Net result:
The Reds open their CINCINNATI — final home series today with the first of a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox.
Rookie right-hander Sal Romano (5-6, 4.07 ERA), a Long Island, N.Y., native and Southington, Connecticut resident, will make his first appearance against the Red Sox in his 15th career overall start. Romano is 1-1 with a 1.45 ERA in three September starts.
Romano, who lives halfway between Boston and the Bronx, admits he’s pumped to face the Red Sox.
“I’m a big Yankees fan,” he said. “I’ve been to a lot of Yankees-Red Sox games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. I wish we were playing in Fenway Park. I know the Yankees are three games behind them. It’ll be pretty cool to face them.”
Romano will face a right-hander struggling through an unusual season. Rick Porcello (10-17, 4.46) won the American League Cy Young Award and Comeback Player of the Year Award last season after leading the league in wins at 22-7 for East champion Boston.
Porcello has slid backward in 2017, leading the league in losses and threatening to become the first pitcher to lead the league in losses one season after leading in wins since White Sox righthander LaMarr Hoyt led the AL with 18 losses in 1984. Hoyt had won 24 games and the Cy Young for the White Sox in 1983.
Porcello is 6-3 in August and September for the first-place Red Sox (88-64).
Footage of a young girl being hit by a Todd Frazier foul ball at Yankee Stadium — and the former Red’s heartfelt reaction — has gone viral and renewed conversation about extending protective netting further down the foul lines.
The Reds on Thurs d ay announced a plan to install additional netting at Great American Ball Park next season, extending it to the end of each dugout and replacing the existing netting behind home plate.
Hopes that catcher Devin Mesoraco might squeeze in some at-bats before the end of the regular season appear to be dashed, manager Bryan Price said.
Mesoraco has been on the disabled list after sustaining a broken left foot when he was hit by a pitch Aug. 14.
Devin done: Workload upgrade:
Price reported that “everything went well” when right-hander Anthony DeSclafani threw a 42-pitch side session in Arizona on Wednesday.
DeSclafani threw a three-inning simulated game Monday and is pitching in games every five days. He’s scheduled to throw 65 pitches in Arizona on Saturday.
TODAY’S GAME
Reds Sox at Reds, 7:10 p.m., FS Ohio, 700, 1410
It’s only midseason, but tonight’s Week 5 high school football games will be highlighted by the Southwestern Buckeye League version of the Super Bowl.
That’s a proper sendoff for SWBL powers Franklin and Valley View. Both are 4-0, state-ranked and have separated themselves from the rest of the 12-team league. That’s why it’ll be standing-roomonly at 7 p.m. at Germantown’s Barker Field.
“I look for it to be a great high school environment,” Franklin coach Brad Childers said.
Barring upsets, this will decide the SWBL Southwestern Division title. That’s what happened last season when Franklin won 41-8. The Wildcats finished 10-0 in the regular season, while the Spartans were 9-1. Both teams should be playoff-bound, Franklin in Division III and Valley View in D-IV.
Franklin’s go-to offensive standout is senior running back Ryan Montgomery (659 yards rushing, 12 touchdowns). Valley View quarterback Collin Wood has been just as effective (683 yards passing, seven TD passes).
But Valley View senior running back Collin Genslinger has been limited to mostly defense after being slow to recover from knee and ankle injuries in the preseason. Last season he rushed for 1,703 yards and had 32 touchdowns.
“Franklin looks really fast, especially on defense, and then they’ve probably got the best player (Montgomery) in the league on offense,” Valley View coach Bob Skidmore said. “I just hope our combination of everybody can pull together and make something happen.”
The Dayton Flyers DAYTON — received their Atlantic 10 championship rings in late August. It’s the second straight season they found another reason to celebrate a regular-season title months after the end of the season.
“First and not the last,” sophomore guard Trey Landers said in a video UD posted to Twitter.
“I like that!” senior guard Darrell Davis said. “I’ve got one more for you all. One more!”
Three of the 10 scholarship players entering the 2017-18 season have two rings: Davis, Josh Cunningham and Xeyrius Williams. Landers and Kostas Antetokounmpo each won their first last season, though Antetokounmpo sat out the season as an NCAA partial qualifier. Four freshmen, along with new coach Anthony Grant and his coaching staff, will seek their first ring this season.
The quest for that ring has begun. The Flyers begin practice later this month. They can start as early as Sept. 29, which is six weeks before the season opener against Ball State on Nov. 10.
Dayton held an individual skill workout Thursday at the Cronin Center and talked to the media about rings and other things