CINCINNATI—Johnny Cueto missed the beginning of the season with an injury. Now he’s hurt again. The major league ERA leader left the Cincinnati Reds’ 7-2 win over the Cubs after 3 2/3 innings Wednesday night because of a strained muscle in the upper right side of his back.
“I wanted to stay in but it was sore and painful,” Cueto said. “I hope I don’t have to miss an outing after I’m examined tomorrow.”
Ramon Hernandez hit a three-run homer in the second inning to back Cueto, who lowered his ERA to 2.31. Cueto was visited by a trainer and pitching coach Bryan Price with one out in the fourth inning. After getting Alfonso Soriano to pop out, trainer Steve Bauman and Dusty Baker went to the mound. Baker then removed Cueto, who allowed three hits, didn’t make his first start of the season until May 8 because of irritation in his right upper arm.He is six innings short of qualifying for the ERA title and is just ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, who began the night at 2.36. Baker said the injury was a strained latissimus dorsi muscle. Inheriting a 5-0 lead, Sam LeCure (1-1) pitched 2 1/3 innings for the win. He allowed a pair of sixth-inning runs when Carlos Pena hit an RBI double and scored on Alfonso Soriano’s groundout. Casey Coleman (2-8) gave up six runs, six hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings. Since winning at Florida on May 19, he is 0-5 with a 7.98 ERA in eight big league starts and two relief appearances, a span that included three trips to the minor leagues. Francisco hit a two-run single for a 5-0 lead in the third. The third baseman also turned in a defensive gem, throwing out Marlon Byrd out from foul territory in the ninth inning. Hernandez’s 12th homer of the season but first since Aug. 5 put Cincinnati ahead. Chris Heisey added a solo homer in the eighth off Ramon Ortiz, his 16th.
NOTES—Cubs SS Starlin Castro, who had his career-high 13-game hitting streak stopped on Tuesday, went 2-for-3 to extend to 27 his streak of consecutive games in which he’s reached base at least once. …Randy Wells, scheduled to start in Thursday’s series finale, has won a career-high five straight decisions. He is 5-0 with a 3.02 ERA over his last eight starts. … RHP Homer Bailey, Cincinnati’s scheduled starter, has an 8-7 record, but the Reds are 9-10 in his starts.