Cardinals send Reds to first Opening Day shutout since 1953
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By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
All it took was one pitch from Cincinnati Reds ace Johnny Cueto and an ensuing swing by St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to change the complexion of Opening Day in Cincinnati.
The difference was the Cardinals, the reigning National League champions, took advantage of opportunities handed to them, unlike the home Reds team, as the Cardinals took the first game of the season, 1-0 on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park in front of 43,134 fans, the second-largest crowd for a regular-season game at GABP.
This was the first time the Reds have been shutout on Opening Day since 1953.
Molina, who stepped up to the plate to a chorus of boos from the Cincinnati crowd, put the Cardinals on the board with a one-out home run (off a fastball) to left field in the top of the seventh inning.
"It was a cutter," Cueto said. "I went to throw for a strike, but he was really waiting for that pitch and he was really aggressive, and you know what happened."
The fastball hit by Molina was all the Cardinals needed to get the early advantage in the NL Central after Game No. 1 of 162.
Molina finished the day 2-for-4.
As for Cueto, the Reds' ace pitched well, except for that one fastball. In seven innings on the mound, Cueto threw 67 strikes (97 total pitches), where he allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk.
[[In-content Ad]]Reds catcher Brayan Pena was pleased with Cueto's performance.
"I'm very excited to see Johnny pitching the way he did," Pena said. "For him to come here Opening Day and perform the way he did, that's very exciting.
"It was a clinic. They both (Wainwright and Cueto) were running a clinic. Johnny was attacking with the two-seam, with his cutter, his breaking ball was working pretty good, his change-up always there. He pretty much never fell behind the hitters."
For the game, Cueto struck out eight batters.
"Johnny was terrific," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We're pretty accustomed to seeing that type of pitching from Johnny. I think the other thing that's important is not only he's healthy, but he just seemed to be so free and easy, just letting it go.
"That was a really nice thing to see, and he just attacked their lineup, made good pitches. I thought he worked really well with Brayan Pena, the defense was solid behind him and he gave us a great chance to win."
Cueto spoke on his day through interpreter Tomas Vera.
"I feel really good today," Cueto said. "All of my pitches were where I wanted. I located where I wanted. (I) had his mind set up to throw seven or eight innings. I think that today was that way."
The winning pitcher was Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. Wainwright pitched seven solid shutout innings, allowing no runs on three hits and four walks, while adding a total of nine strikeouts, including striking out Reds rookie leadoff hitter Billy Hamilton four times.
"He had a really good day," Hamilton said of Wainwright. "All of his stuff was working. Every pitch, he was throwing for strikes. I give props to him. He's a great pitcher."
Hamilton also spoke on his overall day.
"Everybody has bad days, but in baseball there's always tomorrow," he said. "You can always come back and learn something tomorrow and get better the next day. I'm happy to be playing this game."
Trevor Rosenthal earned the save for the Cardinals.
Cueto held the Cardinals to one hit through the first two innings, including striking out the side in the second. Through the first two innings, the Reds' ace totaled four strikeouts.
The first hit Cueto allowed this season came off a single to left field by Matt Adams. The Reds' first hit of the season was in their second at-bat of the season as Brandon Phillips sent the ball to right field but was left stranded on the bases.
Cincinnati's second inning gained some life off a one-out base hit to left field by third baseman Todd Frazier, followed by a steal of second base. The momentum was all for naught as the single was followed by two called third strikes with an intentional walk in between to end the inning.
The Reds were handed a golden opportunity in the fifth inning when Cardinals centerfielder Peter Bourjos let a ball hit by Reds catcher Brayan Pena pop out of his glove for a two-base error.
Again, the Reds were unable to capitalize as Cueto bunted into a 1-5 fielder's choice, with Pena being called out at third.
"Wainwright pitched a good game, and Cueto pitched a great game as well," Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick said. "One pitch was the difference. You saw two really good baseball games battling it out, and it was almost like a playoff game, the first game of the season.
"It was just a very intense battle, and unfortunately, we came out on the wrong side. I don't think anyone has any reason to leave her today too disappointed. Obviously, the loss, that stinks, but as a whole, I just thought it was an overall really good baseball game."
In the bottom of the sixth, the Reds left both Jay Bruce and Frazier stranded following walks with one and two outs.
To start their half of the eighth inning, Brandon Phillips led off with a full-count walk, which was followed with a ball that was bobbled by Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong, leading to Votto being safe at first on the error and Phillips at third with no outs.
Next in line was Jay Bruce, who batted into a fielder's choice, leaving Phillips out on the third base line for the first out of the inning. Ryan Ludwick reached first on an error by first baseman Matt Adams that would have ended the inning, keeping hope alive for the Reds.
With two outs, Frazier stepped to the plate, getting down on an 0-2 count with two outs, eventually leading to a called third strike to leave Ludwick and Votto stranded on first and third.
"It's game one, so if you're worried about struggle right now, that's a problem," Frazier said. "For us, we lost game one last year and we made the playoffs. I'm not really worried.
"Baseball's a tough game. When we get opportunities, we've got to make them, and tonight we just didn't. That's baseball. You fail 70 percent of the time, if not 75. If you get an opportunity and do good with it, it's very nice, and when you don't, you see what happens. For us, we'll come back (Tuesday), get a good workout in and be ready to go."
