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SAN FRANCISCO, June 10 (UPI) — Johnny Cueto teamed with two relievers on a four-hitter Thursday that gave the Cincinnati Reds a 3-0 victory over San Francisco.

Cueto (3-2) shut down the Giants over seven innings, allowing all four San Francisco hits while striking out eight. Nick Masset and Francisco Cordero each worked a perfect relief inning with Cordero earning his 12th save.

The Giants had their lead over Arizona in the National League West trimmed to one game.

Cincinnati took the lead in the fourth when Scott Rolen doubled with two out against Madison Bumgarner and scored on a single up the middle by Jonny Gomes.

It remained a 1-1 contest until Joey Votto scored in the eighth on a bases-loaded passed ball charged to Eli Whiteside. Brandon Phillips singled in the final run in the ninth.

Bumgarner (2-8) suffered the loss, giving up a lone run on eight hits in seven innings.

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CINCINNATI, June 3 (UPI) — Bronson Arroyo and three relievers combined to limit Los Angeles to a run on six hits Friday in lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 victory over the Dodgers.

Scott Rolen drove in both Cincinnati runs with a fifth-inning single and that was enough to bring the Reds their third win in four games. This recent run of success has followed 10 Cincinnati losses in 12 outings.

Arroyo (4-5) went six innings to earn his first victory in seven starts. He gave up five hits and struck out two.

Logan Ondrusek, Nick Masset and Francisco Cordero worked a relief inning each with Cordero claiming his 11th save.

Los Angeles took the lead on James Loney’s sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Cincinnati loaded the bases with two out in the fifth before Rolen delivered his two-run single to center.

Hiroki Kuroda (5-6) surrendered the two runs on six hits with four walks in six innings to take the loss.

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Read More: Ramon Hernandez (C – CIN), Bronson Arroyo (P – CIN), Dan Uggla (2B – ATL), Fred Lewis (LF – CIN), Derek Lowe (P – ATL), Scott Rolen (3B – CIN), Brian McCann (C – ATL), George Sherrill (P – ATL), Jay Bruce (RF – CIN), Jordan Schafer (CF – ATL), Tommy Hanson (P – ATL), Mike Leake (P – CIN), Craig Kimbrel (P – ATL), Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves

The Braves failed to capitalize on a ton of opportunities in their series opening 5-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds Friday night at Turner Field. Atlanta was just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in the loss. The Braves lone run came on a Dan Uggla sacrifice fly in the sixth. 

With Atlanta being unable to come up with a timely hit, it put more pressure on the defense and Braves starter Tommy Hanson. Cincinnati took an early lead in the second inning after a Fred Lewis double scored Scott Rolen giving the Reds their first run of the night. 

Cincinnati tacked on another run in the fourth after a Tommy Hanson throwing error on a would be double play put runners at the corners with one out. Cincinnati’s Paul Jarnish followed with a squeeze bunt to give the Reds the 2-0 lead. The Reds added another run in the fifth on a Jay Bruce infield single that was deflected by pitcher George Sherrill. Cincinnati tacked on two more runs in the ninth with a Ramon Hernandez two run homerun off of Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.

Atlanta had two runners on base in each of the first, fourth, and fifth innings but failed to come up with the big hit. Their best chance to score came in the eighth as the Braves loaded the bases but with two outs, Alex Gonzalez grounded sharply to shortstop ending the threat. 

Tommy Hanson (5-4) takes the loss after lasting 4.2 innings while giving up three runs two of which were earned. Four other Braves relievers combined to shut down the Reds for 2.1 innings before Kimbrel surrendered the home run to Hernandez in the ninth. 

Jordan Schafer went 2 for 4 with a walk in the lead off spot for the Braves. Brian McCann also had two hits and a walk for Atlanta. 

For the Reds, Mike Leake earns his fourth win after pitching six innings and allowing just one earned run. Leake scattered seven hits and three walks while striking out two batters. Scott Rolen and Chris Helsey each had two hits for Cincinnati. 

The Braves will send Derek Lowe to the mound in the second game of the series and he will be opposed by Reds right hander Bronson Arroyo. 

