Reds undefeated against the Nationals this season

Cueto (6-5 2.61 ERA) in 16 starts for the Reds this season. Cueto didn’t blink as he struck out three straight to escape the jam. That would be the final hit of the day for the Nationals as Cueto retired the final 15 batters in order for a complete game shutout.

Update: The Nationals got two men on in the bottom of the first thanks to a fielding error by Reds first baseman Joey Votto that allowed Danny Espinosa to reach base and a bloop single to left by Bryce Harper.

Update III: The Nationals have not been able to take advantage of the few opportunities they have received early on against Johnny Cueto.

New York’s Bartolo Colon (9-7), winless since June 12, allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Center fielder Denard Span and second baseman Yunel Escobar were gone by the fifth inning, and the Nationals yielded a late run and fell to the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 Monday.

“My first reaction was that I popped it up, ” he said. Known for a potent bat, Sano had two hits and has hit safely in each of his first six games since being promoted from Class AA. Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA and 46 strikeouts in his career against the Reds. “We’ve had so much rain (lately)”, Nationals manager Matt Williams said. The five runs were more than the right-hander allowed in his previous four games combined, a stretch that included a no-hitter and a one-hitter.

That was their fourth consecutive win, a streak matched by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who needed a tie-breaking triple in the eighth inning from Gregory Polanco to edge to a 3-2 victory over San Diego with the Padres slipping to their fourth defeat in a row.

Manager Matt Williams said the Nationals are still determining when Wednesday’s game will be made up and what the team’s rotation will be this weekend against the Orioles in Baltimore. Even when Lincecum and Hudson were healthy they both had ERAs in the 4’s so it’s safe to say the Giants have room for another starting pitcher. Pierzynski hit his sixth home run and drove in two runs.

The Reds took the series-opener, 3-2, on Monday and followed it up with a 5-0 shutout victory on Tuesday. Since this year’s All-Star Game is in Cincinnati, the Reds might wait to decide on Cueto’s future until after the All-Star break, especially if he’s voted into the game. Other delays caused by weather and 10 extra-inning games have led to travel hassles. Michael faced the Nats once this year and got a no-decision in that game, allowing 2 ERs in 6.1 innings of work. Marlon Byrd led off with a drive off the top of the right-field wall that was initially called a double, then switched to a home run, then ruled a double again after a replay review.

Toronto’s Josh Donaldson hit a solo home run in the third inning for what turned out to be the winning run. This was the last scheduled game between the teams this season.

In Boston, Xander Bogaerts drove in three runs with a bases-loaded single in the seventh inning.

Entering Tuesday, the Tribe trailed division-leading Kansas City by 91/2 games, significantly less than the Reds’ deficit to the Cardinals, but their 5½-game deficit in the race for the American League’s second wild-card spot was only two games better than Cincinnati’s.

In Cleveland, Corey Kluber pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning and finally won for the first time since May 28.