Reds Take Yankees to Complete Winning Road Trip

The hand wringing can stop.  The second guessing can stop.  There is a long way to go but the Reds just put together a challenging winning road trip with a 5-2 win over the New York Yankees and in the process may have found a new closer.

Johnny Cueto shook off his first bad outing of the season in Atlanta on Tuesday and humbled the Yankees in their home park. The only bump in the road was crossed in the bottom of the sixth.  Robinson Cano doubled and one out later the red-hot Raul Ibanez hit a home run to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Ryan Ludwick, who missed the first two games of the series, hit a home run off Yankee starter and ace C.C. Sabathia.  Ludwick was hitting .183 and appeared to fall behind leftfield teammate and rival, Chris Heisey, who has started to hit.  Ryan Hanigan followed with a home run one out later.  Zack Cozart batting ninth singled off Sabathia's shin.  Heisey struck out but Drew Stubbs didn't.  Stubbs walked and Sabathia had to bear down.  Joey Votto went 0-for-3 but walked for the second time on a 3-2 pitch.  Brandon Phillips got into a quick 1-2 hole but coaxed a walk on a 3-2 pitch.

Cueto had no trouble in the seventh and the Yankees succumbed in order.

Ludwick opened the eighth with a single.  Hanigan walked with one out but the threat fizzled.

Curtis Granderson singled to open the eighth.  Dusty Baker tapped into the best bullpen, statistically, in the National League.  Sean Marshall, who had been used in the closer's role, was used as a lefty, lefty matchup specialist.  Marshall struck out Robinson Cano swinging.  Baker called on Logan Ondrusek with a runner on  first.  It was the 19th base runner that Ondrusek inherited this season.  Alex Rodriguez hit a long fly to left that appeared to be a home run off the bat but the wind kept it in the park.  Heisey, who had a couple nice running catches, squeezed it for the out.  Ibanez then popped to short.  Ondrusek has now stranded 18 of the 19 inherited runners.

The Reds are at the bottom of the major leagues in hitting with runners in scoring position. Phillips and Jay Bruce singled with two outs and Ludwick delivered them with a double to give the Reds a 5-2 lead.

For the first time this season Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth.  He had pitched in three of the last four games.  The concern about Chapman as the closer is his ability to pitch in back-to-back games that is required of a closer.

The Reds will soon find out.  Chapman slammed the door striking out Andruw Jones to nail down his first save of the season and second of his career.