Jr. said goodbye to the All-Star stage and Tommy Lasorda took a tumble.

Gerrit Cole became the first New York Yankees pitcher to start the All-Star Game since Roger Clemens in that 2001 game. He needed a pair of spectacular leaping catches from Adolis García and Randy Arozarena near the wall to escape the first inning unscathed.

Pitching was the story of the night. Only nine balls were hit over 100 mph. There were 20 combined strikeouts, including Camilo Doval silencing the home crowd with a strikeout of Rodríguez in the seventh inning where four of the five pitches topped 100 mph.

CINCINNATI —

Nick Krall and the Cincinnati Reds held the seventh overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, and they had a big decision to make with their top ten selection.

The Reds selected Wake Forrest pitcher, Rhett Lowder (6'2", 200 lbs.), 21.

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Lowder went a perfect 15-0 during the 2023 season, while making 19 appearances.

The right held a 1.87 earned run average over 120.1 innings, only sacrificing 25 earned runs.

To add to that, the righty fanned 143 batters and only sacrificed 24 walks.

The ACC pitcher of the year has a high-octane arm and will look to bolster an already youthful Reds' roster, while aiding a pitching staff that has found themselves in the middle of the pack this season.

DETROIT —

Matt Manning wasn’t upset about being pulled while pitching a no-hitter.

He said he didn’t even realize it until someone told him in the dugout.

“I had no idea,” he said. “I was like, 'well, dang,’”

By the time the game was over, everyone at Comerica Park knew what Manning and relievers Jason Foley and Alex Lange had achieved.

Foley and Lange finished what Manning started, and the Tigers no-hit the Toronto Blue Jays in a 2-0 win on Saturday.

Manning (3-1) pitched 6 2/3 innings and Foley got four straight outs.

Lange, the Tigers closer, came in for the ninth and struck out Bo Bichette on three pitches. Brandon Belt lined out to center field, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded out to third on an 0-2 pitch.

It was the ninth no-hitter in Tigers history and the first combined one. It was the first no-hitter for the franchise since Spencer Turnbull no-hit the Seattle Mariners on May 18, 2021. It was Detroit's second against the Blue Jays — Justin Verlander did it in Toronto on May 7, 2011.

Verlander also pitched the most recent no-hitter against the Blue Jays, doing it for Houston on Sept. 1, 2019.

It's the second no-hitter in the majors this season after Domingo Germán’s perfect game for the New York Yankees at Oakland on June 28 and it’s the majors’ first combined no-hitter since three Houston Astros pitchers shut down the Yankees in June 2022.

The Tigers celebrated at the mound with Manning and Foley joining the crowd.

“How about that, Detroit?” Lange yelled to the crowd while being interviewed on the field with Manning, Foley and catcher Eric Haase. “Thank you for sitting through the rain to cheer for us.”

Manning was replaced after walking Cavan Biggio with two outs in the seventh. He walked three batters and hit one while striking out five. He threw 91 pitches.

“He was laboring a ton,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I almost took him out after the fifth and after the sixth. I sent him out for the seventh, but once a runner gets on, we have to worry about winning the game.”

Foley retired Whit Merrifield in the seventh before pitching a perfect eighth.

“I thought Matty was going to keep going, but I got in there and tried to throw strikes,” he said. “This is pretty awesome — I couldn't ask for two better guys to do this with.”

Kevin Gausman (7-5) allowed two runs in the first inning.

Riley Greene singled in his first at-bat since May 30 and scored on Spencer Torkelson’s one-out double in the first.

Kerry Carpenter followed with an RBI triple to make it 2-0, but Javier Báez hit into an inning-ending double play.

Carpenter made a spectacular catch to start the fourth inning, sliding in foul territory to catch Guerrero Jr’s pop fly down the right-field line.

Báez made a big play in the sixth, racing into left field to catch Bichette’s fly ball with left fielder Matt Vierling shifted to left-center field.

“You have to tip your cap to good pitching and some great defense,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Javi made a great play on Bo's ball and Carpenter made the catch on Vladdy. That's usually what happens — you have good pitching backed up by some good plays.”

The start of the game was delayed 1:22 by rain and a hard shower fell in the first inning.

“I think that helped me a lot — battling through adversity early like that,” said Manning, who started the game by hitting Bichette and walking Belt. “I got into rhythm with Haase and it felt really good.”

Haase also caught Turnbull's no-hitter.

“About the sixth inning, you start counting outs,” he said. “Matt was keeping them uncomfortable and then Foley came in and shut the door before Lange did what he does.”

