Cueto dominates in Reds' shutout of Nationals

Johnny Cueto versus Max Scherzer.

What was supposed to be a pitcher's duel became a matchup about half as good as you'd expect.

That is to say Cueto was good, and Scherzer wasn't. Cueto beat Scherzer and the Washington Nationals 5-0 before a crowd of 31,898 at Nationals Park Tuesday night.

Box score:Reds 5, Nationals 0

Cueto (6-5) was brilliant. He threw a complete-game, two-hitter. He struck out 11 and walked one. He retired the last 12 he faced – eight by strikeout.

"That was just A-grade stuff, command with action, all the deceptive stuff with the hesitation and quick pitches," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "Still quality strikes. It was a shutdown game by our ace."

Cueto used his array of deliveries, which led to a smile at his season-high strikeouts.

"He was great, so great he could have fun," Joey Votto said. "That's a rarity in this game where you playing so well you get to laugh and goof around on the mound. Watching him play, I hope the fans took notice and vote for him and send him to (the All-Star Game) in front of the home fans."

Cueto is in the Final Man vote to make the All-Star Game.

"I think it was making a statement," catcher Brayan Pena said. "He was making a statement on the field. He was showing everybody he is one of the best pitchers in the National League and in the big leagues in general. The fact he came here against a great pitcher and a great team and threw a complete-game shutout is saying something that 'I'm here, and I belong in that All-Star Game.' Man, that was impressive."

The fact that the All-Star Game is in Cincinnati may have been a little extra motivation for Cueto.

"I would love to pitch in the All-Star Game," he said. "I want to do it. Besides that it's an All-Star Game, it's in Cincinnati. It's with my fans, in my house and my team. Of course I want them to see me pitch here."

Cueto has gone 17 innings over his past two starts and given up a total of one run. If there were questions about his elbow that caused him to miss a start, he seems to have answered them: He was consistently at 95 mph with his fastball Tuesday.

The Reds are 5-0 against the Nationals this season.

Scherzer, who came in with a 1.82 ERA, went 4 2/3 innings and allowed five runs on seven hits. He walked none and struck out four.

"He's just being human," Price said. "He's been so good. We took advantage. I'll have to go back and look at the tape. I don't know how good the pitches were we hit. Our guys did a nice job of putting the barrel on the ball. I didn't see anything wrong with Max at all."

Cueto loves pitching against fellow aces like Scherzer.

"I like to compete," he said. "I like to compete a lot."

Votto led the Reds offensively with a double, homer and single. He drove in runs in his first three at-bats against Scherzer.

"I think he's had a fantastic first half," Votto said. "He's probably the frontrunner to start the All-Star Game.

"Any time you have a good game against a pitcher of that level, I think it stands out."

Scherzer had given up a run in the first inning in only one of his 17 starts coming in.

The Reds changed that.

Brandon Phillips led off with a shot to left for a single. He went to second when the ball got by second baseman Dan Uggla.

Votto got Phillips in with a drive to the wall in right-center for a double. An out later, Jay Bruce worked the count full and tripled off one that went high off the wall in right to make it 2-0.

The Reds ran their way out of a possible third run, though. Bruce was running on contact when Pena grounded one right at first baseman Clint Robinson. Bruce was out by 12 feet at the plate.

Votto made it 3-0 in the second. He hit a 1-1 pitch into the Nationals' bullpen for his 15th of the year. It was his first homer since June 14.

The Reds added two more in the fifth. Billy Hamilton doubled with one out. He stole third with Phillips at the plate. Phillips was hit by a pitch, and then Votto made it a 3-for-3 night with an RBI single, sending Phillips to third and scoring Hamilton.

Todd Frazier got Phillips in with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. After Bruce singled, Scherzer was done. It was his shortest outing of the year. In fact, it was first time he didn't go at least six innings.

The Reds' defense did not help Cueto early on, however. An error by Votto in the first and an error by Frazier in the fourth put Cueto in small jams, but he pitched out of both.

Cueto did his best work in the fifth, after Ian Desmond led off with a triple. Cueto struck out the next three hitters to leave Desmond stranded.

Cueto worked a 1-2-3 sixth, seventh and eighth, and Price didn't hesitate to send Cueto out for the ninth.

"He's our ace," Price said. "He's been in that territory before. He looked great in the eighth. He looked sharp. It was hot, but he didn't show any signs of fatigue.

"He's earned that right to go out there for that complete game."