The Chicago Cubs lost 3-0 to the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon as Johnny Cueto pulled out one of his best outings of the season. The Cubs got a solid performance from rookie Brooks Raley in his second career MLB start, but the offense gave him absolutely no support while Cueto flashed his best stuff.
Over six innings, Raley allowed just three runs on five hits, with all of the damage coming on a pair of home runs. Other than a two-run homer by Jay Bruce and a solo shot by Ryan Ludwick, the Reds struggled as badly on offense as the Cubs did against Cueto.
Looking to continue his fantastic season, Cueto was nothing short of dominant, allowing just three hits over eight shutout innings. The 26-year-old only struck out just three hitters, but he was good enough to drop his season ERA to 2.45, the third-lowest figure of any NL starter qualified for the ERA title.
Without a single extra base hit during the entire game, the Cubs offense just never got strong contact against Cueto. Twice during the game, the Cubs put two runners on base with zero outs, but both times Cueto got out of the respective jams to maintain his shutout.
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