April 15, 2000
Cincinnati Reds 5, Los Angeles Dodgers 4
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Eddie Taubensee, batting cleanup for the first time since 1998, matched his career-high with four RBIs Saturday night as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4. Taubensee's two-run double off Alan Mills (0-1) in the seventh snapped a 3-3 tie. Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. drew two-out walks before Taubensee lined a 2-2 pitch into the right-field corner. Scott Williamson (1-1) got two outs for the victory. Danny Graves pitched two innings to earn his team's first save of the season. The loss snapped a five-game Dodgers' winning streak, which equaled their longest since they won seven straight in 1997.
April 14, 2000
Los Angeles Dodgers 8, Cincinnati Reds 1
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Orel Hershiser, star of the 1988 World Series, made a triumphant return to Dodger Stadium on Friday. Hershiser, back with Los Angeles after a five-year absence, pitched six strong innings as the Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 in their home opener. The 41-year-old right-hander scattered six hits before being relieved by Terry Adams to start the seventh with the Dodgers leading 2-1. Hershiser (1-0) walked two and struck out two as the Dodgers won their fifth straight. Gary Sheffield had three hits and drove in the first two Los Angeles runs. His two-out homer off rookie Rob Bell (0-1) in the first gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Bell allowed four hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out six. The Dodgers broke the game open with six runs off Scott Sullivan and Dennys Reyes in the seventh.
April 12, 2000
Colorado Rockies 7, Cincinnati Reds 5
DENVER (AP) - Todd Helton and pitcher Masato Yoshii each hit two-run singles, leading the Colorado Rockies over the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 Wednesday. Yoshii allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. Reliever Jose Jimenez (2-0) pitched one inning as the Rockies took two of three games from the Reds for their first series win of the season. Ken Griffey Jr. was 2-for-4 with a pair of singles, driving in a run for the eighth straight game. With the score 4-all in the seventh, Dennys Reyes (0-1) walked Brian Hunter, who was sacrificed to second and scored on Mike Lansing's single. Larry Walker singled, Jeff Cirillo was walked by Scott Williamson and Helton followed with a two-run single for a 7-4 lead. Julian Tavarez picked up his first save of the season.
April 11, 2000
Cincinnati Reds 10, Colorado Rockies 3
DENVER (AP) - Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 13th career grand slam Tuesday night to lead the Cincinnati Reds over the Colorado Rockies 10-3. Griffey, who on Monday became the youngest player to hit 400 home runs, was 2-for-4 with five RBIs. He has homered in three straight games. Griffey is 10th on the career slam list, tied with Harold Baines, Robin Ventura and Mark McGwire for the lead among active players. His previous slam was last April 30. Dmitri Young added four hits, including a three-run homer for the Reds, who have at least one home run in each of their first nine games. That was plenty for Ron Villone (2-0) as the left-hander held the Rockies to two runs and four hits in seven innings. Brian Bohanon (0-1) gave way to former Reds reliever Gabe White, but Griffey hit an 0-1 pitch into the second deck beyond right-center field.
April 10, 2000
Colorado Rockies 7, Cincinnati Reds 5
DENVER (AP) - Ken Griffey Jr. became the youngest player to hit 400 career homers, but the Colorado Rockies beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 in their home opener Monday behind two-run homers from Mike Lansing and Todd Helton. The Rockies got six strong innings from Rolando Arrojo (1-0), who became the first Rockies starter to win this season. Griffey tied the game 1-all in the fourth with an opposite-field homer off Arrojo. At 30 years, 141 days, Griffey beat the previous mark, set by Jimmie Foxx, who was 30 years, 248 days old. Arrojo allowed two runs and six hits. Monday's game was the first at Coors Field for new manager Buddy Bell. Steve Parris took the loss (0-2). Stan Belinda got the final out for his first save. David Cromer hit his first major league home run for Cincy.
Griffey Jr. becomes youngest to hit 400 homers
DENVER (AP) - Ken Griffey Jr. became the youngest player to hit
400 career homers in Cincinnati's 7-5 loss against Colorado.
Griffey's historic homer came on the 50th birthday of his father,
Reds coach Ken Griffey Sr. It was the fourth time he has homered
on his father's birthday. "The biggest thing is, I tell my dad
it's a cheap way of not buying him a gift on his birthday," said
Junior. "So he'll get this ball. My mom got 399, and he's got
400. But it's on his birthday, so it's a special moment for both
of us, especially that I can do it in front of him." Griffey tied
the game 1-1 in the fourth with an opposite-field homer off
Rolando Arrojo. At 30 years, 141 days, Griffey beat the previous
mark, set by Jimmie Foxx, who was 30 years, 248 days old. Griffey
is fifth on the career list among active players (Mark McGwire
525, Barry Bonds 447, Jose Canseco 431, and Cal Ripken Jr. 403).