The difference was the Cardinals, the reigning National League champions, took advantage of opportunities handed to them, unlike the home Reds team, as the Cardinals took the first game of the season, 1-0 on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park in front of 43,134 fans, the second-largest crowd for a regular-season game at GABP.
This was the first time the Reds have been shutout on Opening Day since 1953.
Molina, who stepped up to the plate to a chorus of boos from the Cincinnati crowd, put the Cardinals on the board with a one-out home run (off a fastball) to left field in the top of the seventh inning.
"It was a cutter," Cueto said. "I went to throw for a strike, but he was really waiting for that pitch and he was really aggressive, and you know what happened."
The fastball hit by Molina was all the Cardinals needed to get the early advantage in the NL Central after Game No. 1 of 162.
Molina finished the day 2-for-4.
As for Cueto, the Reds' ace pitched well, except for that one fastball. In seven innings on the mound, Cueto threw 67 strikes (97 total pitches), where he allowed one earned run on three hits and one walk.
[[In-content Ad]]Reds catcher Brayan Pena was pleased with Cueto's performance.
"I'm very excited to see Johnny pitching the way he did," Pena said. "For him to come here Opening Day and perform the way he did, that's very exciting.
"It was a clinic. They both (Wainwright and Cueto) were running a clinic. Johnny was attacking with the two-seam, with his cutter, his breaking ball was working pretty good, his change-up always there. He pretty much never fell behind the hitters."
For the game, Cueto struck out eight batters.
"Johnny was terrific," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We're pretty accustomed to seeing that type of pitching from Johnny. I think the other thing that's important is not only he's healthy, but he just seemed to be so free and easy, just letting it go.
"That was a really nice thing to see, and he just attacked their lineup, made good pitches. I thought he worked really well with Brayan Pena, the defense was solid behind him and he gave us a great chance to win."
Cueto spoke on his day through interpreter Tomas Vera.
"I feel really good today," Cueto said. "All of my pitches were where I wanted. I located where I wanted. (I) had his mind set up to throw seven or eight innings. I think that today was that way."
The winning pitcher was Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright. Wainwright pitched seven solid shutout innings, allowing no runs on three hits and four walks, while adding a total of nine strikeouts, including striking out Reds rookie leadoff hitter Billy Hamilton four times.
"He had a really good day," Hamilton said of Wainwright. "All of his stuff was working. Every pitch, he was throwing for strikes. I give props to him. He's a great pitcher."
Hamilton also spoke on his overall day.
"Everybody has bad days, but in baseball there's always tomorrow," he said. "You can always come back and learn something tomorrow and get better the next day. I'm happy to be playing this game."
Trevor Rosenthal earned the save for the Cardinals.
Cueto held the Cardinals to one hit through the first two innings, including striking out the side in the second. Through the first two innings, the Reds' ace totaled four strikeouts.
The first hit Cueto allowed this season came off a single to left field by Matt Adams. The Reds' first hit of the season was in their second at-bat of the season as Brandon Phillips sent the ball to right field but was left stranded on the bases.
Cincinnati's second inning gained some life off a one-out base hit to left field by third baseman Todd Frazier, followed by a steal of second base. The momentum was all for naught as the single was followed by two called third strikes with an intentional walk in between to end the inning.
The Reds were handed a golden opportunity in the fifth inning when Cardinals centerfielder Peter Bourjos let a ball hit by Reds catcher Brayan Pena pop out of his glove for a two-base error.
Again, the Reds were unable to capitalize as Cueto bunted into a 1-5 fielder's choice, with Pena being called out at third.
"Wainwright pitched a good game, and Cueto pitched a great game as well," Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick said. "One pitch was the difference. You saw two really good baseball games battling it out, and it was almost like a playoff game, the first game of the season.
"It was just a very intense battle, and unfortunately, we came out on the wrong side. I don't think anyone has any reason to leave her today too disappointed. Obviously, the loss, that stinks, but as a whole, I just thought it was an overall really good baseball game."
In the bottom of the sixth, the Reds left both Jay Bruce and Frazier stranded following walks with one and two outs.
To start their half of the eighth inning, Brandon Phillips led off with a full-count walk, which was followed with a ball that was bobbled by Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong, leading to Votto being safe at first on the error and Phillips at third with no outs.
Next in line was Jay Bruce, who batted into a fielder's choice, leaving Phillips out on the third base line for the first out of the inning. Ryan Ludwick reached first on an error by first baseman Matt Adams that would have ended the inning, keeping hope alive for the Reds.
With two outs, Frazier stepped to the plate, getting down on an 0-2 count with two outs, eventually leading to a called third strike to leave Ludwick and Votto stranded on first and third.
"It's game one, so if you're worried about struggle right now, that's a problem," Frazier said. "For us, we lost game one last year and we made the playoffs. I'm not really worried.
"Baseball's a tough game. When we get opportunities, we've got to make them, and tonight we just didn't. That's baseball. You fail 70 percent of the time, if not 75. If you get an opportunity and do good with it, it's very nice, and when you don't, you see what happens. For us, we'll come back (Tuesday), get a good workout in and be ready to go."