Reds 6 Astros 0

**OffTheHook** · 04-29-2012, 01:09 AM

Reds bury Astros as Jay Bruce homers in 3rd straight game

CINCINNATI -- Jay Bruce called it a total team effort. Still, his contribution was too great to be ignored.
Bruce homered for the third consecutive game, drove in four runs and turned in one of Cincinnati's four sterling defensive plays to back Johnny Cueto's solid effort as the Reds beat the Houston Astros, 6-0 on Friday.

"That's what good teams do," said Bruce, who had a two-run homer, a two-run double and caught Jordan Schafer off first base for a double play after catching Jose Altuve's flyball, ending the fifth inning.

"They execute. Johnny pitched great, the defense was awesome and we hit when we needed to," Bruce said. "It was perfect."

Brandon Phillips added two hits for the Reds, who'd lost two straight after winning the first two games of their current 10-day, nine-game homestand.

Cueto (3-0) wasn't dominant, allowing five hits and a walk while hitting a batter and striking out just three over seven innings. But he was able to make enough quality pitches to keep in check an Astros team that hit .301 over the first four games of their six-game road trip. Manager Dusty Baker expects no less from Cueto.

"He competes," Baker said. "This guy comes to beat you."

Cueto had just enough to keep Houston in line, left fielder J.D. Martinez said.

"He was picky," Martinez said. "His fastball was moving and he was spotting up the majority of his pitches. I saw him pretty well, but he's got that runner or cutter that moves."

Cueto survived a 24-pitch first inning in which the Astros loaded the bases before Matt Downs flied out to Bruce.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?game...nnati-reds

**Mr. Pike Central** · 04-29-2012, 01:18 AM

Pretty amazing game.

Jay Bruce is getting hot, homered in his 3rd straight game.

Johnny Cueto is absolute nails.

Zack Cozart & Scott Rolen played fantastic defense.