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PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Wilson Valdez(notes) has a new career as a late-inning
reliever.

Late. Really, really late.

Valdez shifted over from second base and wound up as the winning pitcher
early Thursday when the Philadelphia Phillies needed 19 innings to outlast the
Cincinnati Reds 5-4.

In front of a dwindling crowd at Citizens Bank Park, Raul Ibanez(notes) hit a
bases-loaded sacrifice fly to decide the longest major league game of the
season. It ended at 1:19 a.m. local time after 6 hours, 11 minutes.

Shaving cream nestled in his beard and dripping off his ear in the locker
room, Valdez wanted to keep pitching.

“I can go for three more, four more (innings). Whatever,” he said.

Who knows? The Phillies might need him on short notice

Not much time for rest, either. The teams were set to play again Thursday at
1:05 p.m.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel strolled through the clubhouse after 1:30
a.m. wishing everyone a good morning.

He had every reason to smile because of Valdez.

Valdez threw a hitless 19th inning in his first professional pitching
appearance. Phillies fans stood and chanted “Let’s go, Wilson!” when the
33-year-old Valdez shifted from second to the mound.

The first batter he faced was Joey Votto(notes), and the reigning NL MVP flied out
to deep center field.

Valdez acted like a seasoned closer. He hit 90 mph on a fastball to Votto.
He shook off catcher Dane Sardinha(notes). And he showed no fear.

“If he hits a home run, they’re not going to say anything to me,” said
Valdez, laughing.

Not bad for a journeyman infielder who became the first position player to
earn a win since Colorado catcher Brent Mayne on Aug. 22, 2000, according to
STATS LLC. Mayne went one inning in a 7-6 victory over Atlanta in 12 innings.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard(notes) put his mitt over his face to hide his
smile when Valdez shook off his catcher.

“I was like, ‘What is he going to throw? What does he have?”’ Howard said.
“It was funny, but he got it done.”

Some fans, young and old, already were asleep in the stands as the game
played on. But plenty of the die-hards who stuck around made it a lively
atmosphere, especially when Valdez took over as Philadelphia’s ninth pitcher.

Valdez threw one pitch to the backstop and hit Scott Rolen(notes). But the
Phillies’ newest right-hander then retired Jay Bruce(notes) on a fly ball and got Reds
reliever Carlos Fisher(notes) (0-1) on a popup.

“If it’s anything like how he throws balls to me, it’s going to be nasty up
there,” Howard said. “He throws a lot of sinkers.”

Fisher, the Reds’ seventh pitcher, worked 5 2-3 innings and gave up one run
and four hits. The Phillies used 21 players overall, the Reds 20.

Fisher finally wore down when Jimmy Rollins(notes) singled to open the 19th,
Domonic Brown(notes) walked and Placido Polanco(notes) sacrificed. Thousands of fans
derisively chanted “Fisher! Fisher!” before he intentionally walked Howard to
load the bases. Ibanez had been 1 for 8 on the night when he hit a fly to deep
center to win it.

“The fans were great to get on him like that,” Howard said. “We couldn’t
have done it without them.”

The Reds used seven pitchers and the Phillies nine. The Reds had 15 hits to
Philadelphia’s 13.

Some of the box score numbers were rough. Reds third baseman Scott Rolen was
0 for 7 and Phillies infielder Placido Polanco was 1 for 8.

Bruce homered in the 10th for the Reds, then Howard went deep and tied it in
the bottom half. They ended up playing the longest game in the eight-season
history of the ballpark.

By the time it was over, the Reds and Phillies still had a long way to go to
match the latest-ending game in the big leagues this year. It was 2:45 a.m. at
Fenway Park when the Los Angeles Angels beat Boston in the 13th inning of a
rain-delayed game earlier this month.

The Phillies still had a couple innings left to match the longest game in
team history: a 2-1 loss to Chicago in 21 innings on July 17, 1918. The Reds
lost to San Francisco 1-0 in 21 innings on Sept. 1, 1967, in the longest game in
their history.

Phillies reliever Danys Baez(notes) threw 73 pitches and tossed one-hit ball over
five scoreless innings. He led off the 16th using a bat that hardly looked game
used, drawing chuckles from Phillies star Shane Victorino(notes) and Manuel in the
dugout.

