Reds beat Mets 3-1 as Arroyo impresses
The Cincinnati Reds took the third game of their series against the New York Mets by beating them Wednesday night in New York, winning a pitcher’s duel 3-1.
It was the work of starter Bronson Arroyo that really won the game for the Reds, as he pitched eight very strong innings, letting in just one run. He conceded seven hits throughout the game, and made the Mets ground or fly out frequently, as he had just three strike-outs. After the eighth he was replaced by closer Francisco Cordero, who let in a hit but no runs and garnered his 24th save on the year, leading the National League and just one behind Kansas City’s Joakim Soria.
Jonathon Niese wasn’t too bad either, throwing for 7 2/3 innings and letting in just three runs. He let in just six hits and one walk while striking out eight batters, but the Reds were better at capitalizing when they had the opportunity. His bullpen came in for him and got the last four outs, though by that point the damage had been done, giving him the loss to drop to 6-3 on the year.
Scoring summary
Arroyo got off to a rocky start, as he allowed the second batter he faced, Angel Pagan, to hit his pitch over the right field fence to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. But Brandon Phillips hit a home run in the third to tie it, which set the stage for three consecutive scoreless innings. But in the pitchers’ duel it was Niese who broke first, as Chris Heisey hit a solo shot in the seventh, which was followed by a ground-rule double by Phillips, who scored his second RBI of the evening. From there the eighth and ninth were scoreless, giving the Reds a 3-1 away win.
Arroyo had some help from Heisey in the field as well, as he made a long running catch on a two-out deep ball by Jason Bay, running almost to the warning to track to get the out, and prevent the runner on second from scoring.
Pitchers provoke praise
Reds manager Dusty Baker said he thought his starter had shown great consistency in the game.
“Other than that home run to Angel Pagan, he was throwing quality strike after quality strike,” Baker said. “He kept them off-balance.”
Arroyo is now 9-4 and is 4-1 in his last five starts, and has let in just one run in his past two starts. Arroyo credited getting comfortable with his team for his recent form.
"Sometimes you just get comfortable with a team. As it heats up, and we get closer to August, I feel like I have good stuff," said Arroyo.
Arroyo even managed to get a fluke hit, a soft bunt that floated over the top of the pitcher’s mound in the seventh innings and allowed him to reach first.
“I was working on that all spring,” Arroyo joked after the match. “Sometimes the ball bounces your way.”
For Niese it was a tough loss as he pitched well, but Mets’ manager Charlie Manuel had good words for his pitcher’s performance in the loss, his first since May 16.
“We’ll take that kind of outing from a young pitcher every time,” Manuel said.
Reds roll on
The Reds have now won three of their past four games and sit a comfortable three games above the St-Louis Cardinals in the NL Central Standings.
For the Mets the result is more disappointing, as they fell down a game to the Braves, whom they’re chasing for the NL East lead. With the Braves’ win over the Phillies on Wednesday, the Mets now sit three games back.
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