Reds-Rockies game delayed by power surge
DENVER (AP) - Play was suspended for 13 minutes during Colorado's
homer opener Monday against Cincinnati because of a power surge
that knocked out the stadium lights on the cloudy afternoon. The
Rockies were leading 5-2 and had two runners on with one out in
the sixth when a generator apparently short-circuited. The large
scoreboard in left field momentarily went blank, and most of the
stadium lights, which had been turned on in the top of the
inning, went out. Umpire crew chief Tim McClelland ordered the
teams off the field until the power could be restored.
April 9, 2000
Cincinnati Reds 8, Chicago Cubs 7 (11)
CINCINNATI (AP) - Junior got that long-awaited first homer in Cincinnati, starting a late comeback that got the Reds a win, too. Ken Griffey Jr.'s two-run homer began Cincinnati's comeback from a six-run deficit, and he walked and scored the tying run in the 11th as the Reds pulled out an 8-7 victory Sunday over the Chicago Cubs. After Chicago went up by a run in the top of the inning, Matt Karchner (0-1) walked Griffey and third baseman Shane Andrews threw away Hal Morris' bunt, sending Griffey home. Alex Ochoa won it with a single to right. Junior ended the day 1-for-4 with two walks. Danny Graves (2-0) got the win despite giving up Damon Buford's RBI single in the top of the 11th. Sammy Sosa hit his second homer of the series.
Reds sign Charlton to minor league contract
CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Reds have signed left-handed
relief pitcher Norm Charlton to a minor league contract and
assigned him to Louisville of the International League. Charlton,
37, was with the Reds in 1990 when they won the World Series. He
won 12 games that season and struck out 117 over 154.1 innings.
Charlton was an important member of the "Nasty Boys" bullpen the
first half of the 1990 season and later moved to the starting
rotation. He ended the season as a reliever and played for the
Reds through the 1992 season. Since then, he has played for
Seattle, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta and Tampa Bay. He led
Seattle in saves with 20 in 1996. His career record is 47-52 with
96 saves and a 3.67 ERA. He has 759 career strikeouts and 392
walks. In spring training this year with Tampa Bay, he had a 4.00
ERA with no decisions over nine innings.
April 8, 2000
Cincinnati Reds 4, Chicago Cubs 3 (11)
CINCINNATI (AP) - Pokey Reese's hard-hit single off third baseman Jeff Huson drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning Saturday, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Mark Guthrie (0-1) gave up a one-out walk in the 11th to Alex Ochoa, who stole second. After Aaron Boone was walked, Guthrie struck out Benito Santiago with the infield drawn in. Matt Karchner came in and gave up Reese's single, which Huson couldn't stop. Reese's second hit of the game completed a frigid game dominated by Reds pitchers, who retired 20 Cubs in a row over one stretch. Danny Graves (1-0) pitched the last two innings for the win. Ken Griffey Jr. had an RBI single -- only his second hit for his hometown team -- and Boone and Dante Bichette hit solo homers as the Reds tied it at 3 after six innings.
April 7, 2000
Chicago Cubs 10, Cincinnati Reds 6
CINCINNATI (AP) - Sammy Sosa hit a two-run homer deep to center field in his first at-bat and added a sacrifice fly to the warning track as the Chicago Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-6 on Friday night. Sosa outshined Ken Griffey Jr. in their first head-to-head meeting in the regular season since 1991. While Sosa broke out of an 0-for-16 slump with his first homer of the season, Junior struck out, grounded out twice, popped out, and hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth. Rick Aguilera got the final out for his second save. The Cubs scored a season-high in runs and Andrew Lorraine (1-0) beat the Reds for the first time in three career starts. The Cubs rolled up six runs over four innings against Pete Harnisch (0-1), who was pitching on three days' rest for the first time since June 1996.
Reds send White to Rockies for Aybar
CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Reds swapped relievers with
Colorado on Friday night, sending left-hander Gabe White to the
Rockies for right-hander Manny Aybar. White, 28, got hit hard in
spring training and his one appearance this week. He gave up a
two-run homer to Tyler Houston in an 8-5 loss to Milwaukee on
Wednesday. Aybar, 25, went 4-5 with a 5.47 ERA in 64 relief
appearances and one start for the St. Louis Cardinals last
season. He went to the Rockies in the deal for pitcher Darryl
Kile last November.
