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As Nick Castellanos crossed home plate following his go-ahead grand slam on Monday, he tapped Alejo Lopez on the chest and congratulated the rookie. As Lopez, who scored on the play, walked to the dugout, Aristides Aquino grabbed him by the shoulders and was seen talking to him. Then, when he came into the dugout, Joey Votto gave the new arrival a pep talk as well.
It was just about as perfect a debut as anyone could have in the big leagues. Lopez, 25, had never set foot inside Great American Ball Park before Monday, and he walked out of it one of the heroes of a Reds comeback, a 12-4 victory over the Phillies in a game that the team trailed by two runs in the seventh inning when he stepped to the plate for the first time as a big leaguer.