The Tigers lost 12-2 to the Blue Jays on Friday.

“Our approach at the plate was whatever we didn't do last night,” Haase said. “That's baseball — we got our teeth kicked in last night and get a combined no-hitter today.”

NEW YORK —

Raise your hand if you saw that coming from the Cincinnati Reds.

Joey Votto lined a tiebreaking double in a three-run 10th inning for his second go-ahead hit of the night, and Cincinnati beat the New York Yankees 7-6 on Thursday to earn an unexpected series win.

Last in the NL Central, the Reds got an outstanding outing from Luis Castillo and took two of three at Yankee Stadium from the top team in the majors. They blew a sizable lead for the second consecutive night, but this time recovered and held on to win for the sixth time in seven games overall.

Boosted by a ninth-inning comeback in the opener Tuesday night, it's the first time they've won back-to-back series all season.

“This whole series felt like a playoff series,” Cincinnati manager David Bell said. “It’s a great experience for our team and that’s how you get better.”

It was only the sixth time in major league history a team with a winning percentage below .400 won a road series against an opponent with a .700 winning percentage 50 games into a season, according to STATS.

The last time it happened was 2001, when the struggling Kansas City Royals upended Seattle. Before that, it hadn't happened in 46 years.

New York has lost only four series all season and has won 20 of its last 24 home games.

“It’s pretty special,” Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer said. “No one can take that away from us and it’s pretty cool.”

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 31st home run to start a Yankees comeback in the eighth - one inning after he made a diving catch in center field.

Gleyber Torres tied it 4-all with a two-run homer off Jeff Hoffman, costing Castillo a win. Matched up in a crisp duel with fellow All-Star Nestor Cortes, the right-hander pitched seven splendid innings of two-hit ball.

“He's one of the best pitchers in the league,” Judge said. "He just didn’t leave too many mistakes for us to hit. When you have 100 (mph) and you’re painting the corners, that’s in for a tough day.”

Tyler Stephenson followed Votto's double off Lucas Luetge (2-3) with an RBI double of his own, and Donovan Solano added a run-scoring single with two outs to make it 7-4.

Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer against winner Reiver Sanmartin (3-4), who got two outs in the ninth.

New York tried to finish off yet another rally but Dauri Moreta got two outs for his first major league save, retiring DJ LeMahieu on well-struck drive to center field with two on to end it.

Moreta said he got the game ball and will give it to his mother.

Votto gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the eighth with an RBI single off reliever Jonathan Loáisiga, just activated from the injured list. Farmer added a two-run single to make it 4-1.

“Things didn't work out the way I wanted,” Loáisiga said through a translator.

Castillo struck out eight and walked four, throwing 114 pitches in an impressive trade audition for contending clubs.

“He’s nasty,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He was tough.”

Cincinnati figures to be a seller ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline, and Castillo is a prime target for teams in need of starting pitching.

“I’ve heard the rumors about being traded to the Yankees and stuff like that," he said through a translator.

Votto said opposing hitters keep telling him how good Castillo's stuff is when they get to first base.

“He was excellent. He seems to be getting hotter, so it’s been really fun to watch,” Votto said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him.”

Anthony Rizzo doubled with one out in the sixth for New York's first hit. Judge, who had walked, went to third on the play and scored on Giancarlo Stanton's RBI groundout.

Cortes also went seven innings, allowing four hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on Brandon Drury's shallow sacrifice fly to right that caught Carpenter, an inexperienced outfielder, off guard.

Carpenter made the catch with the bases loaded but didn't look home right away, allowing Nick Senzel to score easily from third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Senzel returned to the starting lineup in center field. He was a late scratch Wednesday with back stiffness and was caught stealing as a pinch runner in the eighth. ... INF/DH Mike Moustakas was placed on the injured list without an injury designation, an indication the move was likely related to COVID-19 protocols. Cincinnati recalled INF/OF Max Schrock from Triple-A Louisville. ... RHP Luis Cessa (left intercostalis) planned to play catch. ... RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez is scheduled for Tommy John surgery next Wednesday.

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino went on the 15-day injured list, one day after leaving his start with right shoulder tightness. Severino had an MRI that showed a low-grade strain to his right latissimus dorsi muscle. ... Loáisiga had been sidelined since May 23 with shoulder inflammation. ... OF Aaron Hicks (bruised right shin) sat out for the second consecutive game. ... RHP Domingo Germán, sidelined all season due to right shoulder impingement, is set to make another rehab start Friday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

UP NEXT

Reds: Rookie RHP Hunter Greene (3-10, 5.70 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (2-4, 3.18) in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at St. Louis.