Baez was confused. He grabbed the wrong helmet and forgot to stick pine tar
on the bat.

“My arm feels good now,” Baez said. “I don’t know about tomorrow.”

Today is tomorrow.

“Well, in six hours.”

The Phillies squandered a chance to win it in the 18th when Valdez was
stranded on second after a two-out double. Fisher retired Michael Martinez(notes) on a
liner to left.

Bruce hit a shot off Antonio Bastardo(notes) over the scoreboard into the front row
of the right-field seats for his 13th homer of the year to put the Reds ahead in
the 10th.

Bruce hit a tiebreaking, three-run double in the ninth to lead the Reds to a
6-3 win on Tuesday. He hit a three-run homer against the Phillies on Monday to
give him nine RBIs in the series.

It was no consolation.

“It’s definitely the strangest game I’ve ever been a part of,” Bruce said.
“All that effort and time and you lose. It’s tough.”

Howard tagged Francisco Cordero(notes) for his 11th homer to make it 4-all.

“One of the biggest downers in baseball is the late-inning blown save,”
Reds manager Dusty Baker said before the game.

And this one?

“A real tough one to lose,” Baker said.

Notes: The Phillies should decide Thursday if RHP Jose Contreras(notes) is ready to
come off the disabled list. Contreras has five saves and hasn’t allowed a run
this season. … Phillies RHP Joe Blanton(notes) visited renowned orthopedist Dr. James
Andrews for a second opinion on his injured elbow. Blanton will start a throwing
program in three to four weeks.

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Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen(notes) has had a hurting left shoulder, which helps explain his .217 batting average so far this year, well below his career average of .283.

He’s had two cortisone shots but the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that those “didn’t improve (the pain) a great deal,” so the team put him on the disabled list Sunday.

“I got to the point where I was fighting it a little bit,” Rolen said, according to the Enquirer. “I think experience has shown that this is the best move right now. I think that’s the answer: calm it down, rest it.”

The paper notes that Rolen won’t even swing a bat for a few days. “I think that’s the best course,” he said. “Let everything calm itself down. Let the medicine get in there and work. I’ve got the neck, the upper back and trap, the things that go along with it. The shoulder causes all the things. But they are real. They’re not going to go away with a couple of shots in the shoulder. But addressing the shoulder was the main thing. That’s where it’s coming from.”

The plan is for him to return on May 6.

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Source: Cincinnati Enquirer

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ST. LOUIS — Cincinnati Reds third baseman Scott Rolen tried to make a quick comeback from his shoulder injury.

But after the two cortisone injections he got Friday didn’t have any kind of miraculous effect in the next 48 hours, it was decided Sunday the disabled list was the best route.

“I got to the point where I was fighting it a little bit,” Rolen said. “I think experience has shown that this is the best move right now. I think that’s the answer, calm it down, rest it.”

Rolen will not swing a bat for at least a few more days.

“I think that’s the best course,” he said.

The Reds and Rolen hope he’ll be ready May 6, the first day he’s eligible.

“He had the shot; he’s been working hard,” Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. “Sometimes, it takes a few days for these things to take affect. Some of it is we’re hoping.”

Miguel Cairo will get the bulk of the time at third with Rolen out. Chris Valaika, recalled from Triple-A Louisville to take Rolen’s roster spot, will get some time there also, and Chris Heisey even had some work there.

Baker also will consider playing Paul Janish at third and Edgar Renteria at shortstop.

“It depends on what I need,” Baker said.

The long-term plan at third remains Juan Francisco.

“He’s 23 (and has) lots of pop,” Baker said. (He was the) MVP in the Dominican the last two winters. He was the guy we had slated to pick up the 35, 40 games Scottie wasn’t going to play and phase him in slowly like that.”

Francisco is on the disabled list with a strained calf until at least May 2.

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Updated Apr 24, 2011 4:08 PM ET

The Cincinnati Reds have placed third baseman Scott Rolen on the 15-day disabled list due to soreness in his left shoulder, MLB.com reported Sunday.

Cincinnati opted to sit the six-time All-Star after he hit just .176 over the last seven days.

