Cincinnati Reds' starter Johnny Cueto out of postseason – NLDS News
With the decision on Wednesday, October 10, to bring in Mike Leake, Cincinnati Reds' ace Johnny Cueto is formally out of the postseason, dealing a serious blow to the club’s hopes. Cueto was out of Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the San Francisco Giants due to right oblique strain.
The Reds are fully aware of the decision’s implications. But it had become almost inevitable given the urgency to make quicker decision.
"It was a very, very tough decision," Reds' general manager Walt Jocketty said. "But our medical staff felt, at best, that Johnny might be able to pitch one game in the next series if we get there. So we thought the importance of today's game and the rest of the series, versus the one game next time, outweighed that. It's a tough thing to have a potential Cy Young guy out of your rotation."
Prior to making the decision, the Reds needed to seek approval for the move from Major League Baseball. By 11:30 am on Wednesday, MLB had approved it as the Reds had sought it after consultations with the team medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek.
While Cueto’s going out is indeed a blow, the Reds had hoped Mike Leake would handle it well. Nothing of that sort materialised in Wednesday’s Game 4 against the Giants wherein the latter scored a decisive 8-3 win, coming back in the NLDS with force.
Leake gave up no less than five runs in his 4.1 innings, surrendering six hits with costly 10.38 ERA. It is pertinent to mention that he had 4.58 ERA in the 30 starts that he had made in regular season. The Reds had initially kept Leake out of NLDS roster because the format required four pitchers.
Competitive as Leake is, he could not quite hold the Giants' batters in Wednesday’s game, adding to the Reds problems. The Reds were 2-0 in the first two games, but the NLDS now stands tied with 2-2, posing credible challenges to the Reds’ bid to make it to the National League Championship Series and subsequently to World Series.
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