Yankees: LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-2, 3.19 ERA) faces visiting Boston in the opener of a three-game series Friday night. The longtime rivals split a four-game set last weekend at Fenway Park. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 3.16) is expected to return from injury to start for the struggling Red Sox against his former team. Eovaldi has been sidelined since June 9 with lower back inflammation.

CINCINNATI —

Jose Barrero hit a tiebreaking RBI single in Cincinnati's three-run fifth inning, and the Reds stopped a five-game slide with an 8-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

“It meant a lot that I could contribute to the victory," Barrero said through an interpreter. “I felt better today. I still have to work on a couple things. I’m working on cutting down on my swing and try to hit it up the middle.”

Aristides Aquino hit a three-run drive for Cincinnati, and Austin Romine doubled home two runs. It was Aquino's first homer since he hit two against the Cubs on May 23.

“I didn’t really think about my last home run when I went to the plate," Aquino said. "I just enjoyed the game and the process and do my best.”

It was the Reds' highest scoring game since an 8-2 victory over Baltimore on July 30.

Joel Kuhnel (2-1) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Alexis Díaz struck out Nelson Velázquez and Ian Happ with the bases loaded in the eighth before finishing his fifth save.

“To come in that spot and not give up any runs is huge," Reds manager David Bell said. "You expect that he will give up a run and we still hold the lead, but to completely shut it down against those two hitters is really special. I think for any pitcher to get five outs to end the game is special. He looked really comfortable, not that it was easy.”

Five Reds relievers combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

Cincinnati’s Joey Votto made his 1,989th career appearance, snapping a tie with Hall of Famer Larry Walker for the most in major league history by players born in Canada.

The teams combined for four homers and 10 runs in the first four innings.

Patrick Wisdom gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead with a two-run drive that squeezed just inside the left-field foul pole in the second. Aquino responded with his fourth homer in the bottom half, a deep drive into the lower deck in left.

Chicago grabbed a 5-4 lead with three runs in the fourth. Yan Gomes hit a tying a two-run shot that reached the first row of the second deck in left. Christopher Morel then went deep on the next pitch.

“We had some quality at-bats,” Cubs manager David Ross said. “The back-to-backs were fun.”

The Reds tied it in the bottom half with help from a balk called on reliever Anderson Espinoza (0-2).

Cincinnati right-hander Justin Dunn was tagged for five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second start since coming off the injured list. He had been sidelined by a right shoulder strain.

Chicago right-hander Keegan Thompson lasted just 1 2/3 innings. He was charged with four runs and two hits.

“He was getting ahead in the count, 0-2 and 1-2, but he couldn't put them away,” Ross said. “They hit a lot of foul balls that turned into walks. He couldn't finish the at-bats.”

DYNAMIC DUO

Cincinnati’s Kyle Farmer has driven in three runs over the last two games. Jake Fraley has scored all three.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: OF Nick Senzel left in the fourth with a tight right hamstring. ... RHP Art Warren (right upper arm) was scheduled to make his fourth rehab appearance for Single-A Dayton against Lansing. Warren has been on the 15-day injured list since July 4.

UP NEXT

Cubs: RHP Marcus Stroman (3-5, 4.20 ERA), Monday’s scheduled starter in Washington, allowed five hits and four runs for a no-decision in his last start, also against the Nationals in Chicago.

Reds: LHP Mike Minor (1-9, 6.24 ERA) hasn’t won in nine starts going into Monday’s game against Philadelphia in Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI —

The Cincinnati Reds have been nothing short of electric during the first half of the season. A lot of that firepower comes from the young offense, but it wasn't a position player that got the call for this years All-Star game.

It was Reds star closer, Alexis Diaz (3-1, 2.19, 23 sv), who received enough votes to represent Cincinnati during All-Star week in July.

When asked how it felt to be selected, Díaz said the first thing he did was call his brother, Edwin, to share the news.

This is Diaz's second season at the professional level and he has not shied away from any competition.

This season Diaz has posted some terrific numbers. The closer has only allowed 19 walks, while fanning 58 batters over 37 innings pitched. That's three strikeouts per walk.

To add to that, Diaz has only allowed 19 hits and nine earned runs over 38 games.

Diaz tallied his 23rd save of the season this Sunday and will make his first All-Star game appearance on July 11.

