Reds Drop Last NL Series Against the Astros

The Reds will be sorry to see the Houston Disastros leave for the American League but they will not miss young Matt Dominguez.

His three-run home run off Johnny Cueto was the key blow in Houston's 5-1 win over Cincinnati for the last time as NL opponents.  The Reds are now and forever 439-399-1 in NL play.  The Reds were 10-5 this season and 41-20 against them in the last four seasons.

Dominguez with all of 29 big league games under his belt and just 13 this season has three home runs, all against the Reds.

The 23-year old California native was the 12th overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Astros for Carlos Lee.

Dominguez homered off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning Friday to win the game.  His three-run home run off the Reds' other Cy Young candidate was the key hit against Johnny Cueto today.

"Getting those off the best pitchers in the game will boost my confidence for the rest of the season," Dominguez said.

"Johnny was just getting the ball up. He was throwing the ball well. He threw a high change up to Dominguez," manager Dusty Baker said. "We didn't get a lot of offense against Gonzalez. He did a good job of mixing up his changeup and fastball."

"It was just one of those days," Cueto said through an interpreter.

Cueto spent the first five months of the season as Cincinnati's "Mr. Sunshine."
Now? Bring on the night.

He was 11-1 with a 1.87 ERA in day games before today.  He is 6-6 with a 3.31 ERA at night.  He has lost his last two daytime starts.

Cueto has logged a career-high 192 inning now but insists he's not tired.


He insisted fatigue wasn't an issue.

I'm working hard," he said. "We're all working hard. I have three more outings. I'm just going to try to keep working hard."

He needs to win all three to get to the magic 20-win mark for the season.

The Reds could not do much against Mexican League castoff Edgar Gonzalez, who left after five innings with a blister on his right foot.

Gonzalez was released by Oakland and Colorado earlier in the year.  He pitched at Colorado Springs and the Mexican League before the Astros signed him in August, sending him to Oklahoma City until September.

The Reds lone run scored on a triple by Jay Bruce, following a walk to Joey Votto.

Bruce continues his hot streak while the Reds around him are wearing down.  The Reds still young rightfielder drove in his 96th run, one short of his career high.  He has a nine-game hitting streak with a .438 average in that period.  He's hit six home runs with 15 RBI with an RBI in each of his last seven games.

He is the first player in Major League history to hit at least 20 home runs as a rookie and improve on that total in each of the last four seasons.  He hit 21 as a rookie in 2008, 22 in 2009, 25 in 2010, 32 last season and 33 this season.  Only five players have done that at any point in their career, let alone the first five.  The others are Hack Wilson 1926-30, Willie Stargell 1967-71, Jim Thome 1998-02, Derrek Lee 2001-05 and David Ortiz (2002-06.

Notes:

Todd Frazier's streak of reaching base in 30 straight games ended on an 0-for-4 day with two strikeouts. It was the longest such streak by the Reds this season....Joey Votto has reached base in 10 of his 16 plate appearances over four games, since coming back from knee surgery....Tony Cingrani made his Major League debut. He pitched three innings and struck out five batters but allowed a home run to Tyler Greene...Didi Gregorius got his first Major League hit. It was an infield hit in the sixth....The Reds bullpen lowered it's Major League best ERA to 2.70 with five innings of one-run baseball in relief of Cueto.