First-ever postseason meeting between these “original-eight” clubs. The Reds copped the season series, 4-3, with consecutive CGs in June from Mike Leake and Mat Latos, who sports a 2.19 ERA in 11 starts against SF. But tonight, it’s the aces, Johnny Cueto (1.93 in 4 starts vs. SFG) and Matt Cain (3.54 in 10 starts vs. CIN).
Just got “back” from the movies — whatever you do, don’t waste your time on “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” which was apparently written by the protagonists. (But I blame myself — I signed up to watch James Franco as a research neuroscientist?)
Anyway, what the heck’s going on? I guess everyone knows by now that Cueto is the first postseason starter ever to come out after just one batter — shorter even than the famous Curly Ogden ruse.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/WS1/WS1192410100.shtml
JA and Mark.
Back spasms during warmups for Cueto. He looked OK first batter but then winced shortly after and was gone. He’s only day-to-day, though. There’s talk of him starting Game 3 in Cincy. They went w/ reliever ?LeClure? for an inning or two, then turned it over to Game 2 starter Latos.
Mark, didn’t see the Bruce HR and got only the behind-the-catcher shot of the Phillips one.
It seems like as recently as mid-August Chapman was being promoted as a potential Cy Young candidate. Although, I believe I only saw it as a story on ESPN. I’m sure some Cincy writers were fueling it, too.
In theory, there’s no reason a relief pitcher can’t win the Cy Young Award, but it would have to be a pretty spectacular season coupled with a very weak group of starting pitchers. As good as Kimbrel, Rodney and even Chapman have been, there are multiple starters in both leagues who would get votes above all of them.
