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Cueto, Reds commence set at Pittsburgh

May 4, 2012 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - Dominican right-hander Johnny Cueto makes his sixth start of the season and meets one of his favorite opponents tonight when the Cincinnati Reds visit PNC Park for the opener of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cueto, who turned 26 in February, has started 15 times in his career against the Pirates and is 10-3 with a stingy 2.70 earned run average with 91 strikeouts across 90 innings.

He last faced them on July 20, 2011 and was a 3-1 winner in Pittsburgh after going six innings, allowing four hits and a run and striking out four.

He's unbeaten in five starts thus far in 2012, pitching six innings or more in four of the outings while surrendering just five earned runs on 27 hits in 32 1/3 innings.

A seven-inning stint against Houston resulted in a 6-0 victory in his most recent start on April 28, after he scattered five hits, walked one and struck out three.

For the Pirates, righty Kevin Correia makes a 16th career appearance - and 11th start - against the Reds.

The San Diego native is 7-1 with a 4.69 ERA in 63 1/3 innings in meetings with Cincinnati, but was hit hard in an Aug. 19 no-decision against the Reds when he allowed six runs on eight hits in six innings of an 11-8 Pittsburgh loss.

He's split a pair of decisions in his initial four starts this year while allowing six earned runs on 15 hits in 22 1/3 innings.

The start is his second of 2012 in Pittsburgh, where he got a no-decision against Colorado on April 24.

On Thursday in Cincinnati, Scott Rolen's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning provided the winning run, as the Reds rallied from a late three- run deficit to beat Chicago, 4-3, in the final contest of a truncated two-game series.

Zack Cosart singled to begin the frame and moved to third when Rafael Dolis (1-2) threw wild to first on a Chris Heisey sacrifice bunt attempt. Rolen then lofted a ball deep enough to right field to bring in the deciding run.

It made a winner of Logan Ondrusek (2-0), who turned in a scoreless top of the 10th. Starter Homer Bailey worked six full frames, yielding nine hits and three runs.

Willie Harris, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips scored in the ninth for the Reds, who dropped the opener on Wednesday.

In St. Louis, Pedro Alvarez hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Clint Barmes also drove in two runs as Pittsburgh avoided a sweep with a 6-3 decision in the finale of a three-game set from Busch Stadium.

Jose Tabata added three hits and scored twice for the Pirates, who were coming off a series victory against the Braves.

Erik Bedard (2-4) worked five innings for the win, allowing five hits and two runs while fanning a season-high 11 batters.