PHILADELPHIA —

Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman delivered big hits and the Houston Astros advanced to the World Series again, finishing a four-game sweep of New York in the AL Championship Series with a 6-5 victory Sunday night aided by another defensive gaffe from the Yankees.

Taking advantage of a costly error by second baseman Gleyber Torres to produce the go-ahead rally in the seventh inning, the Astros won their second consecutive pennant and fourth in six years.

Rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña hit a three-run homer off ailing Yankees starter Nestor Cortes to help the AL West champions overcome an early 3-0 deficit. Peña was picked as the ALCS MVP.

Houston will open the World Series at home Friday night against Bryce Harper and the wild-card Philadelphia Phillies, who beat San Diego earlier in the day to close out the best-of-seven NLCS in five games.

Harper broke up the Phillies postseason party on the mound and directed his team to where the true revelry was about to begin for the National League champs.

“C'mon, let's go inside! Let's go!” he ordered.

With that, Harper walked toward the dugout and raised his arms in jubilation to the soundtrack of Phillies fans screaming “MV3! MV3! " The Phillies scrambled inside for the Broad Street Bubbly that awaited in the clubhouse.

Harper made the scene possible because he rose to the moment Philly demanded of him from the time he signed the richest free-agent deal in baseball history. Harper has made the monumental feat of hitting a baseball look so easy in the postseason and with the NL pennant at stake, he delivered with the defining moment of his four-year Philadelphia career.

Harper slugged his fifth homer of the postseason, a two-run blast in the eighth inning that turned Citizens Bank Park into a madhouse, and the $330 million slugger powered the Phillies past the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Sunday and into the World Series for the first the time since 2009.

One swing. One opposite-field shot. One game-winning home run that about seemed destined from the moment he came to the plate in the eighth inning with the Phillies and their fans beckoning Bryce to deliver in the clutch just one more time.

“I hit the ball, and I just looked at my dugout and kind of it’s for all of them,” Harper said. “It’s for this whole team. It’s for this whole organization."

Rhys Hoskins also hit a two-run homer in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series to spark Philadelphia’s improbable run to the pennant and a shot at its first World Series championship since 2008.

Harper, Hoskins & Crew are coming for a most improbable World Series championship.

Houston held a 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the ALCS. Game 4 is Sunday night in New York. The World Series will begin Friday night at the home of the AL champion.

Harper was named NLCS MVP and he as parked the trophy on a dais, he made it clear the personal awards meant nothing to him without a ring.

“I don't really care about this but MLB is making me do it,” Harper said.

Philadelphia trailed 3-2 when J.T. Realmuto began the eighth with a single off reliever Robert Suarez. Harper then lined a 2-2, 98 mph sinker the opposite way, into the left-field seats as another sellout crowd of 45,485 shook the stadium.

Harper hoped the homer set the stage for other highlights on deck in the next couple of weeks.

“We’ve got four more,” the two-time NL MVP told the fans during an on-field celebration, and they roared again.

The lefty-swinging Harper connected off a righty — the Padres had left-handed closer Josh Hader warming in the bullpen, but didn't bring him in.

“It’s a thought at this point, but that wasn’t what we were thinking,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “We were trying to get to four-out position for Hader, and we had a lot of confidence in Suarez.”

The Phillies felt the same way about Harper.

“Pure chaos, right? I don’t think anybody was surprised,” Hoskins said. “This guy has a knack for coming up in the biggest moments. It’s just what he’s done his whole career, and we’ve seen it plenty of times.”

Remember, too: When Harper's thumb was broken by a pitch from San Diego's Blake Snell in late June, there were some concerns that he might not return this season.

Instead, the star who signed a 13-year contract to play in Philadelphia delivered — in this season, in this game.

Even after Harper's homer put them ahead, it wasn't an easy ending for the Phillies.

Reliever David Robertson was pulled after a pair of one-out walks in the ninth. Ranger Suárez made his first relief appearance of the season and retired Trent Grisham on a bunt and got Austin Nola — brother of Phils ace Aaron Nola — on a routine fly to finish it for a huge save.

The Phillie Phanatic swayed a National League champions flag as the postseason banger “Dancing On My Own” blared throughout the stadium. Alec Bohm and Nick Castellanos stripped off their shirts and danced in the clubhouse. Cigars were let. Cheap beer was sprayed. The alcohol puddles on the carpet went deeper than the ones caused by the rain in a sloppy, gusty Game 5.

Philly, get ready.

This sixth-seeded Phillies — yes, that is a thing this season — feel they're just getting started.

Harper, who turned 30 last week, is batting 439 (18 for 41) with six doubles, five homers, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored over 11 postseason games. He has hit in 10 straight and has reached base in 11 straight.