April 6, 2000
Cincinnati Reds 5, Milwaukee Brewers 1
CINCINNATI (AP) - Ken Griffey Jr. is no longer hitless in Cincinnati. Junior got his first hit for his hometown team, a run-scoring single in the first inning Thursday night, and the Cincinnati Reds got their first win of the season, 5-1 over the Milwaukee Brewers. Michael Tucker and Aaron Boone homered and Ron Villone (1-0) made two saving defensive plays. Griffey slapped a 3-2 pitch from Jaime Navarro (0-1) toward left-center -- the same area where Pete Rose's record-setting hit No. 4,192 landed 15 years ago. The single scored Pokey Reese from third and ended Griffey's 0-for-10 introduction into the NL. Griffey is now 1-for-14. Navarro gave up six hits and five runs in four innings. Villone gave up one run on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Reds' Wohlers prepares for return
CINCINNATI (AP) - Mark Wohlers removed the Cincinnati Reds cap
from his sweaty brow and walked off the mound with a big smile on
his face. Another workout, another step forward. Wohlers threw
batting practice to Deion Sanders for 10 minutes Thursday. He
threw fastballs at less than top speed, but liked where the ball
went and how his elbow felt. It was the first time he had thrown
off the Cinergy Field mound since last year, when he was trying
to regain his control after a bout of wildness. His comeback
attempt ended and his career was threatened when he tore a
ligament in his pitching elbow during a minor league game,
requiring reconstructive surgery on July 6. "It's just fun to get
back on a mound again," Wohlers said. "There for a while, I
thought I wouldn't be able to get on any mound, let alone a major
league mound."
April 5, 2000
Milwaukee Brewers 8, Cincinnati Reds 5
CINCINNATI (AP) - Kevin Barker, Tyler Houston and Geoff Jenkins homered but Ken Griffey Jr. remained 0-for-Cincinnati as the Milwaukee Brewers overpowered the Reds, 8-5, Wednesday night. Seven different Brewers scored and seven had at least one hit as Milwaukee improved to 2-0 under first-year manager Davey Lopes. While the Brewers got the most out of their 10 hits, the Reds again wasted opportunities. They were 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position, leaving them 3-for-26 this season. Griffey walked, grounded out three times against Milwaukee's infield shift, struck out and stranded two runners on third. He's 0-for-10 in three games. Jimmy Haynes (1-0) got the win in his first National League start. Steve Parris (0-1) took the loss.
April 4, 2000
Milwaukee Brewers 5, Cincinnati Reds 1
CINCINNATI (AP) - Jeromy Burnitz homered twice Tuesday night, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Davey Lopes got his first win as manager in the makeup of Monday's opener, a 3-3 tie called in the sixth due to rain. Burnitz had solo shots in the first and ninth for the eighth multihomer game of his career. The Brewers pulled away by scoring four runs off the stingiest bullpen in the majors last season. Dante Bichette's misplay in right field let in the go-ahead run in the seventh, and the Brewers loaded the bases and scored two more in the eighth. Ken Griffey Jr. failed to get the ball out of the infield for the second game in a row and is 0-for-6 overall. Dmitri Young homered for Cincy and Scott Williamson (0-1) took the loss. Reliever Jim Bruske (1-0) got the win.
April 3, 2000
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds, Postponed
CINCINNATI (AP) - A steady rain spoiled Ken Griffey Jr.'s eagerly awaited homecoming Monday, letting up just long enough for the slugging center fielder to get a pregame ovation and two empty at-bats. Then, it returned to wash away one of the most closely watched games of Griffey's life. The Cincinnati Reds blew a three-run lead and wound up tied with the Milwaukee Brewers 3-3 in the sixth inning. After a three-hour delay, the game was called because of rain and a foreboding forecast. It will be made up on Tuesday night, played in its entirety. All statistics from Monday's game count. It was the first time the Reds had failed to complete an opener since umpire John McSherry collapsed and died in the first inning in 1996, forcing a postponement.
April 2, 2000
Reds' Casey out 2-to-3 weeks with broken thumb
(AP) - First baseman Sean Casey will be sidelined for 2-3 weeks
with a broken thumb on his throwing hand, ending the Cincinnati
Reds' remarkable run of good health. Will Clark's hard-hit
grounder deflected off Casey's right thumb Saturday during an 8-3
exhibition loss to Baltimore in Chattanooga, Tenn., causing an
injury that was initially thought to be a bruise. X-rays and
other tests performed in Cincinnati early Sunday found that Casey
had chipped a bone on the inside of the thumb. Dr. Timothy
Kremchek said there should be no lingering problem once it heals
in a few weeks. Casey was stunned when X-rays found the chipped
bone. He went to a hospital for precautionary tests when the team
arrived from Chattanooga late Saturday. "I thought it was just a
bruise, the way it felt," he said. "I'm not depressed about it.
It happened. It's something I have to deal with."
April 1, 2000
Dodgers trade Castro to Reds
(AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers traded backup infielder Juan
Castro to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday for a player to be
named later. In parts of five seasons with the Dodgers, Castro
hit .188 with two home runs and 23 RBI. He hit .274 with seven
home runs and 51 RBI for Triple-A Albuquerque last season.