On the road, Reds out at home
Finish rough trip 2-8 after 2-1 loss to Braves
11:58 PM, May. 29, 2011
AP Photo/David Goldman
Paul Janish is called out at home plate after David Ross tags him in the eighth inning.
ATLANTA -- The Reds’ 10-game road trip came to a merciful end Sunday night with another merciless loss.
Johnny Cueto pitched one of his better games of the season. But Martin Prado’s two-run home run trumped Jay Bruce’s solo shot, and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Reds 2-1 before a crowd of 36,932 at Turner Field.
Reds manager Dusty Baker was livid after the game.
"It’s a shame, a damn shame," he said.
He was referring to an out call on the Paul Janish at home plate in the eighth inning.
Janish led off with a single. Cueto bunted him to second. An out later, Brandon Phillips singled to left. Prado’s throw easily beat Janish, but ESPN replays showed he got under catcher David Ross’ tag. Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna didn’t see that way. He called Janish out.
Janish and Baker argued to no avail.
"I had a great angle down at the end of the dugout," Baker said. "Clearly, clearly, it looked like he missed him. It looked like six inches to a foot. I could see it. That’s what I told Dan.
"It’s frustrating as hell. We fought and fought and battled. You know they’re not going to reverse it."
It’s the way things have been going to the Reds.
"It’s one of those things," Janish said. "I didn’t realize the ball beat me by so much. But I felt like he missed me."
The Reds went 2-8 on the road trip.
They are right back at today when they open three-game series with Milwaukee Brewers at 7:10 p.m. The Brewers overtook the Reds and moved into second place in the National League Central over the weekend.
The road trip was particularly frustrating for the Reds because they went 0-5 in one-run game.
"Nobody’s happy in this clubhouse," Cueto said. "Tomorrow’s a new day. We’ve got to keep fighting."
Cueto went eight innings and allowed the two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out four.
"It’s a shame Johnny lost that game," Baker said. "He was pitching lights out."
Atlanta starter Jair Jurrjens, the National League a 1.56 ERA coming in, was a better. He allowed the one run on six hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Bruce gave the Reds a 1-0 lead in the second with his 15th home run of the year. It was only the third homer that Jurrgens has allowed in nine starts.
AP photo
Jay Bruce's 11th home run in month of May ties him with Toronto's Jose Bautista for the MLB lead this month.
Bruce went 0-for-6 Saturday night to snap a season-high nine-game hitting streak, but the home run gave him five homers and 14 RBI on the road trip. It just about wrapped up his bid for NL player of the month for May.
Cueto gave up a leadoff single to Jordan Schafer in the first inning. But he was eliminated on a double play. Cueto ran into a little trouble in the second. He hit Freddie Freeman with a pitch (although replays showed otherwise) and gave up a single to Dan Uggla. Cueto got the next two hitters.
That started a streak of nine in a row retired.
Former Reds shortstop Alex Gonzalez and Ross broke the string with back-to-back singles in the fifth. Jurrjens tried to bunt them over. He got the bunt down right in front of the plate. Catcher Ramon Hernandez snatched it and started a 2-5-4 double play.
Schafer had an eight-pitch at-bat to start the Atlanta sixth. It ended with a walk, which turned out to be huge. Prado hit a 2-0 pitch that just cleared the left field wall to make it 2-1.
"I was trying to throw a fastball outside," Cueto said. "It ran back over the middle."
It was only the second home run Cueto has allowed this season.
Joey Votto walked to lead off the ninth against closer Craig Kimbrel. Scott Rolen popped out. That brought up Bruce. He struck out this time. Fred Lewis singled. But Hernandez struck out to end game.
The hot Milwaukee Braves come to Cincinnati for a series starting Monday night.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110...d-trip-2-8