Reds batboy inspires Todd Frazier to hit home run, win pizza

Cincinnati Reds batboy Teddy Kremer had two requests Thursday night: He wanted pizza and a home run from third baseman Todd Frazier.

Kremer, who has Down syndrome, had been the Reds’ batboy before and knew that if Cincinnati scored 11 runs in a victory, everyone gets free pizza.

That’s where Frazier came into play in the sixth inning Thursday. His 420-foot home run, his fifth of the season, gave the Reds an 11-1 lead, which eventually became the final score.

“I started smiling even before I hit home plate because I knew it,” Frazier said. “They said he forgot to pick the bat up, so the umpire was yelling at him. ... You can’t get mad — even if you have a terrible day. How can you be mad when you’ve got a guy like that around?”

Red shortstop Zack Cozart echoed those sentiments.

“Teddy’s awesome, this is the second time he’s been the batboy since I’ve been here,” Cozart said.

Wire service and Internet reports contributed to this story.

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