Cincinnati Reds rally with 4-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks – MLB News
The Cincinnati Reds rallied on Tuesday, July 17, to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks by 4-0 at Great American Ball Park. Having lost the first of three-game series 5-3, the Reds seemed to have regained their confidence and composure to overwhelm their opponents.
It was Johnny Cueto who came back strong after his finger blister to toss six scoreless innings. The accomplished ace whose return had earlier seemed uncertain did not show any kind of weakness, going back strong against the Arizona Diamondbacks' hitters.
If anything was left to ably deal with offensively, it was Ryan Ludwick who did it with his three-run homer in the third inning. This was all the more significant given the conspicuous absence of Joey Votto in the wake of a torn minuscule that needed surgery.
As Votto will now remain away from the game for almost a month, Ludwick’s massive three-run homer came as an eagerly sought blessing for the Reds; being bolstered by an equally strong defence. Drew Stubbs had scored a run in the very first inning to give the team 1-0 lead, following which the three-run homer of Ludwick in the third inning made it 4-0.
Trevor Bauer, the Arizona Diamondbacks starter, gave up four runs in his three-inning pitching spell with 6.06 ERA. Cueto, on the other hand, gave up four hits, not allowing any run with three strike-outs to his credit to maintain the Reds’ lead.
Jose Arredondo pitched a scoreless inning, followed by Sam LeCure who also had a good inning not allowing any run. As Sean Marshall came and allowed two hits, the team felt prompted to bring Aroldis Chapman to finish off the game.
He did that with style, going for a strike-out to end the game 4-0. With Cueto in good form and Ludwick doing the rest, it revived the hopes that the Reds can maintain its top position in the National League Central, even though challenges abound.
The win on Wednesday, if the Reds manage that, will be a big morale booster for the club in this second half of the regular season.
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