And the feared designated hitter can keep those streaks alive when he plays in his first World Series.

“To a certain degree, it’s getting overlooked because of who he is and the star that he is,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s a guy that’s a big star that’s delivered. Can’t say enough about that.”

Philadelphia finished third in the NL East at 87-75, a full 14 games behind the 101-win Braves this season, and were the last club in the majors to make the 12-team playoff field. After a 2-0 sweep of NL Central champion St. Louis in MLB’s newly created wild-card round, the Phillies needed only four games to knock out Atlanta, the defending World Series champs.

Now they'll try to become the first team that finished in third place to win a World Series.

The Padres took a 3-2 lead in a sloppy seventh inning as rain pounded Citizens Bank Park and turned portions of the infield, notably around third base, into a mud pit.

But it was Phillies reliever Seranthony Dominguez’s slippery grip that almost cost the Phillies.

Starter Zack Wheeler was fantastic again and struck out eight over six innings. He was lifted with a 2-1 lead after Jake Cronenworth's leadoff single in the seventh.

Dominguez couldn’t find his feel with the ball as the rain picked up, puddles formed near third base and the infield dirt turned to mush. He threw one wild pitch and Josh Bell lined a tying RBI double to right that made it 2-1.

Dominguz then threw two more wild pitches that allowed pinch-runner Jose Azocar to scamper home for the 3-2 lead. The righty reliever threw only three wild pitches in 51 innings all season -- then uncorked three in the seventh.

Things got tense in Philly.

But they always had Harper in their back pocket like a lucky charm.

“Harper had a huge moment there,” Padres slugger Manny Machado said. “You just have to tip your hat.”

Hoskins, Harper, Wheeler have left a trail of indelible moment at Citizens Bank as they improved to 5-0 at home, where they will play World Series Games 3, 4 and 5.

Game 5 of the NLCS was no exception.

The Phillies caught a break in the third when NL home run champion Kyle Schwarber was called out on a two-out stolen-base attempt. The call was overturned on replay, and the Phillies had new life.

Hoskins, who came hitting a quite memorable .171, smashed one into the left field seats off starter Yu Darvish as the crowd went wild. He hopped down the line as he mouthed some words to his teammates in the dugout and twirled his bat -- not unlike the steadily-spinning rally towels -- as he gave them a 2-0 lead.

Wheeler gave up Soto’s solo homer in the inning that made it 2-1. Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove snapped a Polaroid picture of Soto in the dugout.

Try as they might, the Padres weren’t ready for their close up.

The Phillies were picture perfect. Second baseman Jean Segura cleared a path on the infield as the rest of the Phillies sat near the mound, took off on a running start and slid head first into the team photo.

Then it was time to party.

Harper demanded it.

File video above: Houston and Philly fans celebrate World Series

Yordan Alvarez hit a towering go-ahead homer and the Houston Astros clinched their second World Series title in six seasons and got Dusty Baker his first crown as a manager with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night.

As Alvarez's 450-foot blast in the sixth inning disappeared, Astros starter Framber Valdez jumped and wildly screamed in the dugout as fans in the crowd of 42,948 went into a frenzy waving their orange rally towels.

Baker finally got his first title in his 25th season as a manager, the past three since being hired by the Astros to help the team regain credibility after the sign-stealing scandal that cost manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs, and made Houston the most reviled team in baseball.

The 73-year-old Baker, who had been to the World Series twice before as a skipper, is the oldest championship manager.

Houston's coaching and training staffs circled around Baker after Nick Castellanos flied out to end it, jumping up and down, and chanting “Dusty! Dusty! Dusty!” in the dugout before they joined the players on the field.

Alvarez’s homer cleared the batter’s eye in straightaway center, the backdrop that extends 40 feet above the field, and made it 3-1. It was the first time the Cuban slugger connected since the first two games this postseason.

Christian Vázquez added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 4-1.

Valdez earned his second win of this Series. He had been in the dugout only a few minutes after throwing his 93rd and final pitch while striking out nine over six innings.

But the lefty had walked off the mound with the wild-card Phillies up 1-0 on Kyle Schwarber’s solo homer leading off the sixth.

Schwarber, who hit his third homer in the past four games, rounded the bases waving his raised empty hand in the same motion as the fans with their towels.

But by the time Schwarber batted in the eighth, the NL's home run leader was reduced to bunting, trying for a hit to stir a dormant Phillies offense. His bunt went foul with two strikes, resulting in a strikeout.

