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Jesse Winker hit his first career game-ending homer against the Rockies on June 7 and got a pair of Carlos Gonzalez’s white batting gloves during the series as a keepsake. He wore them for another career breakthrough on Thursday night.

Winker hit his first major league grand slam during a big sixth-inning rally [url=http://www.redskinscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-jonathan-allen-jersey]Authentic Jonathan Allen Jersey[/url] , putting Matt Harvey in line for his second win for the Cincinnati Reds, 6-2 over the Chicago Cubs. The Reds sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six times, matching their biggest inning of the season .

”Guys put together great at-bats in front of me,” Winker said. ”Obviously, you can’t hit a grand slam unless guys get on base.”

Kyle Hendricks (5-7) walked three to set up the two-out rally, including Eugenio Suarez with the bases loaded. Hendricks has equaled his career high with four walks in each of his last two starts.

”That’s not me, giving up walks like that,” Hendricks said. ”Those were the problem there.”

Winker connected on the second pitch from left-hander Randy Rosario, who hadn’t allowed a homer this season. The Reds’ sixth grand slam of the season moved them into a tie with Boston for most in the majors.

Billy Hamilton walked, stole a base, scored and singled home the final run during the rally.

Harvey (2-5) went six innings for his first victory since May 22, allowing five hits, including Javier Baez’s two-run double. He’d lost his last three decisions with the Reds [url=http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kareem-martin-jersey]http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kareem-martin-jersey[/url] , who got him from the Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco in a deal on May 8.

”He was really good,” interim manager Jim Riggleman said. ”He’s getting better and better.”

Harvey plunked Kris Bryant on the left hand and Anthony Rizzo on the left shin in the third inning, but both remained in the game. Baez’s two-run double was his fourth extra-base hit in the last two games.

Amir Garrett relieved and fanned Rizzo on three pitches to end a bases-loaded threat in the seventh. Jared Hughes pitched out of a two-on jam in the eighth and finished for his fifth save.

The Reds have won four straight, their second-best streak of the season. They took six in a row from May 8-13.

ROSTER MOVES

The Reds put outfielder Scott Schebler on the bereavement list, optioned struggling left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta to Triple-A Louisville, and called up outfielder Phillip Ervin and left-hander Kyle Crockett. They also released catcher Tony Cruz.

ALL EVEN

The Reds’ comeback left the NL Central teams tied 3-3 in their season series. Chicago has gone 43-20 against Cincinnati since 2015, including a 23-11 mark at Great American Ball Park.

EVEN DOZEN

Scooter Gennett gave Hendricks a workout with a 12-pitch at-bat in the first inning before flying out.

VOTT-OH

Joey Votto came into the game 8 for 16 in his career against Hendricks with a pair of homers and 10 walks. He grounded out, struck out and walked.

GETTING TWO

Harvey tried to put down a sacrifice bunt in the fifth, but catcher Willson Contreras quickly got to the ball and threw to second to start an inning-ending double play.

STATS

Jason Heyward had three singles and a double for his ninth career four-hit game. … The Reds have six grand slams in the last 31 days. The only other teams in NL history with six in 31 days were the 1996 Expos, the 1997 Braves and the 2006 Mets, according to STATS. … Suarez extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: Yu Darvish felt good a day after throwing 50 pitches in a simulated game, manager Joe Maddon said. He could begin a rehab assignment soon. Darvish has been sidelined since May 23 because of tendinitis in his right triceps. … Left-handed reliever Brian Duensing could rejoin the team Friday. He’s been on bereavement leave following his grandfather’s death.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Jose Quintana (6-5) started at Great American Ball Park on May 19 and allowed just one hit in seven innings of a 10-0 win. He’s 2-0 in three career starts against the Reds. The left-hander has been much better on the road this season: 2.78 ERA in eight starts compared to a 6.00 ERA in six starts at Wrigley Field.

Reds: Luis Castillo (4-8) has lost his last four starts, allowing 16 earned runs in 20 2/3 innings. One of his best starts came against the Cubs on May 19 [url=http://www.buccaneerscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-m.j.-stewart-jersey]Authentic M.J. Stewart Jersey[/url] , when he gave up one run in five innings of a 5-4 victory.




Fantasy football players who miss out on the elite quartet of running backs can still make a pair of moves to boldly position for a championship.

Selecting Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the first round isn’t shocking. After all, Hopkins comes off a 2017 season that saw him catch 96 passes for 1,378 yards and 13 touchdowns. Over the past three seasons, Hopkins has been targeted a whopping 518 times despite the offensive struggles of the Houston offense.

It’s taking Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson next where pencils and jaws will drop.

Running backs have regained the upper hand atop most drafts and sound logic suggests waiting until the fourth or fifth round to consider a quarterback in standard leagues. In this case, throw logic aside and step out of the safe zone to roll the dice on what will be the best pass-catching duo available. Even with questions about his surgically-repaired knee, Watson is that good and has the potential to outpoint any running back not named Todd Gurley II, Le’Veon Bell, David Johnson or Ezekiel Elliott.

High risk move? Why, yes, yet Watson averaged 43.2 fantasy points in his last five starts before tearing an ACL. Watson threw all but one of his 19 touchdown passes in that span, with six of those going to Hopkins, who averaged 95.6 yards and 9.4 targets per contest. With Watson at the helm, Hopkins averaged 16.2 fantasy points per game [url=http://www.dallascowboysteamonline.com/mike-white-jersey]Authentic Mike White Jersey[/url] , giving them a combined total of 59.4 fantasy points between the duo.

Cornering the market on a QB-WR combo that potent is worth the risk, especially when fantasy players consider that the Texans open the regular season with five straight games against opponents (at Patriots, at Titans, vs. Giants, at Colts, vs. Cowboys) that were 21st or worse in fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. In a potential fantasy playoff scenario in Weeks 15 and 16, Houston gets the Jets (19th) and Eagles (24th), giving the gamble even more appeal.

Missing out on the top two tiers at running back means following up the Hopkins-Watson combo with a receiver such as Larry Fitzgerald of the Cardinals (or a tight end like the Eagles’ Zach Ertz or Travis Kelce of the Chiefs), bolstering the team in a PPR format. The fourth round will unearth a solid back or two like Jordan Howard of the Bears.

If Watson is healthy and the Texans offense is that good, a fantasy title could be in sight.

CAUGHT IN A BIND

Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (groin) will be out until late August, leaving his fantasy baseball owners in a major bind. There is some relief on the waiver wire, as Pirates backstop Elias Diaz has emerged as a solid hitter (.286 batting average, seven homers [url=http://www.raiderscheapstore.com/brandon-parker-jersey-cheap]Brandon Parker Jersey Raiders[/url] , 25 RBIs) and Omar Narvaez of the White Sox is quietly hitting .285 with modest power numbers.

There no such thing as completely replacing Sanchez, yet Diaz and Narvaez provide reasonable options to keep production sound behind the plate.

KEEPING UP WITH JONES

Youngster Erik Jones ($9,600/FanDuel, $8,400/DraftKings) snapped his four-race streak of top-10 finishes when he placed 16th in last week’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire but has a good opportunity to start anew in Sunday’s Gander 400 in Pocono. Jones comes into the weekend having scored at least 21 points in seven of his last nine races.

Jones, who won at Daytona earlier this month, is a good sleeper pick as he seeks to end what has been an impressive July.



This column was provided to The Associated Press by the Fantasy Sports Network, .

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