Cueto, Reds edge Twins in rubber match

If it was Johnny Cueto's last start at Great American Ball Park as a Red — the trade rumors, you know — he gave the fans an outing to remember him by.

Cueto went eight innings and allowed one run on four hits to beat the Minnesota Twins 2-1 before a crowd of 26,459 Wednesday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

He walked one and struck out eight.

Vintage Cueto.

"He's 90 percent pitcher, 10 percent showman," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "It seems like every year, he comes out with some little twist – a Luis Tiant turn and now there are hesitations or quick pitches or things of that nature. I don't know if he needs all of it.

"He's a pretty special talent. I think we're seeing one of the real special pitchers of this time, because he does a lot of things that nobody else does in the game. You come to watch him and it's like going to see (Juan) Marichal. It's going to see Tiant. There's something beyond that they're going to pitch a great game for you."

The crowd roared when Cueto came off. The crowd might have been thinking it was Cueto's last start at home as a Red. But he says he wasn't.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Cueto said. "They're still able to negotiate with me, so I don't know eventually where I'm going to be. I don't have to mind that.

"I like to be here. I like the fans here. I like my teammates. I want to stay here — it depends on the team."

Cueto (5-5) has been the subject of ongoing trade speculation ever since the Reds failed to sign him before his spring training deadline. Cueto won't pitch at GABP again until at least after the All-Star Break. The break ends July 17 — two weeks before the non-waiver trade deadline.

Cueto's sons — Johnny Jr. and Cocolo — were by his side Wednesday. Cueto and sons will be fine, wherever he lands.

"I've got to keep going," he said. "I leave everything in God's hands. Let God take care of that."

Price knows keeping Cueto will be difficult.

"Johnny is going to have a lot of opportunities, it looks like," Price said. "Sometimes when it looks unrealistic to have a player return, you hope everyone has a chance to step back and enjoy what they're seeing. I do think we're seeing a very special pitcher right now, regardless of where he ends up – whether it's Cincinnati or someplace else."

Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 17th save. It was the third series win for the Reds in their last four.

Cueto seems to have answered the questions about his elbow. He's 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA in six starts since missing a start with the sore elbow.

And he's able to block out the thoughts about his future.

"Johnny's special," catcher Brayan Pena said. "He's so strong mentally. He reads. He watches TV. But he's able to focus when he's pitching. He's always ready."

It shaped up early as a no-support day for Cueto.

The Reds loaded the bases with no outs in the second on three straight hits and failed to score.

The Reds cashed in in the third. Brandon Phillips, back in the lineup after missing two games with sore thumbs, lined one into the left-field corner for a double.

He moved to third on a wild pitch. Joey Votto got him in with sacrifice fly to left on a 3-0 pitch. Shane Robinson's strong throw made it a close play at home, but the Reds had a 1-0 lead.

The Reds pushed the lead to 2-0 on a Billy Hamilton run in the fifth. Hamilton worked a walk after being down 1-2. Phillips followed with a walk. Votto walked. Ball 4 came as Hamilton broke for third. Catcher Chris Herrmann threw the ball into left, allowing Hamilton to score.

That was all the Reds would get.

Cueto rolled early. He worked a 1-2-3 first. He gave up two hits to start the second and then proceeded to retire 11 straight.

But a two-run lead in Great American is never a reason to relax — except Cueto says he does.

"I always relax - to me, everything is normal," he said. "I always relax the whole time."

The Twins broke through in the sixth. Brian Dozier led off with a double down the left field line. He moved up on Eduardo Nunez's groundout and scored on Eddie Rosario's groundout.

Cueto breezed through the seventh and eighth and then turned it over to Chapman.

"Terrific," Price said of Cueto. "It's not like we haven't seen that before."

The question, of course, is how much longer we are going to see it.