Let’s recap today’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Minnesota 0
Cincinnati 6
W: J. Cueto (9-3)
L: B. Duensing (1-3)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Another brilliant start by Reds ace Johnny Cueto. Cueto spun seven shutout innings, allowing a mere three hits while striking out nine. Heck, he even knocked in two runs at the plate (one on a squeeze bunt!). On the season, Cueto is now 9-3 with a 2.21 ERA. That’s good, my friends.
–Scott Rolen was 2-3 with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI. Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce were each 2-4 with a double (Bruce also scored two runs). Brandon Phillips hit a deep two-run homer off the batter’s eye in center field in the fourth inning that got the Reds on the board.
–Jose Arredondo and Alfredo Simon pitched two perfect innings to close out the win.
NEGATIVES
–None.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–The four-game losing streak is over. This is a positive development.
–Johnny Cueto is 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA in June. If Cueto isn’t on the National League All-Star team in a couple of weeks, there is no justice in the world.
–Scott Rolen’s batting average is finally over .200! Rolen even bumped his OPS above 600 for the first time in a while. Maybe he’ll get on an extended hot streak. In the five games since his return from the disabled list, he has gone 7 for 18 with three multihit games.
–That’s 61 consecutive games with at least one homer at GAB, the longest active streak in the majors.
–Today’s game was the sixth sellout of the season at the ol’ ball orchard.
–Okay, Reds need to win the series tomorrow. Mike Leake will be the starter.
Source: FanGraphs