With Johnny Cueto’s status unknown, Cincinnati Reds name Homer Bailey to start in Game 3 – MLB News
Cincinnati Reds have slated Homer Bailey’s name for Game 3 of the National League Division Series as Johnny Cueto has not been back yet after back spasms rendered him unable to toss more than eight pitches in Game 1 against the San Francisco Giants.
Even though Cueto is said to be back in Cincinnati, the club does not seem to be willing to take any risk at this stage. Initially, there was a buzz about who could possibly be starting the Game 3 with Cueto’s name figuring; however, it was eventually Bailey who got his name listed as the team manager Dusty Baker put it.
"Homer is our Game 3 option," Baker said. "You can't take a chance with Johnny, and we have to see exactly. We can't have him go out there again and have something else happen to him and come up short again. When he goes back out there we will make sure to the best of your knowledge that he's OK."
Bailey who had thrown a no hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 28 is in supreme form these days. The fact that he has merely allowed four hits in his last two games, with a total of 13 scoreless innings, uniquely places him to get on the mound in this crucial game.
Baker thinks Bailey is 'on a pretty good roll' and rightly so as the Reds made their way into the postseason games with sheer class.
As to whether Cueto will be able to pitch in one of these National League Division Series games is uncertain at this point in time. The Reds were worried that Cueto might have pulled an oblique, but much to their satisfaction, it was merely a back spasm.
"If it's a pitcher's oblique it will be on the opposite side," Jocketty said. "At first, we were thinking it might be in that area but it was on the right side and not the left side."
With Cueto’s status unknown, it will be interesting to observe how Bailey discharges the heavy responsibility put on his shoulder by his team.
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