In the sixth, Houston got two runners on base against starter Zack Wheeler for the first time in the game, with Jose Altuve reaching on a forceout after a hit batter and rookie Jeremy Peña singling.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson went to left-handed reliver Jose Alvarado to face the lefty slugger for the fourth time in the series — Alvarez had popped out twice and been hit by a pitch the first three times.

And Alvarado had allowed only three homers to left hitters in his six big league seasons, until his 2-1 pitch, when Alvarez crushed the 99 mph sinker.

Alvarez hadn’t homered since Game 2 of the AL Division Series against Seattle, when his two-run shot in the sixth inning put them up to stay. That came after his game-ending, three-run shot in Game 1 for an 8-7 win.

Houston won an American League-best 106 games and reached its fourth World Series during a span in which it made it to the AL Championship Series six seasons in a row. The Astros made their only other World Series appearance in 2005, while still in the National League, and were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox.

This was their third ALCS and second consecutive World Series since former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed after the 2019 season, when he had gone from Houston for two years since being part of their 2017 championship, that the team had used a camera in center field to steal signs and signal hitters on which pitches to expect by banging on a garbage can.

Philadelphia was 22-29 when Joe Girardi was fired in early June and replaced by bench coach Thomson, the 59-year-old baseball lifer getting his first chance a big league manager — he was on the Yankees big league staff for 10 seasons with Girardi, and was part of their last World Series and title in 2009.

The Phillies finished the regular season 65-46 under Thomson, their 87 wins good for the sixth and final spot in the NL playoffs, on way to their first World Series since 2009.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer is heading back to play major league baseball.

On Thursday, Major League Baseball announced in a statement that Bauer, which the league suspended in April for violating its joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy, has been reinstated.

CNN and ESPN reported that Bauer had his suspension reduced by an arbitrator from 324 games to 194.

In a statement, MLB said that although the neutral arbitrator "affirmed that Trevor Bauer violated Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy" and thought "a longer suspension was warranted," they will abide by the decision.

In a statement on Twitter, Bauer's employer said they were informed of the arbitrator's decision Thursday.

"We have just been informed of the arbitrator’s ruling and will comment as soon as practical," the team said.

Bauer also took to Twitter to express his excitement at getting back to playing.

"Can't wait to see y'all out at a stadium soon!" Bauer tweeted.

The 2020 National League Cy Young winner was accused by a woman of punching and choking her during two sexual encounters.

Bauer, who hadn't appeared in a game since June 2021, has repeatedly denied the accusations, claiming his encounters with the woman were consensual.

A judge, who previously rescinded a restraining order the woman had against Bauer, has stated that the woman's testimony confirmed the Dodgers player followed the boundaries the woman had set for him during their sexual encounters.

In February, the media outlets reported that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to press criminal charges against Bauer.

Following an investigation, MLB placed Bauer on unpaid administrative leave. Bauer appealed the decision, and on Thursday, the media outlets reported that arbitrator Martin Scheinman credited him for the time served on MLB's restricted list.

According to ESPN, the 31-year-old will be docked pay for the 50 games of the 2023 season and will be officially reinstated Friday.

With the stench of smoke permeating Yankee Stadium and wafting through its walkways, Major League Baseball postponed games in New York and Philadelphia on Wednesday night because of poor air quality caused by Canadian wildfires.

Video above: Smoke pours into Cassville, NY, from wildfires in Canada

A National Women's Soccer League game in New Jersey and an indoor WNBA game set for Brooklyn were also called off Wednesday amid hazy conditions that have raised alarms from health authorities.

The New York Yankees' game against the Chicago White Sox was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader starting at 4:05 p.m. on Thursday, and the Philadelphia Phillies' game against the Detroit Tigers was reset for 6:05 p.m. on Thursday, originally a day off for both teams.

“These postponements were determined following conversations throughout the day with medical and weather experts and all of the impacted clubs regarding clearly hazardous air quality conditions in both cities," MLB said in a statement.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for New York City, saying: "the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects." In Philadelphia, the NWS issued a Code Red.

The Yankees and White Sox played through a lesser haze on Tuesday night. A day later, stadium workers and fans arriving early to the ballpark wore face masks for protection in a scene reminiscent of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was business as usual for me coming in. I got in around 12, 12:30, and didn't really think too much of it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I actually walked outside about 2 o'clock and was like — like everyone else, like — whoa.”

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol thought MLB made the right decision postponing the game.

