Tuesday evening’s game started out as a pitchers’ duel. It ended as a duel between bullpens–as in, “which bullpen is going to blow this game.”
Fortunately, the Brewers’ bullpen outlasted the Reds’ pen to win, 3-2 in 10 innings, and up their record to 6-1, while sending the Reds back to .500 at 4-4.
Reds’ 22 year-old rookie Johnny Cueto set out to prove that his debut last Thursday against the Diamondbacks was no fluke; Brewers’ starter Jeff Suppan also set out to prove that his start at Chicago last Wednesday was also not a fluke.
Both accomplished their goals–both lasted more than six innings and neither gave up more than two runs.
Cueto surrendered the first run of the game in the bottom of the third when catcher Jason Kendall singled in J.J. Hardy. The Reds had to wait until the top of the seventh for Reds’ centerfielder Corey Patterson to single in first baseman Joey Votto. But Bill Hall countered with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh to reclaim the lead for the Crew and chase Cueto to the showers. Cueto completed 6.33 IP, allowed 5 hits to 8 K’s, with 0 walks leading to the two earned runs. Suppan left after seven with just the one earned run; ironically, both Suppan and Cueto finished the game with 2.02 ERAs on the season.
Guillermo Mota walked a pair in the top of the eighth, but gave way to Brian Shouse who was able to get the third out. The 2-1 lead held until the top of the ninth, when Patterson’s solo shot off Eric Gagne tied the game at 2-2, that eventually sent the game into extra innings.
While Salomon Torres was able to keep the Reds off the board in the 10th, former Brewer David Weathers–despite 13 of his 14 pitches going for strikes–gave up the winning run when Rickie Weeks singled in Hardy to give the Crew the win.
On the long night, only Hardy and Kendall collected multiple hits–both went 3-for-4; both Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun went 0-for-4, with a strikeout apiece.
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