Johnny Cueto might only have lasted six innings, but with 12 strikeouts in that time, he more than made his mark. He departed the game with 112 pitches thrown, a byproduct of that aesthetically-pleasing strikeout number. Cueto allowed only three hits and walked none, lowering his ERA to 1.85 in the effort.
Johnny Cueto whiffs 12 in masterful performance
Cueto matches a career-high in strikeouts, though he had the advantage of taking deception to a new level.
Jamie Sabau
Cueto's 12 Ks tie his career high, set earlier this year
— ctrent (@ctrent) June 12, 2014 Cueto both matched his career high in strikeouts and twirled the 20th 12+ strikeout game this season. Per Elias Sports Bureau, Cueto has more strikeouts through 14 starts than any Reds pitcher since 1900 with 109, besting the likes of Mario Soto and Gary Nolan (107), Edinson Volquez and Jim Maloney (103) and Jose Rijo (100).
He also picked off the league's best base stealer, Dee Gordon, even though Gordon wasn't even leaning:
With the impressive performance, Cueto jumps into the league lead for ERA, ahead of Julio Teheran, who entered the night with a 1.89 ERA, but was tagged for seven earned runs in six innings in Colorado.
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