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 Devin Mesoraco and Todd Frazier homered in support of Cueto, who
pitched eight strong innings Tuesday, lifting the Reds to a 3-1
victory over the Brewers in the opener of a three-game series at
Great American Ball Park.
Center fielder Carlos Gomez homered for Milwaukee (80-77), which has
lost five of six. The San Francisco Giants lost later Tuesday,
keeping the Brewers mathematically alive. With five games remaining,
the Brewers trail the Giants by five games for the second National
League wild card.
After spending 150 days in first place in the NL Central, which
Milwaukee led by 6 1/2 games on June 28, the Brewers have dropped 19
of 26.
"We've been trying to get this thing done and win some games,"
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "And every night, it just seems
to be the same game."
Cueto (19-9) allowed one run on four hits, with one walk and seven
strikeouts to reach 19 wins for the second time in his career.
"He really was in command after the first inning," said Reds manager
Bryan Price. "It was a phenomenal performance. If you want to win 20
games you have to keep yourself in the ballgame."
Cueto is scheduled to start the season finale against Pittsburgh on
Sept. 28, when he will attempt to become the first Reds pitcher to
win 20 games since Danny Jackson won 23 in 1988.
The last Reds right-hander to accomplish the feat was Sammy Ellis in
1965.
"It would feel really good to do that," said Cueto of 20 wins. "I
hope to feel as good, like today, on Sunday. I just need to go out
and do my job."
Brewers starter Mike Fiers (6-4) gave up two earned runs -- both
homers -- in five innings Tuesday night, and following the game
echoed the frustration of his teammates over the second-half
collapse.
"It's always tough," said Fiers. "We kind of gave it away. We had a
lot of opportunities. It was in our hands."
Center fielder Billy Hamilton denied Milwaukee's struggling offense
an early run when he threw out second baseman Scooter Gennett trying
to score from second on a single by third baseman Aramis Ramirez in
the first inning.
It was Hamilton's 10th outfield assist this season.
"Facing Cueto, you don't get many chances," Roenicke said. "When you
get chances, you've got to be able to do something to beat him."
Fiers, who took a no-hitter into the sixth in his last start,
allowed back-to-back home runs in the first Tuesday.
Frazier clubbed a 3-2 pitch deep to center for his 28th home run.
Mesoraco followed with his 25th homer -- to left field, also on a
3-2 offering -- putting Cincinnati ahead 2-0.
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It was the first time the Reds (73-84) had hit consecutive homers
since April 3.
Cueto retired 14 straight Brewers until Gomez crushed his first
pitch of the sixth inning into the center-field stands. His 25th
homer cut the Reds' lead to 2-1.
Milwaukee had runners on first and second with no outs in the
seventh, but right fielder Ryan Braun grounded into a 5-3 double
play.
"I needed to get that ground ball," said Cueto.
Left fielder Gerardo Parra then popped out to end one of few scoring
threats the Brewers had against Cueto, who has won both meetings
against them this season.
Left fielder Jason Bourgeois' RBI single in the eighth gave
Cincinnati a two-run cushion.
Milwaukee threatened again in the ninth against closer Aroldis
Chapman, who hit Gomez with a pitch to put the tying run aboard
leading off the inning. But with runners on first and third and two
outs, Chapman fanned Ryan Braun for his 34th save.
NOTES: Cincinnati is 14-1 this season when Cueto pitches eight or
more innings. ... Milwaukee's starting pitchers had posted a 1.41
ERA in the previous 11 games, including nine quality starts. But the
Brewers have failed to take full advantage, going 6-5 and scoring
one or fewer runs four times. ... With five games remaining, Reds 1B
Joey Votto still is trying to come back from a quad injury that has
kept him on the disabled list since July 8. "He's hitting in the
cage, taking ground balls, running the bases," manager Bryan Price
said. "We'll probably have more on that in the next day or two, not
that there's a whole lot of time left." ... Milwaukee was coming off
back-to-back 1-0 games for just the third time in franchise history.
... The Reds improved to 9-8 this season against the Brewers.
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