"HA HA," very funny, it's Game 69. From the vantage point of both early April or the depths of May, I don't think I expected this team to be 3.5 games behind both the Cards and Brewers (though for very different reasons in each case). It's nowhere to write home about, but the Reds' June is still about survival.
Even though the Reds ultimately lost the hard-luck slugfest Clayton Kershaw and Johnny Cueto both started two turns a go on June 4, they may have jarred something loose. The young lefty gave up another 6 earned in his last start against Colorado. Meanwhile, Johnny Cueto is fresh off arguably his best start of the season. You can actually hear him getting better. I'm not sure how to fully account for Cueto's breakout in Ks during his last start. The Giants' offense may have helped, though their bats are collectively below league average in SOs. He's been taking a little bit more off his slider this season, while giving it a little more bite. Cueto's contact rates are high, compared to his career averages, but hitters are taking some bogus cuts. And they may be squaring around on a lot more thin air if Cueto keeps commanding his stuff the way he did in SF.
Though the last Kershaw-Cueto duel ended up ugly, it's still nice to get an encore performance. I'm enjoying this West Coast trip more than I thought I would.
Lineup after the jump.
Lineup:
Stubbs CF
Phillips 2B
Votto 1B
Bruce RF
Rolen 3B
Heisey LF
Hernandez C
Janish SS
Cueto RHP