Reds Shutout Cubs as Cueto and Cordero Come Back in 2-0 Win

Johnny Cueto

Johnny Cueto was the first Reds starter to avoid a run.

Francisco Cordero pitched a perfect ninth a day after his first blown save.

Cueto and Homer Bailey missed the first six weeks of the season but both pitched well in their season debut.  They both recovered from spring training injuries.

Clutch Man Monie as Dusty Baker calls Ramon Hernandez singled in Jay Bruce, who is continued to come around with two of the Reds five hits.   The other two were by fellow outfielder, Drew Stubbs, who doubled and homered off former Red, Ryan Dempster, who took the loss.

Great defense by super sub, Miguel Cairo, helped Cueto manuever through the Cubs lineup that managed six singles.

Sam LeCure pitched out of a bases loaded jam for the second time in the series, this time it was mostly of his own making.

Cueto started the seventh and Alfonso Soriano fought off a good pitch and grounded it into the hole between short and third.  Bill Bray came in to pitch to Carlos Pena.  Bray struck him out and LeCure, who filled in as a starter until Cueto and Bailey healed.  LeCure got a fly ball from Geovanny Soto, then hit pinch hitter Reed Johnson and walking Kosuke Fukadome.  LeCure bowed his back and coaxed a chopper to Cairo at third.  Cairo stepped on third to end the inning.

Nick Masset continued his recovery from a bad April.  Masset struck out Marlon Byrd.  Aramis Ramirez singled and Masset was called for the second Reds balk of the day.  Both were called by the infamous "Balkin" Bob Davidson, who is known around baseball for his propensity to call the balk.  He nailed Cueto earlier.  Masset got Jeff Baker to fly out and struck out Soriano.

Cordero got back on his horse and retired Pena, Soto and Blake DeWitt in order.  Pena hit the game-tying home run Saturday off Cordero.  This time he flied out to Stubbs, who was goosed by the ivie in center.  Soto  struck out.  DeWitt, who singled and scored the winning run on Saturday, took Cordero to a full count before he flied out to Stubbs.

The only disappointment on the day for the Reds, was that Joey Votto was 0-for-4 and did not get on base.  He fell one short of the Dave Collins feat of reaching base safely in the first 34 games of the 1981 season.