“These are health issues, right? So this has got to be it. We’ve been through everything — snow, rain, hail. I don’t think I’ve been through something like this,” he said. “Today at one point, it was pretty bad out there. We walked out of the dugout and it was kind of orange. They did the right thing. They got all the information.

“I’m assuming if Major League Baseball is comfortable setting up a doubleheader tomorrow, they have some type of information that it should be better than what it is today, or at least safe.”

In Philadelphia, the Phillies beat the Tigers 1-0 on Tuesday night in a game played in hazy conditions with the smell of smoke in the air. Afterward, manager Rob Thomson and his Phillies players said the conditions didn't affect them.

About a half-hour before Wednesday's postponement, Thomson said he thought the game would be played. But the Philadelphia skyline could not be seen from the ballpark in the afternoon, and the smoky smell remained.

Minor league teams nearby also changed plans. The Yankees' Triple-A affiliate at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania, and the Mets' top farm club in Syracuse, New York, postponed their games for the second consecutive night.

The Mets' High-A affiliate in Brooklyn completed a game Wednesday against Greenville that began at 11 a.m.

The WNBA called off a game between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty, saying the decision was made to “protect the health and safety of our fans, teams and community.” A makeup date wasn't immediately announced.

Even inside Barclays Center at the morning shootaround, reporters could smell smoke in the arena.

The NWSL postponed Orlando's match at Gotham in Harrison, New Jersey, from Wednesday night to Aug. 9.

“The match could not be safely conducted based on the projected air quality index,” the NWSL said.

At nearby Belmont Park, the New York Racing Association said training went on as planned Wednesday ahead of Saturday's Triple Crown horse race. However, NYRA canceled training Thursday morning at Belmont and Saratoga Race Course upstate “due to poor air quality conditions forecast to impact New York State overnight and into Thursday morning.”

NYRA said a decision about Thursday’s live racing program, scheduled to begin at 3:05 p.m., will be made Thursday morning “following a review of the air quality conditions and forecast.”

“NYRA utilizes external weather services and advanced on-site equipment to monitor weather conditions and air quality in and around Belmont Park," spokesman Patrick McKenna said Wednesday. "Training was conducted normally today, and NYRA will continue to assess the overall environment to ensure the safety of training and racing throughout the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.”

New York’s NFL teams, the Giants and Jets, both had Wednesday off from offseason workouts. The Giants had been planning to practice inside Thursday, and the Jets said they are also likely to work out indoors Thursday.

Youth sports in the area were also affected, with parents quick to voice concern about their children's safety outdoors.

In a statement Wednesday, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association said schools should understand that all schedules were subject to change.

“NJSIAA is closely monitoring air quality data across New Jersey and local/state health advisories. As start times for athletic events draw near, we will make decisions for each venue and sport based on currently available information,” the organization said.

It’s not the first time in recent years that wildfires forced changes to the MLB schedule. A two-game series in Seattle between the Mariners and Giants was moved to San Francisco in September 2020 because of poor air quality caused by West Coast wildfires.

About an hour after Wednesday night's game at Yankee Stadium was postponed, two fans visiting on vacation from Vancouver, British Columbia, were still lingering.

“It’s just circumstances. What do I say? It makes me disappointed because this is one of the highlights of the trip," said Malcolm, who was in town with his daughter and didn't want to give his last name.

“I have a heart condition. That’s the only reason I’m wearing two masks and whatever. And my personal thought is that, why wasn’t it canceled two days ago? Because we knew about all this two days ago. But having said that, I don’t want the players running around and putting out in this, too. It can’t be good for them.”

___

AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum, AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg, AP Pro Football Writer Dennis Waszak Jr., AP Sports Writers Tom Canavan, Pete Iacobelli and Stephen Whyno and AP freelance writers Larry Fleisher and Aaron Bracy contributed to this report.

NEW YORK (AP) — Slick-fielding third baseman Scott Rolen was elected to baseball’s Hall of Fame on Tuesday with five votes to spare above the 75% needed.

The seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner appeared on 297 of 389 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for 76.3%. A player needed 292 votes for election.

He became the 18th third baseman elected to the Hall, the fewest of any position.

Rolen’s 76.3% of the vote was the smallest margin for an electee since Al Simmons got 199 votes in 1953 for 75.38%, one more vote than needed. Ferguson Jenkins (75.4% in 1991), Ralph Kiner (75.41% in 1975) and Willie Keeler (75.55% in 1939) made it with one ballot to spare.

