Ace Johnny Cueto and third baseman Todd Frazier both have aspirations to represent the Reds in the All-Star Game next month — and have posted numbers worthy for consideration.
More importantly, Cueto’s pitching and Frazier’s hitting are helping the Reds get wins like Sunday’s 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays. Cueto worked eight innings while Frazier’s two-run home run in the fifth inning of a 2-2 game put the Reds ahead.
“I think that would be awesome. Some guys don’t like to talk about it,’ said Frazier, who is not among the leaders at third base. “If you want to be a Major Leaguer, one of your goals every year is to be an All-Star. There are no jinxes or nothing about it, you do. I think it’s something to be proud of. Maybe one day it will happen, hopefully this year. That would be great.”
Cincinnati, which has won eight of its last 11 games, took two of three in the series from a first-place Toronto club. There could have been a sweep of the Blue Jays had the Reds not blown an 8-0 lead on Friday for a 14-9 loss.
In the last two games, the Reds scored 15 runs while starting pitchers Cueto and Mike Leake each worked eight innings and allowed a combined two earned runs.
“It shows the resiliency that we have coming back after that crushing loss,” Frazier said. “It was something we don’t want to see ever again. It shows we’ve got the power to come back.”
With his 14th quality start in 16 outings, Cueto set the right tone with three runs (one earned) and seven hits allowed. He walked one and struck out eight as he worked at least eight innings for the eighth time this season.
Cueto is 7-5 with a Major League-best 1.86 ERA and 116 innings pitched. He is second in the National League with 119 strikeouts. His chief All-Star starter competition is the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright, who is 10-3 with a 2.08 ERA in 15 starts and has his manager, Mike Matheny, leading the NL team.
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