Cueto, Reds commence set at Pittsburgh
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dominican right-hander Johnny Cueto makes his sixth start of the season and meets one of his favorite opponents tonight when the Cincinnati Reds visit PNC Park for the opener of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Cueto, who turned 26 in February, has started 15 times in his career against the Pirates and is 10-3 with a stingy 2.70 earned run average with 91 strikeouts across 90 innings.
He last faced them on July 20, 2011 and was a 3-1 winner in Pittsburgh after going six innings, allowing four hits and a run and striking out four.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He's unbeaten in five starts thus far in 2012, pitching six innings or more in four of the outings while surrendering just five earned runs on 27 hits in 32 1/3 innings.
A seven-inning stint against Houston resulted in a 6-0 victory in his most recent start on April 28, after he scattered five hits, walked one and struck out three.
For the Pirates, righty Kevin Correia makes a 16th career appearance - and 11th start - against the Reds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The San Diego native is 7-1 with a 4.69 ERA in 63 1/3 innings in meetings with Cincinnati, but was hit hard in an Aug. 19 no-decision against the Reds when he allowed six runs on eight hits in six innings of an 11-8 Pittsburgh loss.
He's split a pair of decisions in his initial four starts this year while allowing six earned runs on 15 hits in 22 1/3 innings.
The start is his second of 2012 in Pittsburgh, where he got a no-decision against Colorado on April 24.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Thursday in Cincinnati, Scott Rolen's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning provided the winning run, as the Reds rallied from a late three- run deficit to beat Chicago, 4-3, in the final contest of a truncated two-game series.
Zack Cosart singled to begin the frame and moved to third when Rafael Dolis (1-2) threw wild to first on a Chris Heisey sacrifice bunt attempt. Rolen then lofted a ball deep enough to right field to bring in the deciding run.
It made a winner of Logan Ondrusek (2-0), who turned in a scoreless top of the 10th. Starter Homer Bailey worked six full frames, yielding nine hits and three runs.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Willie Harris, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips scored in the ninth for the Reds, who dropped the opener on Wednesday.
In St. Louis, Pedro Alvarez hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Clint Barmes also drove in two runs as Pittsburgh avoided a sweep with a 6-3 decision in the finale of a three-game set from Busch Stadium.
Jose Tabata added three hits and scored twice for the Pirates, who were coming off a series victory against the Braves.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Erik Bedard (2-4) worked five innings for the win, allowing five hits and two runs while fanning a season-high 11 batters.