CINCINNATI, Ohio -- That playoff loss in Pittsburgh last year? Johnny Cueto never thought about it much.
Cheap Air Max 2018 China . So getting a chance to shut out the Pirates in a rematch wasnt any more special. Not to him, anyway. Cueto pitched his third career shutout against the team that beat him in the NL wild card game, and Joey Votto hit a two-run homer that led the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-0 Wednesday for their first winning series this season. Cueto (1-2) had his way with the lineup that beat him 6-2 at PNC Park in the playoffs. He limited the Pirates to three hits, didnt walk a batter and struck out a career-high 12 during his first shutout since 2011. Any extra satisfaction given what happened the last time he faced them? "I never think too much about those things," Cueto said, with assistant trainer Tomas Vera interpreting. "That was 2013." And Cueto is starting to look more like a vintage ace. He started only 11 games last season because of strained muscles by his pitching shoulder. The right-hander has been solid this season but hasnt gotten much help from an offence that scored only one run while he was on the mound during his first three starts. Cueto didnt need much help on Wednesday, putting the Pirates away with 107 pitches. "Welcome back, Johnny Cueto," manager Bryan Price said. "Hes been great his first three starts, and he was dominant today. It was nice to win our first series. Pittsburgh is a handful." Several Pirates questioned called third strikes by Quinn Wolcott, a Triple-A umpire called up to the majors. Eight of Cuetos strikeouts were called. Maybe it didnt mean anything extra to Cueto, but his teammates got some satisfaction from beating the Pirates. "For us to come together the way we have, especially against the team that beat us in the playoffs, its a lot of fun," third baseman Todd Frazier said. After the NL Central rivals combined for 13 homers while splitting the first two games, Votto supplied the one that broke open the deciding game. Left-hander Francisco Liriano (0-3) opened the game by walking Billy Hamilton, who stole second base and came around on two wild pitches. That was it for scoring until the seventh inning, when Cueto singled and Votto hit his fourth homer in six games. Brayan Pena doubled home a run in the eighth. Liriano and Cueto also were matched in the wild card game last season. Liriano got the better of that one, going seven innings for the victory while Cueto failed to make it through the fourth. Liriano had trouble at the outset on Wednesday. Ten of his first 13 pitches were balls. He walked Hamilton and Votto opening the inning, then threw the two wild pitches that let in the run. The Ohio River rivals had a bruising series last season, with 28 batters hit overall -- the most for any series in the majors. Its been mostly pain-free so far, with only two batters hit during the series. Pirates left fielder Jose Tabata left the game in the fifth inning with what appeared to be a mild concussion after he slammed into the outfield wall while catching Penas fly ball. Tabata fell, held up his glove to show hed caught the ball and sat on the warning track for several minutes. A trainer examined Tabatas neck, jaw and head, and he was helped off the field. "You talk about laying out and making a catch and hitting the wall hard," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "I was just glad he was able to walk off. Well see how it feels tomorrow." NOTES: The Pirates completed their first trip of the season at 3-6. They open a four-game series against Milwaukee on Thursday, with Edinson Volquez starting against Yovani Gallardo. ... The Reds concluded a 3-3 homestand. Theyre off on Thursday before opening a 10-game trip at Wrigley Field. Alfredo Simon starts against the Cubs Jeff Samardzija. ... Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is to throw in the bullpen for the second time on Thursday. The Reds are hoping to have him back from a head injury next month. ... Cueto was called for interference twice while trying to bunt. The first time, he ran out of the box to bunt the ball. The second time, he stood in the box and blocked catcher Tony Sanchez from fielding the bunt.
Wholesale Air Max 2018 . Casey Janssen was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday due to a strain in his left abdominal area and lower back.
Cheap Air Max 2018 . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson.OAKLAND, Calif. -- As mid-July statements go, the Oakland Athletics delivered a powerful message to the Baltimore Orioles. Sonny Gray struck out eight to win his fifth consecutive decision, and the major-league best As pounded the Orioles 10-2 on Sunday in the final regular-season meeting between the AL division leaders. "I guess it says good things about it," said As catcher John Jaso, who tripled, singled and had two RBIs. "If we face them down the line, we face them down the line. But its not something that we think about." The As (61-37) overpowered the AL East-leading Orioles (53-44) to take two of three at the Coliseum and finish 4-2 against Baltimore this year. Oakland had 15 hits and chased starter Kevin Gausman (4-3) in the fifth before beating up Baltimores bullpen the rest of the way. Grey (11-3) gave up two runs, one earned, two hits and two walks in 6 2-3 innings. The 24-year-old right-hander hasnt lost since June 13 at the New York Yankees. "As the game kind of went on and we were able to put some runs together, it was really big because then I could just take a deep breath and really start attacking the guys, and throwing my stuff up there and have them put it in play," Gray said. Oaklands offence started fast and got contributions from all over. Stephen Vogt had three hits and drove in a run. Josh Donaldson had two singles and two RBIs. Craig Gentry singled twice and had two RBIs. Eric Sogard singled twice and drove in a run after starting the day in a 4-for-35 slump. Two-time reigning Home Run Derby champion Yoenis Cespedes singled and doubled for his first extra-base hit since June 25. "They pick their spots to ambush. They took a lot of good pitches," said Gausman, who gave up five runs and nine hits in four-plus innings. He didnt get much relief, either. T.J. McFarland allowed two runs -- one earned -- in the fifth, and Ryan Webb was charged with three runs in two-thirds of an inning. The Orioles never got going against Gray and managed just three hiits.
Air Max 2018 Sale. J.J. Hardys RBI double in the fifth was Baltimores first hit. Nelson Cruz also reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jed Lowrie -- one of three throwing errors by As infielders -- in the seventh before Manny Machados RBI single ended Grays afternoon. But Gray and the As got the win with the same deep and consistent effort theyve received across the lineup most of the season. Coco Crisp singled leading off the first and scored on Jasos triple. Jaso crossed the plate after a wild pitch by Gausman to give the As a 2-0 lead. Oakland added another run on a weird blunder by Baltimore in the third, when centre fielder Adam Jones -- and several Orioles players -- started trotting to the dugout after he caught Donaldsons fly for the second out. Cespedes jogged home from third, and Jones stopped and dropped his shoulders after realizing his mistake. Donaldson said he even questioned whether the scoreboard was correct when Jones began his trot to the dugout. Both managers said they were surprised, too. No matter. Jaso singled to drive in another run in the fourth that extended Oaklands lead to 4-0. The As added three runs in the fifth, getting help from a throwing error by Machado -- who continued to get booed for his bat-throwing incident against Oakland in Baltimore last month -- at third base, and scored three more in the sixth. Eric OFlaherty tossed 1 1-3 scoreless innings and Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect ninth as the As closed out the Orioles. NOTES: Josh Reddick (strained right knee) could return from his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Sacramento when Oakland opens a three-game series against Houston on Tuesday. ... Orioles RHP Ubaldo Jimenez, on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle, threw a bullpen session and will continue to work his way back before making a rehab start in the minors. ... Bud Norris (7-6, 3.96 ERA) starts for the Orioles in Mondays series opener at the Los Angeles Angels, who will send Matt Shoemaker (7-2, 4.38 ERA) to the mound. ' ' '