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Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds edge Minnesota Twins 2-1

By Mark Schmetzer, The Sports Xchange
Johnny Cueto's strong outing led the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. File photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI
Johnny Cueto's strong outing led the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. File photo by Archie Carpenter/UPI | License Photo

CINCINNATI -- Minnesota's Trevor May and Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto teamed up to turn in an old-fashioned pitchers' duel Wednesday in a game decided by a throwing error on a throw that didn't need to be made.

Cueto (5-5) posted his longest outing since missing his last two starts of May with a sore right elbow as the Reds squeezed out a 2-1 win over the Twins in the rubber match of the three-game series before a crowd of 26,459.

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The two teams combined to produce 51 hits and 31 runs in the first two games of their interleague series.

Cueto, a 20-game winner last season, allowed four hits and one run with one walk and eight strikeouts over eight innings. He allowed just one runner past second base while throwing 111 pitches, 74 for strikes.

The Reds (36-41) bounced back after being swept by the Mets in a three-game weekend series at New York by taking two out of three from the team that went into Wednesday's game second in the American League Central Division, 4 1/2 games behind Kansas City.

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The Twins (41-37) left after the game for Kansas City, where they are scheduled to conclude their 10-game road trip with a four-game series against the Royals, starting on Thursday.

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 17 opportunities this season and his 53rd straight at Great American Ball Park since blowing a chance against Houston on Sept. 7, 2012.

Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton clinched the win with a diving catch to his left of pinch hitter Torii Hunter's line drive.

May (4-7), who had allowed six runs while logging just one out in his last start on June 26 at Milwaukee, lasted 6 1/3 on Wednesday, allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) with three walks, six strikeouts and two wild pitches.

May has lost four straight decisions in five starts since his last win on June 3 at Boston.

The Reds squandered a golden scoring opportunity in the second inning before pushing across a run in the third. Second baseman Brandon Phillips led off with a double into the left field corner -- thinking seriously enough about a triple to round second base at top speed before slamming on the brakes -- and went to third on a wild pitch, setting up first baseman Joey Votto's sacrifice fly.

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That was one inning after loading the bases with nobody out on three singles, only to see shortstop Eugenio Suarez and Cueto strike out and Hamilton fly out.

The impact of Hamilton -- the major league's stolen base leader -- never was more apparent than in the bottom of the fifth. Hamilton, who went into the game with 40 stolen bases in 46 tries, was on second with Phillips on first and took off for third as May was delivering ball four to Votto. Instinctively, backup catcher Chris Herrmann threw to third, overthrowing third baseman Trevor Plouffe for an error that allowed Hamilton to score.

The Twins broke up Cueto's shutout bid in the sixth on second baseman Brian Dozier's leadoff double, shortstop Eduardo Nunez's runner-advancing groundout and right fielder Eddie Rosario's RBI groundout.

NOTES: The Reds announced a scoring change from Tuesday's 8-5 Minnesota win. Cincinnati's Billy Hamilton was credited with an infield single on what previously had been ruled an error by shortstop Eduardo Nunez. ... Twins LF Shane Robinson, scratched from Tuesday's starting lineup with a stomach ailment, returned to the lineup Wednesday. ... Reds 2B Brandon Phillips started and batted leadoff in his first action since leaving Sunday's second game against the Mets in New York with injuries to both hands. ... Cincinnati RHP Raisel Iglesias pitched three innings for Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday in his first appearance since going on the disabled list on June 15 with a strained left oblique. He is expected to make two more rehab starts. ... Reds LHP Tony Cingrani is scheduled to pitch two innings in a rehab assignment Friday. Cingrani has been on the disabled list since June 15 with a strained left shoulder. ... The Anderson Monarchs, the Little League team for which Mo'ne Davis became the first girl to win a game at the Little League World Series last year, were honored on the field in pregame ceremonies. Davis and her teammates are on a tour of historic civil rights sites.

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