Reds' Byrd: Collision rule unfair to runners

With a play at the plate on Friday night, Reds left fielder Marlon Byrd slid into home plate as Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos awaited the throw from left field. Next time, Byrd said, he won't.

It's the second year of the controversial rule banning home plate collisions, but players still aren't 100 percent sure of what to do in every situation. With the rule in the back of his mind, Byrd slid into home, even though in his mind he was risking an injury. Had the rule banning collisions not been passed before the 2014 season, Ramos "would have been on his back," Byrd said.

"I'm sliding because that rule was made to protect catchers," Byrd said. "The problem is when you're going to slide in and the catcher comes in and tries to get you. That's a problem."

Byrd said he doesn't feel the rule is fair to the runners, that he was put in a vulnerable position. But because of the rule, he slid.

"Those are the rules, so I try to go in and play by the rules," Byrd said. "Even if he does catch the ball and tag me out, I'm safe, because he's right on top of the plate. I understand it's coming from the left field and where the ball is, but still, that's the rule. I would have been very upset if I had gotten hurt in that situation."

Ramos wasn't able to handle the throw in from left field and Byrd slid into him. Afterward, Byrd was visibly unhappy with the way the play unfolded and asked home plate umpire Jerry Meals what would have happened had he barreled over Ramos, and Meals said he would have been called safe.

"But I don't have time (to make that determination), because I'm playing within the rules," Byrd said. "My thought is run, slide in and try to beat the tag, I'm not thinking a catcher is going to try to barrel into me."

This wasn't always the case, Byrd said.

"Before that rule, he's on his back," Byrd said. "It's automatic, he's on his back. I'm not trying to hurt him, I'm trying to get as low as possible so I hit him in the chest, I'm not going for the head, which is what I've always done when I've played before this rule. But again, I'm going in to slide because this rule is for the protection of the catchers."

HOOVER'S MOMENT: Bryan Price has talked about his confidence in reliever J.J. Hoover, but Friday night he showed it.

After Tony Cingrani walked the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth inning and the Reds leading by three, Price went to Hoover to face the Nationals' Ian Desmond.

Hoover rewarded his manager, striking out Desmond to get the Reds out of the jam and on to victory.

"I think yesterday was another step in the elevation back into those late game situations for J.J.," Price said. "That wasn't coming into a 4-2 game down, it was coming into a 5-2 game with the bases loaded and a really good hitter at the plate making really good pitches. His misses were just off the plate away, didn't make any mistakes to the middle of the plate that could of effected the outcome of the game and threw the ball with great confidence. That's the J.J. we know that can help us in those situations."

Jumbo Diaz has become the Reds' late-inning right-hander with Tony Cingrani the left-handed compliment to get to Aroldis Chapman. But Price said he still needs Hoover and lefty Manny Parra to get big outs late in games, as well.

"You do have to have the two-headed monsters in those roles," Price said. "You can't just go to Cingrani. Parra is going to have to get some lefties out pitch against some of those tough lefties. Hoov is going to have to get out those tougher right-handed hitters when Jumbo needs a day off. That can be situational or we can just go with the freshest arm if they're all throwing the ball well. That would really help."

Hoover struggled mightily in 2014, going 1-10 with a 4.88 ERA. He allowed 13 home runs in 62 2/3 innings last season. Entering Saturday's game, Hoover hadn't allowed a home run this season and was 2-0 with a 2.88 ERA.

Most of that ERA comes from a bad outing in Milwaukee, when he couldn't find the strike zone. He allowed four runs on three walks and a hit, retiring just one batter in a 16-10 Reds victory. He hasn't given up an earned run in the 15 games since. Also in that 15-game span entering Saturday, he's allowed just four hits and six walks over 13 1/3 innings, striking out 12.

Price said in another situation he may have gone to closer Aroldis Chapman early, but Chapman wasn't available for more than one inning, he said, so he felt confident in Hoover. And Hoover delivered.

"We knew going into it that it wasn't going to be a multiple-inning situation for Chappy," Price said. "I'll leave it at that just from what we knew going into yesterday's game on where he was. Under different circumstances, it would have been Chapman in that situation. We knew he was going to be up once, and in once yesterday. I knew that going into the game or that would have had a different flavor to it in the eighth for sure."

ONE FOR ALL: Price didn't want to get too many details about the dust-up between the Nationals' Bryce Harper and Reds first baseman Joey Votto in Friday's game, but he was happy to see his players sticking up for each other. Harper took his time going to first base after Tony Cingrani hit him in the seventh inning of the Reds' 5-2 win, and Votto had a little to say to Harper about it.

Both Harper and Votto downplayed the events after the game, but the bad feelings were evident on the field.

"I did read the quotes that came from the other side and it seemed like cooler heads prevailed," Price said on Saturday. "Of course I wasn't in the middle of it either, as you guys were I was more of a spectator from the dugout then being right there at first base with Joey. Either way, it was handled. It's important that we stand up for each other and I'm sure their players if things gone any further would have stood up for their player but I think it was good to see Joey was able to make it, provide some level of stopping things before it got started."

AILING NATS: Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was scratched from the team's lineup on Saturday as a result of being hit in the back on Friday night by Reds reliever Tony Cingrani.

Nationals manager Matt Williams told reporters that Harper was hit in the spine by Cingrani's 93-mph fastball and he couldn't get loose on Saturday.

Harper stretched and warmed up with the team before Saturday's game, but then went back into the clubhouse and didn't come back.

After Friday's game, both Williams and Harper said they didn't think Cingrani hit him on purpose. Hitting Harper brought the go-ahead run to the plate. The pitch was Cingrani's first of the night.

"It just got away from him, it's part of the game," Harper said after Friday's game. "It just got away. There's nothing I can do. It just hit me."

Harper entered Saturday leading baseball in RBI (43), walks (42), on-base percentage (.468), slugging percentage (.773) and OPS (1.201). He is also tied for the MLB lead in home runs with 18 and is second in runs scored (41). He was also fourth in the National League and ninth in MLB with a .329 average.

Also on Saturday, the Nationals placed Friday's starter, Stephen Strasburg, on the disabled list. Strasburg left Friday's game after pitching to one batter in the second inning with a strained neck. He was sent back to Washington on Saturday.