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Reds-Pirates Preview

May 3, 2009 - 5:16 AM By BRETT HUSTON STATS Writer

Cincinnati (12-10) at Pittsburgh (11-11), 1:35 p.m. EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't waste any time snapping a lengthy scoreless streak and eventually their four-game slide on Saturday. The Cincinnati Reds hope Johnny Cueto is able to send the Pirates' offense into another drought.

Cueto has allowed one run in his last two outings, and the right-hander will try to keep his hot start going Sunday when the Reds and Pirates play the finale of a three-game set at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh (12-11) had been shut out in its past two games, and saw its scoreless streak reach 22 innings after falling 4-0 on Friday.

Center fielder Nate McLouth returned to Pittsburgh's lineup in that loss after missing six games with a strained oblique muscle, and he snapped the drought early on Saturday. His single drove in Nyjer Morgan in a four-run first inning, and McLouth had two more hits in the 8-6 win.

"Everyone knows we hadn't scored in what seemed like a week," said shortstop Ramon Vazquez, who drove in two runs in the first. "I'm sure it took some of the heat off the pitchers. They probably felt like they had to throw a shutout to have any chance to win."

Pittsburgh didn't have any problems against Micah Owings on Saturday, but Cueto (1-1, 2.19 ERA) will look to build on a pair of excellent starts. The hard-throwing right-hander gave up four hits over seven innings on April 22 in a 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, then gave up a run and seven hits over seven innings Monday against Houston.

The Reds (12-11) lost 4-1, however, after closer Francisco Cordero gave up three runs in the ninth.

"The thing I'm not happy about is because of the way Cueto pitched," Cordero told the Reds' official Web site. "He gave our team a chance to win a ballgame. That's why I'm a little upset with myself. I should have made better decisions and better pitches. Cueto was unbelievable."

Cueto hasn't been spectacular against the Pirates in his career, going 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in four starts. One of those was his 2009 season debut, when he allowed four runs and eight hits over six innings in a 10-2 loss on April 11.

McLouth homered off Cueto in that game but has just one other hit in nine at-bats against him.

Pittsburgh will counter with Jeff Karstens (1-0, 5.40), who struggled with his command on Monday in Milwaukee as he allowed three homers in five innings to account for five Brewers runs. A late rally let Karstens off the hook, but the Pirates lost 10-5.

Karstens faced the Reds once after coming over from the New York Yankees in a July trade. He gave up three earned runs over seven innings - including a homer to Brandon Phillips - in a 5-1 loss on Aug. 12 in Pittsburgh.

Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto, who was on the bereavement list during that series, has continued to hit well against the Pirates. He's batting .364 with 22 RBIs this season, and has had two hits and an RBI in the first two games in Pittsburgh.

Votto is hitting .386 (22-for-57) lifetime against the Pirates.