ST. LOUIS -- Hot-hitting shortstop Zack Cozart moved up to the No. 2 spot in the batting order for Friday's game, with Jose Peraza getting a break. Cozart had been hitting in either the sixth or seventh spot for the first 19 games. He went 1-for-5 with a run scored in the Reds' 7-5 loss.
It's a move that manager Bryan Price said could happen more in the future.
"There's a chance you could see more of that," he said. "It's not just the way he's hitting; it's the fact he has 13 walks. His on-base is just under .500. I think in front of really the big run-producers, [Joey] Votto, [Adam] Duvall, [Eugenio] Suarez, [Scott] Schebler, I think it's important that we have more opportunities to score.
"Our first two hitters, Billy [Hamilton] and Jose [Peraza], neither one has gotten off to a great start. I need to get somebody up there toward the top that is going to get on base at a higher rate, at least until Jose and/or Billy begin to pick it up a bit."
Leadoff man and center fielder Billy Hamilton and Peraza both had .261 on-base percentages through the first 22 games. Cozart entered Friday's game at .493, the highest on the team by a significant margin among regular starters.