Johnny Cueto Wins 19th Game Brewers Near Elimination

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The run challenged Milwaukee Brewers and run challenged Cincinnati Reds squared off to see who could score the most.

Neither team scored many as the Reds held on for a 3-1 win.

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The Brewers had an excuse with one of the National League's stingiest pitchers in Johnny Cueto on the mound in his next to last start of the season with hopes of winning both to set a new career-high with 20 wins.

The Brewers had Mike Friers on the mound and in spite of winning just six games, he has been very stingy himself in his eight starts since joining the Brewers' rotation on August 9.  He has a very tiny 1.78 ERA over those starts.

Todd Frazier hit his 28th home run of the season, extending his career high.  Devin Mesoraco followed with his 25th, also extending his career high.

"We have a couple of guys there without question, who are just skimming the surface for what they can do," Bryan Price said.  "They are going to get smarter with more experience."

Cueto kept the Brewers quiet after a slow start.  Carlos Gomez opened the game with a single but Cueto picked him off.  Scooter Gennett walked but was thrown out trying to score on Aramis Ramirez single by Billy Hamilton.

"I felt really strong in the first inning but it didn't help me control my fastball," Cueto said.  "After that I calmed down and was able to throw the ball better."

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Cueto allowed Gomez's 22nd home run with two outs in the sixth but just one hit after that.

Cueto finished with eight innings, allowing one run on four hits and striking out seven.

The Reds added a cushion in the bottom of the eighth against Jeremy Jefferess.  Brayan Pena doubled to lead off the inning, batting for Cueto.  Yorman Rodriguez ran for Pena.  Rodriguez was bunted to third by Hamilton and scored on a single by Jason Bourgeois.

Aroldis Chapman, seeking his 34th save in 36 attempts was wild coming out of the bullpen.  Chapman hit Gomez to start the inning and fell behind Rickie Weeks at 2-0.  Weeks looked at a called third strike.  Jonathan Lucroy.walked.  Ramirez struck out swinging.  Ryan Braun struck out to end the game while becoming Chapman's 100th strikeout victim of the season.

Cueto will pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who clinched at least the wild card spot as the Brewers were eliminated, on Sunday in an attempt to win his 20th game.

Starting pitcher's wins have been discounted over the years but Bryan Price a former pitching coach still believes they are important.

"To win 20 games you have to keep yourself in the games longer," Price said.  "The complete game has almost vanished, when the league leader has just six or seven, you're leaving a lot of games in the hands of someone else.  I've had pitchers that have won a lot of games and didn't have the statistics to back that up and I've had a lot of pitchers like Mike Leake, who has won 11 or 12 games that pitched better than that.  Look, 20 is a big number.   When you look at Johnny, it is 19 wins and leading the league in innings pitched.  That to me is one of the reasons that he has 19 wins because he's kept himself out there."