Just Call Rose, Perez Little Red Machine

It was a throwback for Cincinnati Red fans: Rose to Perez for the out.

For the first time since his major league call-up, Pete Rose Jr. got to play third base with boyhood friend Eduardo Perez at first base Saturday. Perez had hoped to play across the infield from Rose Jr. during his debut Monday, but had to sit out after being beaned last week.

Rose Jr., the son of baseball’s all-time hits leader, pinch-hit in the fourth inning of a 13-4 loss to Pittsburgh at Cincinnati and stayed in the game at third base for four innings. Perez, the son of former Red first baseman and Manager Tony Perez, was already at first.

It was the first time that a Rose and a Perez were on the field defensively for Cincinnati since the fourth and final game of the 1976 World Series victory over the New York Yankees.

Rose Jr. threw out Jermaine Allensworth on a nice play in the seventh inning, but made two errors on one play that set up four unearned runs in the eighth.