Into the Redsverse: Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto avoids injury in NLDS

Reds fall to the Giants 3-2 in the 2012 NLDS

As the ace of the pitching staff, Johnny Cueto was named the starter for Game 1 of NLDS against the San Francisco Giants. Eight pitches into the game, Cueto suffered a back injury and was removed. Relief pitcher Sam LeCure came into the game and pitched 1.2 shut out innings. Mat Latos relieved LeCure, pitching four strong innings while only giving up one run.

Leading 3-1 in the seventh inning, a combination of Sean Marshall, Jonathan Broxton and Aroldis Champman each pitched one inning. Cincinnati won the first game of the series 5-2. Sam LeCure was awarded the victory.

After the game, manager Dusty Baker told reporters pitching coach Bryan Price mentioned  that Cueto had back discomfort during pre-game warmups. It wasn’t considered bad enough for him to miss the start. Cueto’s injury was diagnosed as back spasms and he was listed as day-to-day.

The Reds won Game 2 in San Francisco 9-0. They returned home for Game 3, but lost 2-1 in 10 innings. With Cincinnati up 2-1, the series went to Game 4 game. Unfortunately, Cueto wasn’t available to pitch. His back injury wasn’t healed, so Mike Leake was called upon to start the game. This was the first game a Reds starter missed all season.

Without Cueto on the mound, the Reds lost Game 4, 8-3. The series was now tied 2-2, with a deciding fifth game in Cincinnati. Latos pitched Game 5. He gave up six runs, five earned in 4.1 innings, and the Redlegs lost 6-4. The Reds were eliminated from the playoffs. The Giants, a team on the brink of elimination, went on to win the World Series over the Detroit Tigers.

Fans were left to wonder what could have been if Cueto hadn’t been injured in Game 1 of the NLDS. Now let’s take a look at what happened in the Redsverse as Cincinnati prepared to start the 2012 NLDS versus the San Francisco Giants.