Zack Greinke/MLB Photo
Johnny Cueto/MLB Photo
The top performances in Major League Baseball this week were by Johnny Cueto of the Cincinnati Reds and Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Cueto tossed a two-hit shutout at Washington as the Reds beat the Nationals 5-0 on July 6. He had 11 strikeouts and a walk as he threw 122 pitches.
The right-hander gave up a single in the first to Bryce Harper, while surrendering a lead off triple to Ian Desmond in the fifth. He got out of the jam in the fifth with three straight strikeouts. Cueto is currently 6-6 this season with a 2.73 ERA.
Joey Votto had three hits and knocked in three runs for the Reds that included a solo homer to help Cueto’s pitching effort.
Greinke worked eight innings as the Dodgers won 6-0 at home over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 9. He tossed 94 pitches and fanned eight, while not walking anyone. Ryan Howard had the only hit for the Phillies with a single in the second.
Recently selected to the National League All-Star Team, Greinke is 8-2 this season as he tops the majors with an ERA of 1.39.
The hitting stars for the Dodgers during Greinke’s outing were Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez. Puig had a two-run homer and four RBIs, while Gonzalez also added a two-run blast.