Reds ready to play five games in 50 hours

ST. LOUIS -- Neither Reds manager David Bell nor catcher Tucker Barnhart could remember playing two doubleheaders in two days since their time in youth travel baseball. The Reds haven’t faced such scheduling since Sept. 10 and 11, 1968. And yet that’s precisely the task that’s ahead of them as Cincinnati and St. Louis play four games between Saturday and Sunday.

“Everything we do in this game presents a challenge,” Bell said on Saturday morning. “Obviously a different one than most of us have experienced, but both teams have the same challenge.”

Reliever Sal Romano was added to the Reds’ roster as their 26th man for the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, and he’ll remain with the team after rosters expand on Sunday.

Barnhart, a native of Brownsburg, Ind., joked that the last time he played four games in two days may have been at a tournament in St. Louis in his teens. At the time, he was both a catcher and an infielder, and now he has the unusual benefit of being a catcher with a lighter workload than his teammates are likely to have.

“I can’t necessarily speak for everybody, because I am going to have a couple days off, at least the start of them,” Barnhart said. “But I would imagine for guys that are playing every game, they’re going to have to really take their time to rest as much as they can just so they can be ready to play on the field.”

Bell confirmed that Barnhart and Curt Casali would each catch two games in the four-game set, with the Reds also having Kyle Farmer available as catching insurance. That should allow the players to maximize their output and minimize the effects of playing five games in 50 hours, including Monday’s scheduled matinee against the Phillies in Cincinnati.

“Honestly, try not to do too much,” was how Barnhart described his plans for preservation. “Not only do we have four games in two days, but we also have a day game when we get back to Cincinnati, too. So five games in, like, two and a half days. It’s going to be rough, but you’ve got to try not to think about it.”

“We knew coming in it was going to be a challenging weekend,” Bell said. “I’m less concerned that we’re not getting enough [work] in. That’s usually not my concern. The way our guys work, it’s usually the other way. I feel like a lot of times we do too much.”

Stephenson solidifies place in bullpen in flux

In order for the Reds to build momentum through this tough stretch of the schedule, it will require stability from their bullpen. Closer Raisel Iglesias took his 10th loss of the season on Thursday night in Miami, and though Bell deferred extended judgment after the game, Iglesias told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon through a translator that, “It is frustrating as a pitcher that you come in to pitch one inning and you have 10 losses and only 25 saves. It hurts.”

If Iglesias falters, one option Bell could turn to is Robert Stephenson. Stephenson hasn’t allowed a run in August, a span covering his past 11 appearances. Despite a rough stretch in July -- 14 runs (13 earned) in 14 2/3 innings -- Stephenson has established himself as a core piece in a bullpen, which has had a significant amount of personnel turnover following the Trade Deadline.

“Robert’s had a great year for himself and for our team,” said Bell, who also complimented Stephenson's slider. “Looking back at Spring Training, he makes our team, and we’ve known he’s been talented, but he got an opportunity and he has really been good all year. There was a stretch of games where he struggled, but every pitcher goes through something like that. Other than that stretch, he’s really been outstanding.”

Stephenson, who explained that he’s been better about attacking the strike zone, said, “It’s awesome for me. I’m happy about being able to step up and help the team out any way I can. I feel like things have been going really well for me, and I just want to continue to help the team.”

Stephenson also said that he would be able to rely on his routine to get him through this unusually difficult period.

“So as long as I stay prepared and do everything that I would normally do, then I’m ready to go,” Stephenson said.

“A lot of times it comes down to pitching, to bullpen,” said Bell, regarding the challenges of the weekend. “We kind of have five games that we’re looking at. We’re all kind of in the same boat.”