Final
  for this game

Diamondbacks-Reds Preview

Jul 1, 2009 - 4:36 AM Arizona (30-46) at Cincinnati (37-37), 7:10 p.m. EDT

With a stellar performance on the mound and at the plate from the NL's ERA leader, the Arizona Diamondbacks ended a season-high five-game losing streak and an equally long skid to the Cincinnati Reds.

The teams continue their three-game set Wednesday night, and it's the Reds who will send one of the league's top pitchers to the mound in Johnny Cueto as they look to even the series.

Arizona's Dan Haren lowered his NL-best ERA to 2.19 on Tuesday night, giving up one run over seven innings in a 6-2 victory. In snapping his team's five-game slide, Haren took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and struck out nine while walking one.

He also doubled and hit his first career home run as the Diamondbacks (31-46) snapped a five-game skid to the Reds and won for the second time in eight games at Great American Ball Park.

Cueto (7-4, 2.86 ERA) has been nearly as good as Haren this season, posting an ERA that is fifth in the league. He is 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts against the Diamondbacks, although he allowed five earned runs in each of his last two outings this season.

Cueto benefited from one of his team's best offensive performances of the year May 13, when he beat the Diamondbacks 10-3 at Arizona with seven innings of three-run ball.

Cincinnati (37-38) managed only six hits Tuesday after getting 24 runs and 49 hits while winning three of its previous four. Catcher Ramon Hernandez doubled for the third time in four contests and got his fourth RBI in that span to end Haren's shutout bid.

"Ramon has been one of our best, clutch RBI guys," manager Dusty Baker told the team's official Web site. "Even though his average isn't indicative, but his runners in scoring position (.321 average) and his RBI total (32) is."

The Diamondbacks, batting .246 this season to Cincinnati's .247, had 12 hits Tuesday to give them 27 in the past two games.

Miguel Montero preceded Haren's solo shot with a two-run homer for one of his three hits, and Mark Reynolds had a two-run single among his three.

Montero is 7 for 13 over the past three games to raise his average from .229 to .255.

The Diamondbacks lineup will try to give more support to right-hander Jon Garland (4-7, 5.04), who is 0-5 with a 5.40 ERA in his last seven starts. He has received 2.6 runs per outing since his last win May 19 at Florida.

Garland posted a 3.10 ERA in his last three starts. He gave up six runs - four earned - in 6 1-3 innings of Arizona's 9-8, 12-inning loss Thursday night, and has pitched at least six innings in each of his previous five starts.

The right-hander is 1-1 in two starts versus the Reds. He threw eight innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 victory for the Chicago White Sox on June 18, 2006, but gave up seven runs in 3 2-3 innings of a 13-5 loss last May 11 with the Diamondbacks.






  • 40
    roots
    MattDOOM777 Added 5 roots

    Diamondbacks 0, Reds 1  FinalJul 2 8:54 AM


  • NL
    FINAL
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
    - - - - - - - - - - - -
    ARIZONA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
    CINCINNATI 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 x 1 9 0 (FINAL)

    BATTERIES: ARI - JON GARLAND, CLAY ZAVADA (7TH), JUAN GUTIERREZ (7TH) AND
    MIGUEL MONTERO
    CIN - JOHNNY CUETO, ARTHUR RHODES (7TH), DAVID WEATHERS
    (8TH), FRANCISCO CORDERO (9TH

    Jul 1 9:58 PM
  • 35
    roots
    RUWTbot Added 35 roots (Close Finish)

    Diamondbacks 0, Reds 1  Bot 7, 0 OutsJul 1 9:21 PM


  • NL
    AT CINCINNATI - SCORING UPDATE
    SINGLE BY JOEY VOTTO SCORED CHRIS DICKERSON.
    SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J VOTTO ON SECOND, 1 OUT
    CURRENT SCORE: ARIZONA 0
    CINCINNATI 1 BOTTOM, 6TH
    DUE UP FOR CINCINNATI: B PHILLIPS (.271, 1-FOR-2)

    Diamondbacks 0, Reds 1  Bot 6, 0 OutsJul 1 8:57 PM