Marlins 2 - 7 Reds
Final
  for this game

Reds' Cueto tries to tame Marlins

Aug 10, 2014 - 1:18 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - It's been over a month since Johnny Cueto suffered a loss. The Reds right-hander aims to continue his impressive unbeaten streak when he takes the mound today in the finale of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins.

Cueto is 5-0 over his last six starts and hasn't lost since July 2 at San Diego. On Tuesday, he tossed his fourth complete game of the season in a 9-2 triumph at Cleveland. Cueto surrendered five hits with a pair of walks and six strikeouts in going the distance for the 10th time in his career.

He leads the National League in innings pitched (171 2/3) and the majors in opponents batting average (.183) and is second in the NL in ERA (2.04). Cueto has compiled a 3-1 mark with a 4.46 ERA in six games against the Marlins.

Brad Hand makes his 10th start and 34th appearance of 2014 today for the Marlins. The lefty threw 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision at Pittsburgh Tuesday. He's never faced the Reds.

Last night, Brad Penny gave up one earned run over five innings in his first major-league game in almost two years, and the Marlins beat the Reds, 4-3. Signed to a minor-league contract in June and called up for the start, Penny (1-0) surrendered four hits, four walks and two total runs while striking out three in his first outing for the Marlins since 2004.

The 36-year-old right-hander pitched out of the bullpen for San Francisco in 2012 in his last MLB season and hadn't made a start since Sept. 25, 2011 with Detroit. Saturday marked his 120th career win -- and 49th for the Marlins, with whom he won a World Series while a member of the staff from 2000-04.

Christian Yelich had two hits, two RBI and a run scored for Miami, which has won the first two games of the series, improving to 4-10 in their last 14 against the Reds.

Jay Bruce had a solo homer for the Reds, who watched right-hander Alfredo Simon scuffle through another start.

Simon went five innings and remained winless in his last five starts. He threw 91 pitches, walking five batters and giving up two runs and four hits with five strikeouts.

A victory today would give the Marlins their first sweep of the Reds since May 23-25, 2003 in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati's Brayan Pena has a career-high 13-game hitting streak going into today's game. Also, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman has recorded at least one strikeout in each of his last 48 appearances, a major league record for relievers since 1900.

The Marlins, who have won by a run in each of the first two games of this set, improved to an MLB-best 28-7 in contests decided by one run.






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