Rolen, 36, missed most of the 2005 season after undergoing two surgeries to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

According to MLB.com, team doctors have given Rolen injections in the hopes that he can return to action in the next couple of days.

Rolen is hitting .217 for the season with two home runs and 12 RBIs.

The 1997 NL Rookie of the Year has won eight Gold Gloves and hit .285 with 305 HR’s during his career with the Reds, Phillies, Cardinals and Blue Jays.

Infielder Chris Valaika has been called up from Triple-A to replace Rolen on the Reds’ roster.

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St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) – The Cincinnati Reds have placed third baseman Scott Rolen on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain.

The move is retroactive to April 21, and comes after Rolen received two injections in the shoulder, according to MLB.com. To replace Rolen on the roster, the Reds recalled infielder Chris Valaika from Triple-A Louisville.

Valaika has spent the majority of his professional career at the middle infield positions. However, he could see playing time at third with Cincinnati’s backup third baseman, Juan Francisco, on the DL with a calf injury.

Valaika, 25, batted .263 in 19 games for the Reds last season. He was hitting .306 in 14 games at Louisville.

The Sports Network

That’s all for today.

Miguel Cairo, the nearly 37-year-old utilityman of the Cincinnati Reds, has stepped into the time machine this weekend here.

Nearly nine years ago, in Game 2 of the divisional playoff series with Arizona, Cairo replaced Scott Rolen at third base for the Cardinals when Rolen suffered a left shoulder injury. Cairo proceeded to go four for four in the series as the Cardinals swept the Diamondbacks.

When the Reds got here Friday night, Rolen, bothered yet again by that injury, has been unable to play. Also hurt is backup third baseman Juan Francisco, so Cairo has taken over at third base for the first two games of the series with the Cardinals.

Batting in a 3-3 game with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning, Cairo jumped on an 0-2 Ryan Franklin breaking ball and delivered the go-ahead single that gave the Reds a 5-3 win. The hit also prevented the Cardinals from clinching their sixth series victory over the Reds in the last seven dating to the opening-week series of last season.

Cairo has played for nine different major league clubs — three of them twice, including the Cardinals — and has appeared in two other organizations without reaching the majors with them. In a big-league career which began in 1996 with a cameo in Toronto, Cairo never has made more than $1 million in a season and never had a multi-year contract until now.

Cairo batted .290 for the Reds last year as they won the division title, filling in at all the infield positions and in right field. In one stretch of six games in May, Cairo took over for injured first baseman Joey Votto, who would become the National League’s Most Valuable Player, and hit safely in all of them, going 12 for 28 with two homers and two doubles.

Reds general manager Walt Jocketty, who brought Cairo to St. Louis twice — once on a waiver claim and the other time on a minor-league contract — was impressed enough by what he saw to give Cairo $1 million for this year and $1 million for next year.

“I was very excited,” said Cairo. “You work hard for so many years and to have Walt, who I know with the Cardinals, and for him to recognize the job I did for him last year, I was very glad and blessed.”

Cairo has been in five division series and three league championship series, hitting a combined .290. But he never has been in a World Series.

“We’ve got a good mix and we’ve got a shot,” said Cairo. “We’ve got a good team. The good thing about it is that teams who ask me to play for them are good teams. The team who aren’t in contention … you don’t want to sign with them. You can’t help them.”

But when Cairo showed up at Reds spring training camp in February, 2010, Reds manager Dusty Baker admitted, “He looked old. There’s a difference between being old and looking old.”

Baker sought counsel in one of his veterans, and Cairo wound up making the Reds’ varsity.

“We made a decision, really thanks to Scott Rolen,” Baker said. “He said, ‘This guy’s going to be a big help for us. I played with him. I know him.’

“When you’re on the fence,” said Baker, “it helps to have somebody that knows somebody that you can trust their words.”

Cairo smiled and said, “I guess they made the right decision.”

Rolen tried to soften the influence he had but left little doubt as to how he felt about the Venezuelan native.

“He’s a great, great baseball guy,” said Rolen. “From my time playing with him here, I knew this was stability. This was the guy we needed because we were young.”

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