Johnny Cueto dominates Nationals as Reds rough up Max Scherzer

WASHINGTON — In his first home start since no-hitting the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 20, Max Scherzer gave up a hit to the first batter of the game.

He lost his shutout on the next batter, and everything else snowballed from there.

The Cincinnati Reds knocked out Scherzer after just 4.2 innings Tuesday in a 5-0 win. The night belonged to the other starter, the Reds' Johnny Cueto, who turned in a complete-game two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts.

"That was his A-grade stuff. Command with action, all the deceptive hesitations, the quick pitches," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "A shutdown game by our ace."

It was a shocking outing for Scherzer, the first time this season he has lasted less than six innings and the second time he has given up five runs (the first being May 6 against Miami, when he lasted seven innings and won).

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"I just didn't have it today," Scherzer said. "Just missed my location on a few pitches to the wrong hitters. They made me pay for it."

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips led off the game with a single and moved to second on an error, and Joey Votto doubled him in right away. It was the second time all season, and the first since April 23, that Scherzer gave up a run in the first inning.

"I just don't think it was his night tonight," Williams said. "First inning got him a little bit. Left some balls in the middle of the plate."

After scoring on Jay Bruce's RBI triple off the wall, Votto deposited a pitch from Scherzer into the Nationals' bullpen in the third inning to make it 3-0.

Following a 1-2-3 fourth, the Reds chased Scherzer in the fifth. Votto drove in Billy Hamilton with a single, and Todd Frazier's sacrifice fly scored Phillips. When Bruce singled four pitches later, Williams came out to get the baseball.

"I've had stinkers before," Scherzer said. "This is part of the deal, part of the gig. I don't get fazed by them anymore. I still feel like I'm throwing the ball well overall. This isn't going to determine any which way going forward."

The Reds haven't supported Cueto much on the scoreboard this season — scoring two or fewer runs in half of his starts — but he is 3-0 when they score three or more runs.

In fact, he has blown only one three-run lead in the past two seasons. (It happened June 12 against the Cubs, it was a first-inning lead and the Reds ended up winning anyway.)

Tuesday, he was dominant again. After an error and a single put two runners on with one out in the first inning, Cueto sent down eight straight, including consecutive strikeouts of Matt den Dekker, Scherzer and Michael A. Taylor. The Nationals' lineup, depleted by the absences of centerfielder Denard Span (back) and third baseman Yunel Escobar (hamstring), couldn't muster much else.

With two on and nobody out in the fourth, Cueto induced a double play, and after Ian Desmond's triple to lead off the fifth, he struck out the side to escape the threat, starting a string of 15 straight outs to end his night.

"He was great, so great that he could have fun," Votto said. "That's a rarity in this game that you're playing so well you can laugh and goof around on the mound. I hope the fans took notice and are going to vote for him and send him to Cincinnati so he can play in front of the home fans."

Through eight innings, Cueto had thrown 111 pitches, but Price sent him back out for the ninth, and he needed only 11 more to retire the side.

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He also continues to anchor the Reds' rotation, perhaps making him a viable trade piece over the next few weeks. As an ace on a struggling team — Cincinnati was 16.5 games out of first place and seven games out of the National League wild-card race heading into Tuesday — whose contract expires at the end of the season, Cueto seems like a prime trade option.

For now, he remains a dominant pitcher for the Reds. And however this month shakes out, he could still make one more appearance in his home park if he has his way.

"I would love to pitch in the All-Star Game," Cueto said via an interpreter. "I want to (pitch) because it's an All-Star game, it's in Cincinnati, it's with my fans, in my house. Of course I want to pitch."

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