Cueto’s Return Successful In A Reds Win Over Mets.

For a month we have been waiting for Johnny Cueto to make his first start since being placed on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle. Well tonight in New York it was a successful start because he got the win and no shock here he was rusty that’s to be expected but he battled through it as the Reds defeat the Mets 4-3 on Monday Night in Flushing, New York.

Jay Bruce go ahead homerun to break a 3-3 tie in the top of the sixth inning was the game winner as he was able to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Also ironic is that the big bats for the Reds Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips both extended hitting streaks as well tonight. Cueto struggled with control early  with walking 4 batters you won’t see that from Cueto that often at all.

The overall line on Johnny Cueto was he pitched 5 innings, three runs allowed, three hits, walked four and striking out eight. He threw 90 pitches in all and probably that was the limit Dusty was targeting on Cueto tonight on pitch count.

Reds jumped out right out of the gates on Mets starter Shawn Marcum. With Joey Votto and Shin Soo-Choo on second and third with one out Brandon Phillips hit a single to right bring in both of them. Jay Bruce doubled to right to score Phillips to give the Reds a early 3-0 lead in the first.

Cueto struggled early and in the fourth inning allowed a three run homerun to Marlon Bryd who has hit well against Cueto in his career to tie the game at three at that point. After that he settle down nicely retiring the next eight batters while striking out six in that span.

Aroldis Chapman came in the ninth looking for redemption after a rough outing in Philadelphia yesterday afternoon with allowing back to back homers to lose it. Tonight he had that look went 1-2-3 including getting a strikeout to end the game and only throwing 10 pitches now that’s the Chapman we know.

With the win Reds are now 5-2 in their nine game road trip with two remaining against the Mets. Tomorrow Mike Leake will go on the mound for the Reds. First pitch is at 7:10pm.