“That’s an interesting way to score”.
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Cory Kluber finally received some run support behind 3 HR’s including a 3 run blast from Michael Brantley in the 1st inning as the Indians evened up their series with the Reds winning 9-4.
The Reds ultimately lost after Pedro Villareal gave up two runs in the 11th inning. He then walked Gomes for force in the Indians’ go-ahead run and Jason Kipnis followed with a sacrifice fly. Both of Brantley’s RBI came on bases loaded walks. “That’s not something I’m usually looking for”.
But the command issues resurfaced for Cueto in the second inning when he issued three walks, one with the bases loaded to force in a run, putting the Indians ahead 1-0. Salazars eight wins matches his previous career total.
By all rights, Cleveland should have destroyed the Reds in regulation in this game, but they squandered a number of opportunities and left a small army on the bases. “Once we were punched in the stomach (in the ninth), I liked how we kept playing”.
Cueto’s struggles aren’t in a vacuum, as Sunday’s game comes off his shortest outing of the season: a five-inning loss to the Marlins on the July 12, the Sunday before the All-Star Game.
Johnny Cueto, eighth in strikeout-to-walk ratio in the National League entering the game, walked a season-high six batters in a season-low four innings.
It was the sixth time in his career that Cueto walked six batters.
“‘No pitcher wants to come in and sit for 45 minutes and go back out there”, Cueto said through interpreter Tomas Vera.
Reds: LHP Tony Cingrani pitched five scoreless innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday in the fourth appearance and third start of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. Cueto is coming off an 8-1 defeat at Miami where he gave up five runs (three earned) in five frames.
At least the Cincinnati Reds, and what was left of the soaked crowd of 38,982 at game’s end, had reason to cheer because of a 6-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the teams’ first game after a four-day All-Star break.
An injury to Ivan De Jesus Jr.in the 10th meant Tucker Barnhart played right field and Brandon Phillips played shortstop for the first time since 2007. He allowed two runs in six innings of a 7-3 win in Cleveland on May 22.
Carlos Carrasco worked around Suarezs solo home run to last six innings, allowing four hits and one run with one walk and six strikeouts. The Indians Roberto Perez has gotten him twice, on May 23 and Juy 19.
The rematch of Cleveland’s Corey Kluber and Cincinnati’s Anthony DeSclafani was, at best, only half as good as the original – and a breath of fresh air for the Indians’ right-hander.
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“Kluber managed the game with men on base”, Reds manager Bryan Price said. “You have a better chance to see Johnny pitch a one-hit shutout than a game like that”. It was an anomaly. “You just don’t see games like this, not at this level, very often”.