First baseman Todd Helton was second with 281 (72.2%) and reliever Billy Wagner third with 265 (68.1%)

Rolen will join Fred McGriff, elected last month by the contemporary baseball era committee, as the inductees at Cooperstown on July 23.

Among 14 players appearing on the ballot for the first time, Carlos Beltrán received 181 votes. Beltrán’s vote total likely was impacted by his role in the Houston Astros cheating scandal en route to the 2017 World Series title.

Rolen increased his votes from 63.2% last year and 10.2% in his first ballot appearance in 2018.

Helton moved up from 52% and can have five more appearances, while Wagner rose from 51% and has two additional chances.

Next year’s first-time eligibles include Adrián Beltré, Joe Mauer, David Wright, José Bautista and Matt Holliday.

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Major league baseball says it is investigating *** confrontation between *** Los Angeles Angels player and an *** fan that took place at the Oakland Coliseum last night. Video shows third baseman Anthony Rendon grabbed the fan through the guard rails accusing the man of heckling him. K views Amber Lee is live in Oakland with that video and Amber, you spoke to someone who witnessed the whole thing. That's right, Greg. The man tells me he's speaking out to give *** more complete picture of the incident. He says the video does not show everything that happened. This video posted on social media appears to show Los Angeles Angels player, Anthony Rendon grab an ace fan by his shirt, accused the man of calling him an expletive and attempt to hit him. *** baseball fan tells me he was sitting behind the young man grabbed by Rendon. *** little stunned. I guess it was just like took *** minute to process. You just don't expect to see that. Everybody was *** little stunned like, wow, did that really just happen? Michael Gailey says the game had just ended and that Rendon specifically looked for that fan. He seemed like very adamant. He knew that it was him. He wasn't like searching around. He went like right after this kid and you can see like he took the swipe at him and they break apart and the dad, the kid and his friend left pretty quickly. Gailey says what the video does not show is what happened. *** few minutes later, Anthony Rendon did come back down the tunnel and he came back to the same spot up against the gate and he was looking for the kid and you could tell that he realized that he had made *** mistake. He wasn't agitated or aggressive. It was like, hey, where did he go? Like, I think he wanted to apologize to him. I asked Gailey how he knew Rendon came back to apologize. The altercation happened. He was very aggressive and agitated and when he came back, he was like much more calm and reserved. Gay shared *** video he took during the game which he says shows the young man in *** green cap targeted by Rendon. Gailey says he doesn't know that fan and that he did not see him and the two people he was with Heckle Rendon at any time. He was like super kind and gracious to the fans that were in the area when he came back. So I think it's just like *** heat of the moment. I think both people are in the wrong. Like obviously the player has *** lot more to lose. Gay describes himself as *** Giants fan who is there to enjoy *** home opener. He's glad no one was hurt. We've reached out to the A's and Angels. We have not received *** statement from either team Oakland. Police say they're investigating this incident as *** battery and that the victim so far has not contacted them. Greg high emotions on opening day, Amber Lee live in Oakland for us tonight. Amber. Thank you.

MLB investigating altercation between Los Angeles Angels' Anthony Rendon and fan

Updated: 9:22 AM EDT Apr 1, 2023

Major League Baseball (MLB) is investigating an altercation between Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon and a fan during the team's Opening Day game against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.In a video posted on social media, Rendon appeared to grab a fan by the shirt and allege the fan called him a . Rendon then tried to take a swipe at the fan before walking away.Watch the video in the player above.There are no videos that appear to show the lead-up to the incident."We are aware of the video and we are now looking into the matter," an MLB spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.The Angels declined to comment on the matter and told CNN the team is expecting Rendon to address the media before Saturday's game in Oakland.The 32-year-old Rendon went 0-3 with a walk in the team's 2-1 loss on Thursday. Rendon is in his fourth year with the Angels after signing with the club for the 2020 season and missed most of last season with a wrist injury.

Major League Baseball (MLB) is investigating an altercation between Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon and a fan during the team's Opening Day game against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.

In a video posted on social media, Rendon appeared to grab a fan by the shirt and allege the fan called him a [expletive]. Rendon then tried to take a swipe at the fan before walking away.

Watch the video in the player above.

There are no videos that appear to show the lead-up to the incident.

"We are aware of the video and we are now looking into the matter," an MLB spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

The Angels declined to comment on the matter and told CNN the team is expecting Rendon to address the media before Saturday's game in Oakland.

The 32-year-old Rendon went 0-3 with a walk in the team's 2-1 loss on Thursday. Rendon is in his fourth year with the Angels after signing with the club for the 2020 season and missed most of last season with a wrist injury.