Liveblog: Diamondbacks at Reds (game 3)

This is Johnny Cueto’s first big league start.

Top 1st: Cueto begins his big league career by striking out Chris Young. Chris Burke flies out to Ryan Freel in center field. Orlando Hudson grounds out, Hatteberg to Cueto. 1-2-3.

Bottom 1st: Freel grounds out. Keppinger grounds out. Griffey doubles. Phillips singles in Griffey and the Reds have a 1-0 lead. Davis walks Dunn and Encarnacion. Scott Hatteberg reached on an error by Orlando Hudson allowing Brandon Phillips to score. The Reds have a 2-0 lead and the bases are still loaded. The Dbacks better hope the rain saves them this game. Paul Bako, no surprise to me, grounds out to end the inning. After 1 it’s Reds 2, DiamondBacks 0.

Top 2nd: Cueto strikes out Eric Byrnes to begin the inning. He got him swinging. If you heard Dusty Baker before the game, he was very excited to see Cueto make his first real start and now we’re seeing why. Steven Drew flies out to Griffey in right field and there’s 2 down. Cueto strikes out Mark Reynolds swinging on a 2-2 count. 3 up 3 down.

Bottom 2nd: Cueto now gets his first Major League at-bat. He works the count to full and then flies out to Byrnes in left field. 1 out. Freel lines out to Drew at shortstop for the second out of the inning. Keppinger homers to left field and the Reds have a 3-0 lead. Griffey grounds out and the inning is over. Reds add 1 and lead 3-zip.

Top 3rd: Cueto begins the inning striking out my boy Justin Upton. Hammock lines out to Freel in center. Cueto strikes out Doug Davis swinging. WOW. 3 up, 3 down.

Bottom 3rd: Phillips K swinging. Dunn walks for the 2nd time today. They want nothing to do with Dunn. Encarnacion singles to center. Hatteberg K’s. Bako called out on strikes and the Reds leave 2 men on base. Still leading 3-0.

Top 4th: The rain has began in Cincinnati courtesy of the Weather Channel icon on my MLB.com Gameday. Chris Young strikes out looking. One down now. Chris Burke strikes out looking that’s 7 K’s for Cueto through 11 batters faced. Orlandon Hudson flies out to Adam Dunn in left to end the inning.

Bottom 4th: Cueto K swinging to begin the inning. Doug Davis has now thrown 72 pitches, 40 strikes and 32 balls. Not a great ratio but he’s only down 3 runs. Here’s Freel. Freel works a full count walk, nice at bat. Here’s Keppinger again, who’s hit at every level he’s ever been at and if he continues he might make Alex Gonzalez a reserve. Keppinger follows up with a walk of his own. Davis has now walked 5 on the day. Reds are working the count well and quietly. Ball 12 to Griffey. He’s walked em loaded folks. Here comes Brandon Phillips with a chance to make it hurt. Yusmeiro Petit will be the new Dbacks pitcher as Bob Melvin has seen enough of Doug Davis. Scratch that, there’s 2 down as Freel got thrown out trying to steal third. Brandon Phillips flies out to RF Upton. That’s the inning. Reds still up 3 heading to the 5th inning.

Top 5th: Cueto’s fastball has been consistent at 92 MPH on the gun. He’s also using a slider effectively. He just struck out Eric Byrnes to begin the inning. Stephen Drew flies out to Dunn in left for the second out. Mark Reynolds lines a slider to Dunn in left for the 3rd out of the inning. We’re halfway home. Reds 3, DiamondBacks zip.

Bottom 5th: Adam Dunn will lead off the inning. And he grounds out to 2nd base. Edwin Encarnacion grounds out for the 2nd out. Hatterberg lines out to Upton for the 3rd out and this game is official.

Top 6th: Justin Upton homers to left field and the perfect game is over.