Dodgers star helps Reds rookie get ball from first big-league home run

TJ Friedl collects two hits on second day in big leagues

There was one bright spot for the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday even as they lost 8-5 to the Los Angeles Dodgers and suffered their eighth straight series loss.

TJ Friedl, who was called up to the Reds on Saturday, recorded his first big-league hit, a home run in the sixth inning, in his second big-league at-bat.

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Friedl will get to keep the ball he hit into the right-field stands, too. Bally Sports cameras showed a fan throwing the ball from the stands to Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts, who then tossed it to Reds first-base coach Delino DeShields.

Betts rewarded the fan by giving him a bat.

“That’s just first class,” Friedl said. “It’s incredible for him to do something like that. I want to go over there and just say thank you in person. That’s all I can really say. It means so much to get that ball back.”

Betts told reporters he autographed the bat for the fan.

“I wasn’t really doing it for cameras or anything,” Betts said. “I was just doing it because he immediately threw the ball back and didn’t give even ask her anything.”

Friedl, 26, signed with the Reds as a free agent in 2016 and worked his way up to the Triple-A Louisville Bats this season. He hit .264 in 113 games before getting promoted. He made his debut Saturday as a pinch hitter and popped out to third base. He came off the bench again Sunday and went 2-for-2

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