Reds Get Fast Start - Slow End

The Reds hit Kansas City Royals pitcher so hard in the first inning that people parked beyond the outfield fences were moving their cars.

Chris Heisey crushed a pitch by Danny Duffy.  The ball lined high off the fence in Surprise, Arizona for a double.

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Ryan Ludwick hit a long home run one out later.  Todd Frazier crushed another Duffy pitch and sent it high to centerfield.  The wind was howling that way anyway, but the ball didn't need the extra push.

Devin Mesoraco lined the first of his two singles up the middle.  He scored after advancing to second on a wild pitch and a two-base throwing error by Mike Moustakas.

The prosecution rested after that inning and the Royals rallied to win, 9-5.

Johnny Cueto was on the mound for his second start and was excellent for the first two innings.  Salvador Perez did hit a 3-2 pitch for a home run after Cueto fanned the first two hitters, Billy Butler and Alex Gordon.  After the home run, Cueto caught Mike Moustakas with a called third strike.

The third inning was another story.  The Royals battered, bruised and bludgeoned Cueto in the third inning.  Justin Maxwell singled.  After Jason Donald struck out, Jarrod Dyson singled.  Danny Valencia lined out to Heisey in center.

"There were runners on first and third with two outs and Johnny just couldn't make that one pitch to get out of the inning," Bryan Price said.

Eric Hosmer hit a high fly to center and it carried in the wind for a three run home run.  Butler and Gordon tripled back to back and Perez doubled.

"That wind; I'm not making an excuse, but I thought the home run was a fly ball," Cueto said.  "I was trying to find my landing spot because I was opening too much and got my pitches up."

"I thought the first two innings were the real Cueto," Price said.

The Royals scored two runs off 2011 first-round draft choice Robert Stephenson to add on.

The Reds got a run when Roger Bernadina, who is trying to win a roster spot, hit an infield single to raise his average to .500.  Ryan LaMarre, who earlier in the day, got batting tips from Jay Bruce, lined a single to center to close the scoring for the Reds.

"I came to spring games a couple of years ago and Jay and I have been friends," LaMarre said.  "He's been doing things the right way for a long time.  When he takes the time to even watch you, listen."

The real key to the Reds offense was the ball that Ludwick hit.  Last year when he returned from his shoulder injury, he had no pop in his bat.  The ball he hit off Duffy was hit hard.

"I think Luddy is 100 percent healthy," Price said.  "He really squared that pitch."