Johnny Cueto dominated a struggling Pittsburgh lineup as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates coming off a four game set against the Tigers where they struck out a total of 53 times, did nothing against Reds’ starter, Johnny Cueto. Thanks to two solo homers off Pirates’ starter Wandy Rodriguez, and four walks and three wild pitches that led to three more runs off Mike Zagurski, the Reds were able to cruise past Pittsburgh, snapping the Pirates three game winning streak.
Jay Bruce broke the scoreless tie with a solo homer in the top of the fourth inning. On a 1-1 pitch, Rodriguez grooved a fastball and Bruce drove it over the wall in right-centerfield. It was just the third hit in Bruce’s last 33 at-bats against Wandy Rodriguez.
The Reds threatened to break the game open, but Rodriguez induced a long flyout to left field from Joey Votto to strand runners on the corners.
Brandon Phillips led off with a solo shot to left field. On a 2-1 pitch, Phillips lined a hanging change up to left and the ball cleared wall just feet off the left field line.
Rodriguez limited the damage to just two solo shots. He was able to pitch seven strong innings, allowing just five hits while striking out five in the process. The control seemed to be somewhat of a problem as the lefty walked five Reds batters but Cincinnati failed to capitalize with runners on, stranding seven against Rodriguez.
“They hit the ball well and I just missed my spots,” said Rodriguez who remains one win back from Cole Hamels for most NL wins by a southpaw since 2005.
Wandy missed spots but Mike Zagurski missed areas.
Zagurski came in to relieve Wandy Rodriguez in the top of the eighth and hit Brandon Phillips on the first pitch of the inning with a 93 mph fastball. Phillips raised his hands in frustration over getting drilled as it may have been retaliatory for Andrew McCutchen getting drilled in the first by Cueto.
In the end, Phillips would get the last laugh.
The All-Star second baseman stole second, advanced to third on a base hit by Jay Bruce, then score on a wild pitch to push Cincinnati’s lead out to three. After a free pass to Todd Frazier, Zagurski surrendered a single to Derrick Robinson that scored Jay Bruce to extend the lead to 4-0 Reds. Cincinnati would tack on two more runs in the ninth.
With the way Johnny Cueto was pitching, it didn’t matter.
Cueto faced the inning minimum in every inning except the first and while the strikeouts were drastically reduced from the last series, the Pirates weren’t able to make solid contact against the right-hander. After hitting McCutchen in the first inning, Cueto sat down 25 of the next 26 hitters.
Brandon Inge broke up the no hit bid in the fifth with a one out single. But he was erased on Clint Barmes’s 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. It would be the last time the Pirates saw a base runner in this game.
Due to an agonizingly long top of the ninth inning, Cueto was lifted. His final line: eight innings, one hit, six strikeouts and one walk.
“We saw it all tonight,” said manager Clint Hurdle, “[Cueto] was very stingy out there.”
The silver lining in this game may be that the Pirates have the Reds right where they want them. Pittsburgh has won six straight series despite losing the first game four times during that stretch.
Francisco Liriano (3-1) will look to even the series when he faces Mike Leake (4-2), Saturday night.
Photo courtesy of ESPN
