Reds win game, series 2-1.

The Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Game

Dusty Baker. With Sean Marshall struggling to deal with C.B. Bucknor's floating strike zone and an elevated pitch count, Baker yanked his closer in favor of Logan Ondrusek to close out the 2-1 game. Ondrusek rewarded Baker's unorthodox move by earning his first save.

The non-trollin' JNMHSotG goes to Johnny Cueto, of course. He didn't allow a run in seven innings, matching goose eggs with Milwaukee ace Zack Greinke. He walked just one against five strikeouts. Honorable mentions go to Brandon Phillips (2 for 4, RBI), Drew Stubbs (2 for 4, R), and Joey Votto (1 for 4, R, RBI).

Key Plays

• This was a quickie early on. Greinke didn't allow a baserunner until Drew Stubbs' double in the fourth. Stubbs stole third but was stranded by Votto and Phillips. The Reds didn't get another man on until El Beeperino slapped a two-out single in the seventh, but he was also stranded.
• Meanwhile, Johnny was throwing rockets again. He got in a bit of a jam in the second inning, but a Taylor Green GIDP bailed him out. Cueto left the bases loaded in the third and allowed a couple of deep flies in the sixth, but completed seven innings unscathed.
• All the runs in this game were scored in the ninth. Drew Stubbs singled and then scored from first on a Joey Votto hit to the gap (generously scored as a double) with two outs. Phillips then singled in Votto. 2-0, Reds.
• Sean Marshall came in to close, and drama ensued. Ryan Braun led off the ninth with a solo HR. Corey Hart hit one to deep center with one out, but Stubbs caught it at the wall. Jon Lucroy then singled after an 11-pitch AB, and Norichika Aoki followed with a single of his own.
• Dusty then said enough of this business, or something to that effect. He looked deeply into the Closer Crucible and summoned a newly-forged warrior known as Logan Ondrusek to finish the game. Lurch walked George Kottaras but then coaxed a flyout from Travis Ishikawa. Reds win, 2-1.

via www.fangraphs.com

Other Notes

• Cueto entered the game with a 90% strand rate ... and raised it to 92%.
  
• Todd Frazier got his first start of the season in LF.
  
• Aroldis Chapman completely overpowered the 9 (PH) - 1 - 2 spots of the Milwaukee lineup in the eighth, striking out two and hitting triple digits on the gun. His scoreless streak is now at 15 2/3 innings. Add another 6 if you're counting last year. [h/t to Derek91]
• The Reds are now 9-1 in series-ending games.
• This was win no. 1,500 for Baker. If you can run that distance in meters in under 3:43, get yourself to the U.S. olympic trials.