| Final | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|
|  Cincinnati Reds  (41-38) | 6 | 12 | 1 |
|   San Francisco Giants  (46-34) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
|  W: Cueto (8-5)    L: Bumgarner (9-5)   S: Chapman (16) | |||
|  Fangraphs Win Probability |   The Worldwide Leader’s Box Score  |   Game Photos | |||
Positives
Johnny Cueto handily won the Cy Young candidate showdown against Madison Bumgarner. It was Cueto’s first start at AT&T since Game One of the 2012 NLDS, when he left the game with an injury after throwing just eight pitches. Tonight, he gave up two runs in 8.1 innings, allowing only three hits and two walks. It was the third time in the in the past eight starts where Cueto has gone at least seven innings.
The Reds broke the game open in the fifth inning, sending ten batters to the plate and scoring five runs against Madison Bumgarner. Hits by Devin Mesoraco, Chris Heisey, Zack Cozart, Billy Hamilton, Todd Frazier and Jay Bruce all contributed. For the second night in a row, Cozart knocked in the first run. One other key to the inning was the jump that Chris Heisey got on Johnny Cueto’s sacrifice bunt, beating the throw to third base on a so-so bunt. By the end of the fifth inning, the Reds win probability was 96.6 percent.
Jay Bruce drove in another run in the seventh inning with two outs. Before tonight’s two hits in four at bats, he was hitting .308/.358/.588 in June. He’s driven in 17 runs in 24 games this month, a pace that would mean 115 for the year. His stolen base provides further evidence that his knee is fine.
Todd Frazier had three hits and a walk. Billy Hamilton had three hits.
Zack Cozart made a great defensive play in the ninth inning on Pablo Sandoval, ranging far to his right and throwing off-balance to force Hunter Pence out at third base.
Negatives
Nada.
Not so random thoughts
The win was the Reds’ third in a row and sixth in their last seven. Their record is 16-8 in June. It’s a good thing they held off breaking up the team.
The Brewers won again. They have the best record in baseball. The Cardinals won and remain one game ahead of the Reds in the loss column.
The fifth inning was the first time that Madison Bumgarner had given up five earned runs in an inning since July 30, 2011, a span of 91 starts. The team that nicked Bumgarner back then? Your Cincinnati Reds. That night, the runs were driven in by Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Chris Heisey. The runs were scored by Edgar Renteria, Joey Votto, Phillips, Miguel Cairo (who was batting fifth!) and Bruce. MIke Leake, Bill Bray, Logan Ondrusek and Nick Masset pitched for the Reds.
Brandon Phillips was charged with an error in the second inning on a ground ball by Sandoval. While it was a play that Phillips has made countless times in his career, it was a tough, tough chance and a brutal scoring decision.
Brayan Peña is hitting .128/.171/.154 in the month of June. He’s scored one run in 45 plate appearances.