Game 3: Reds 3, Diamondbacks 2

Johnny Cueto is for real.

Highly-touted Reds prospects so rarely have lived up to the hype in recent years. After a strong debut last year the bloom is already off the rose for Homer Bailey. Austin Kearns had a strong rookie campaign but never quite lived up to the early promise he showed, although to be fair by 2006 he'd established himself as a solid major leaguer. Wily Mo Pena had flashes of brilliant power offset by strikeout after strikeout, and his indifferent play in the field made you forget how great an athlete he could be at times. Brandon Larson killed the ball in AAA but couldn't get out of his own way at the major league level.

With that recent history in mind, Cueto's performance Thursday just seemed too good to be true. The reports out of Spring Training were so good I almost didn't want to believe it. A 96 mile per hour fastball, a killer change and a breaking ball that falls off the table? Scouts saying he should be the ace right now? It was exciting, I'll admit, but it was hard not to try to temper that excitement. "Let's see what happens when the games are real," I thought.

Well, Thursday was a real game, although it didn't feel like it at times. GABP looked so empty it seemed like a scrimmage just for friends and family of the team. The Arizona broadcast saw fit to "interview" Mr. Redlegs for what seemed like three innings. The sky was the kind of gray you forget even exists when you live in California.

The economy of pitches! He never got behind. He hit the corners with authority. Time and time again he popped a 96 on the FSN gun. He threw the breaking ball with two strikes with confidence. He had Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson just shaking their heads after called strike three. Against a very solid big-league lineup, he was perfect through five.

Bailey's run last year was exciting, but I remember his last start before his shutdown, also against Arizona. He pitched fairly well but you knew his luck was going to run out. Nearly every pitch he threw was a rising fastball you could tell he could barely tame. He got through five, wound up getting hung with a no-decision, and just like that he was gone til September. That was a type of success I enjoyed, because he did do well, but you knew it wouldn't last. Watching Cueto today the word on my mind was Phenom. He could be a sensation this year. He could end up packing the park every time out. His stuff was that good... just electric.

I confess I actually knew the Reds won before I even watched the game. I worked a half day, then went to the Padres-Astros game, foolishly thinking I could avoid looking at the out-of-town scoreboard the entire game. Of course, as soon as I got to my seat, I looked at it. Reds were up 3-1 in the 7th. All right, Cueto must have done OK, I thought. Coming back watching it on the DVR I couldn't believe my eyes. Seven innings, one hit? You have got to be joking me! He was one mistake away from a no-hitter through seven!

I'm the type that looks forward to every single game. I roughed it with MLB.tv until like July last year. When I bought Extra Innings, the Reds were like 30-52 or something. I love a home game on a Tuesday in August against the Bucs when both teams are a combined 55 games back. I love every game because every game is a chance for something sweet to happen. I used to really love the Bengals, but I got tired of sixteen chances for something good to happen, twelve of which would come up crappy, then eight months of Geoff Hobson rationalizing every move made and every move not made on their website. I've gotten so excited about mediocre teams and crummy players on the Reds. Now that I've seen someone really exciting, I can't wait until Tuesday in Milwaukee to see how he does.

2 of 3 is pretty sweet especially after the opener. Now let's go get the Phillies.

You know what, no. One more time.. This win was f'n beautiful.

OTHER THOUGHTS...
- Tough outing for Stormy, he'll be alright though.
- I don't mean to rag on the Mr. Redlegs interview, it was really like a half-inning and consisted of the Arizona broadcasters asking him things and the sound of him clapping (that's really all the sound he can make). It was actually pretty funny.
- Nice to see Junior not have a hitless series.
- Mike Lincoln cleaning up the mess in the eighth! Clutch. If I had to pick a guy most likely to be released early in the year, he was my pick. Still could happen, but he came up big today.
- The Reds had chances to break the game open early. Doug Davis allowed several baserunners in the third and fourth after giving up runs in the first and second and the Reds just couldn't get any runs across. Third, they had two on and one out and Hatteberg and Paul Bako struck out looking in back-to-back at-bats. Mercifully FSN AZ didn't have shots of Dusty with a look of consternation on his face. Fourth, they had two on with one, then two out and couldn't get anything.