First Posted: 4/6/2015
CINCINNATI — Todd Frazier went up looking to get the ball in the air for a sacrifice fly.
He got it airborne, plus a lot more.
When the ball finally came down it had traveled 442 feet and landed in the left-field bleachers.
Frazier’s three-run home run in the home eighth inning broke a tie game and gave the Cincinnati Reds a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on a rainy Opening Day Monday at the Great American Ball Park.
“It’s huge,” Frazier said. “You think about how many one-run losses we had last year. To start like this, it’s really exciting. It was an all-around great game.”
The Reds gave right-hander Johnny Cueto a 2-0 lead, which he had when he left after seven dominating innings.
But Reds new reliever Kevin Gregg gave the lead away when he gave up a two-run home run to Andrew McCutchen in the top of the eighth. That tied the game at 2.
The Reds came right back off Pirates reliever Tony Watson in the eighth.
With one out, Billy Hamilton singled. Joey Votto took a 3-2 pitch and lined a slicing single to left, with Hamilton getting to second. Hamilton then stole third to put runners at the corners for Frazier.
Frazier then jumped on a 1-1 pitch from Watson and sent the ball on a frozen rope for the seats.
“I was looking for a sacrifice fly and a ball up,” Frazier said. “I said he might try to come in, he’s coming in on the batters. I got one out over (the plate) a little bit and did a little more. It was one of those no-doubters. You feel it right off the bat. It’s perfect.”
Added Reds manager Bryan Price, “”It’s a great feeling for us, collectively.”
Cueto was brilliant on Opening Day for the fourth straight time. In his four Opening Day starts, he’s 1-1 with a 0.64 ERA.
On Monday, Cueto fired seven shutout innings, giving up four hits. He struck out 10 and walked one. Using his 94 mph fastball, his 88 mph slider and a nasty 84 mph change-up, Cueto threw 100 pitches, 70 for strikes.
He also came back for two more innings after a 35-minute rain delay, which halted the game with the Reds leading 2-0 after five innings.
“Everything was low and I was able to control it,” Cueto said. “Everything was working the way I wanted it.”
Price added, “He threw seven scoreless innings, had a rain delay that he weathered and came back threw the ball beautifully. And he had the whole mix working. He had command and it seemed he and Devin (catcher Mesoraco) were on the same page. … He was just phenomenal.
“I didn’t anticipate him being that sharp. He had somewhat of a limited spring training, spending about a week and a half at home with a sick family member (his mom) and he came out locked in and ready.”
Jumbo Diaz picked up the win, by getting a strikeout to end the eighth, against the only batter he faced.
Reds closer Aroldis Chapman closed the game out with a 1-2-3 save in the ninth. He got two on strikeouts, both at 100 mph.
The Reds took a 1-0 lead in the third. Hamilton reached on a fielder’s choice and went to third on a single by Votto. Then, with Frazier at the plate, Pirates lefty Francisco Liriano balked and Hamilton trotted home with the game’s first run.
The Reds made it 2-0 in the home fourth. Bruce drove a 1-2 Liriano fastball and sent it halfway up the moon deck in right field, 403 feet from the plate, for a solo home run.
The Reds made at least four Gold-Glove like plays in the field.
Frazier had a diving stop at third and throw to first which Votto dug out for an out. Hamilton made a diving grab on his belly off a line drive in center. Marlon Byrd had a leaping grab at the fence in left and Cueto had a nice stab of a low liner up the middle, he turned into an out at first.
“There are going to be ups and downs to the season. This is our first upper,” Price said.
