Final
Dunn, Cueto help Reds snap skid, top Cubs
May 6, 2008 - 3:24 AM CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Adam Dunn belted a two-run home run and rookie Johnny Cueto pitched six strong innings as the Cincinnati Reds snapped a five-game losing streak with a 5-3 triumph over the Chicago Cubs on Monday.Jeff Keppinger had a two-run single to highlight a three-run first inning for the Reds.
"(The losing streak) had to end eventually," Dunn said. "We came out, and we could have had a big inning (in the first). That was our goal this series was to jump on them early, and we had an opportunity to do that."
Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker admitted that he breathed a sigh of relief after his team officially recorded the win.
"I was trying to be cool, but inside you're churning," Baker said. "David Ross said to me he was more nervous over there than in the ballgame, I said try to sit in my seat. That was a good win, it would have been a devastating loss."
Geovany Soto belted his sixth home run of the season and reached base four times for the Cubs, who lost for the eighth time in their last 11 contests.
Ken Griffey Jr.'s bid for his 598th career home run was thwarted by a leaping catch by center fielder Felix Pie in the fifth inning.
Rebounding from his worst start of his young career, Cueto (2-3) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings to pick up the victory.
The 22-year-old righthander had eight strikeouts - including five in the first two innings - and walked two in this one.
"(Cueto) had a very good command of his breaking ball, and it complemented his fastball," Baker said.
In his last start, the rookie was tagged for seven runs and eight hits over just 1 2/3 innings in the Reds' 7-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Monday, two relievers bridged the gap to Francisco Cordero, who allowed two hits and walked two but was still able to earn his fifth save of the season - but not without some anxious moments.
Cordero loaded the bases in the ninth and bounced a pitch which escaped catcher Paul Bako. The catcher quickly caught up the ball and flipped it to a covering Cordero, who tagged Mike Fontenot at the plate.
"I thought the ball went farther than it did," Fontenot said. "I wanted to get home. It was a bad decision."
Ryan Dempster (4-1) allowed five runs - one earned - and four hits in six innings to take the loss. He struck out seven, walked one and retired 10 consecutive batters on Monday.
- NL
FINAL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
CHICAGO CUBS 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 9 2
CINCINNATI 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 x 5 6 1 (FINAL)
BATTERIES: CHN - RYAN DEMPSTER, SEAN MARSHALL (7TH), CHAD FOX (7TH), KERRY WOOD
(8TH) AND GEOVANY SOTO
CIN - JOHNNY CUETO, MIKE LINCOLN (7TH), DAVID WEATHERS
(8TH), FRANCISCO
May 5 10:00 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY DERREK LEE SCORED RYAN THERIOT.
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, D LEE ON FIRST, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 3
CINCINNATI 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: K FUKUDOME (.336, 0-FOR-2)
Cubs 3, Reds 5 Top 5, 0 OutsMay 5 8:35 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY RYAN THERIOT SCORED ALFONSO SORIANO.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, R THERIOT ON SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 2
CINCINNATI 5 TOP, 5TH
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: D LEE (.333, 0-FOR-2)
Cubs 2, Reds 5 Top 5, 0 OutsMay 5 8:33 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY ADAM DUNN (5) TO RIGHT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 3RD OFF RYAN DEMPSTER SCORED EDWIN ENCARNACION.
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 1, CINCINNATI 5
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: J KEPPINGER (.304, 1-FOR-1, 2 RBI)
Cubs 1, Reds 5 Bot 3, 0 OutsMay 5 8:04 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY GEOVANY SOTO (6) TO LEFT WITH 1 OUT IN THE
2ND OFF JOHNNY CUETO.
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 1, CINCINNATI 3
DUE UP FOR CHICAGO CUBS: M DEROSA (.267, 3 HR, 20 RBI)
Cubs 1, Reds 3 Top 2, 0 OutsMay 5 7:37 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JEFF KEPPINGER SCORED BRANDON PHILLIPS AND JOEY
VOTTO.
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J KEPPINGER ON FIRST, E ENCARNACION ON
SECOND, 2 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 0
CINCINNATI 3 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: P BAKO (.312, 3 HR, 11 RBI)
Cubs 0, Reds 3 Bot 1, 0 OutsMay 5 7:30 PM - NL
AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO EDWIN ENCARNACION SCORED KEN GRIFFEY
JR.
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, E ENCARNACION ON FIRST, J VOTTO ON SECOND, B
PHILLIPS ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: CHICAGO CUBS 0
CINCINNATI 1 BOTTOM, 1ST
DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: A DUNN (.221, 4 HR, 13 RBI)
Cubs 0, Reds 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsMay 5 7:25 PM
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