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

What if Reds starter Johnny Cueto avoided an injury in the 2012 NLDS?

Welcome to the Redsverse, a collection of alternate timelines where Reds history is changed. Each timeline has an event different from what Cincinnati Reds fans are familiar with, creating an alternate reality. This trip into the Redsverse will look at what happened if Johnny Cueto avoids an injury during the 2012 NLDS and is able to keep pitching in the playoffs.

Before diving in, let’s take a look at what happened during this time in Reds history. The Cincinnati Reds stormed through the 2012 season winning the NL Central with a 97-65 record. Cincinnati had the second-best record in MLB. The club only trailed the Washington Nationals by one win for the best-overall record in the NL.

The team’s starting rotation had an amazingly healthy, historic season. Pitcher Johnny Cueto, Mat Latos, Homer Bailey, Bronson Arroyo and Mike Leake started 161 of 162 games. Each pitcher started at least 30 games. According to MLB Insider Mark Sheldon, only seven teams in MLB history have had a pitching staff with five starters recording 30 starts each.

Four of the starters won 12 or more games and threw 200 or more innings. Mark Sheldon found this was the first Cincinnati rotation to have four starters throw 200 or more innings since 1943. Cueto led the team with 19 wins and 217 innings pitched, Latos won 14 games, Bailey owned 13 wins and Arroyo won 12 games.

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.

Reds skipper Dusty Baker pulls Johnny Cueto prior to Game 1

As the Reds prepared to take the field for Game 1 of the NLDS in San Francisco, pitching coach Bryan Price approached manager Dusty Baker. The two spoke about Johnny Cueto mentioning he felt a pain in his back during pre-game warmups. The two quickly spoke with Cueto to find out how he felt.

Cueto said he felt fine and was ready to pitch. Baker didn’t want to take a chance with his ace, so he decided to scratch Cueto from the start at the last minute. This was the first game a Reds starter had missed all season. Since the game was about to start, Baker decided to use Sam LeCure for the first few innings, then go with Mat Latos to pitch the majority of the game.

The move paid off as the Reds won 5-2. Even better news for the Reds, Cueto’s back pain wasn’t anything serious and with rest, management hoped he could pitch Game 4, if needed.

In Game 2, the Reds won 9-0 behind seven shutout innings by Bronson Arroyo. The Reds returned to Cincinnati for Game 3. Homer Bailey pitched seven innings and only gave up one run, but the Reds offense was stymied by Ryan Vogelsang. The game went to 10 innings and the Reds lost 2-1.

Game 4 arrived and the Reds were hoping Johnny Cueto was healthy enough to start. Dusty Baker and Bryan Price had Cueto throw earlier in the day to see if he was ready. He didn’t feel any discomfort in his back and was named the Game 4 starter.

Excited by the return of Cueto, the Reds offense came alive in the top of the first. Ryan Ludwick knocked in two runs with a double to give the Reds an early 2-0 lead. Cueto was dominant from the beginning. He struck out the side in the bottom of the first, third and fifth inning.

Cueto left at the end of the sixth inning with 12 strikeouts and the Reds leading 4-0. The bullpen took care of the rest, as the Reds won the game 5-0 to advance to the NLCS for the first time sine 1995. The Reds would have to defeat their arch-rival, the St. Louis Cardinals, to advance to World Series.

Reds battle Cardinals in 2012 NLCS

For the first time in team history, the Reds and Cardinals would face off in the playoffs. The NLCS started in Cincinnati with Mat Latos on the mound for Game 1. The first inning was rocky as he gave up a solo home run to Carlos Beltran. The Cardinals almost hit back-to-back homers, but Allen Craig’s blast was robbed by Jay Bruce to end the inning.

Cincinnati stayed off the scoreboard until the fourth inning when Joey Votto hit a two-run double to give the Reds a 2-1 lead. St. Louis regained the lead two innings later when Yadier Molina walked with the bases loaded, followed by an RBI single by David Freese.

With the Cardinals leading 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Joey Votto singled off closer Jason Motte. Ryan Ludwick blasted an 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for a walk-off two-run home run. The celebration ensued with Ludwick at home plate as Cincinnati took Game 1 with a final score of 4-3.

Game 2 was a back and forth battle with Homer Bailey on the mound. Lance Lynn was pitching for the Cardinals. The lead changed six times before Cincinnati took the lead for good in the bottom of the eighth inning on a solo home run by Jay Bruce. Aroldis Chapman secured the save to give the Reds a 10-9 win and 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 moved to St. Louis where Bronson Arroyo was named starter so Cueto could have an extra day of rest. It wasn’t a good outing for Arroyo. He gave up seven runs in 3.1 innings as the Cardinals won their first game of the series 11-3.

Johnny Cueto started his first game of the NLCS in Game 4 and slowed down the Cardinals offense. Brandon Phillps gave his team all the offense they needed with a three-run home run in the fifth inning. The Reds won the game 3-1 and took a 3-1 series lead.

The Cardinals fought off elimination in Game 5, beating the Reds and Mat Latos 6-4. The series was going back to Cincinnati for the final two games with the Redlegs holding a 3-2 advantage in the series.

Homer Bailey struggled in Game 6 and only lasted four innings. The Cardinals took the lead on a two-run home run by Matt Holiday in the first inning. He hit his second home run of the game in the fourth inning, a three-run home run. Yadier Molia capped off the scoring with a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning. The Cardinals won 8-4, tying the series at 3-3.

For Game 7, Cincinnati turned to its ace. Cueto was up for the task. He threw a complete-game shutout and knocked in a run with a bases-loaded single in the sixth inning. Scott Rolen led the offense with three RBI. The Reds won the game 5-0 to advance to the World Series. Cueto was named NLCS MVP.