CINCINNATI (AP) ― Johnny Cueto was striking out batters. Joey Votto and Jay Bruce were driving in runs. For one night, the Cincinnati Reds felt like themselves.

It hasn’t happened that often this season.

Cueto matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings, and Votto and Bruce ― the missing core of Cincinnati’s batting order much of the season ― each drove in runs Wednesday night, leading the Reds to a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cueto (6-5) followed his shortest start of the season with one of his most dominating. He gave up three singles and didn’t walk a batter, leaving after his 112th pitch. Cueto lasted only five innings during an 8-0 loss to Philadelphia on Friday.

The Dodgers fouled off a lot of pitches, quickly elevating Cueto’s pitch count. He lobbied for one more inning but manager Bryan Price decided he’d had enough.

“That’s the way it was,” Cueto said, with trainer Tomas Vera translating. “I wasn’t trying to strike everybody out, but they made me throw a lot of pitches.”

Jonathan Broxton escaped a bases-loaded, one-out threat in the seventh by getting Hanley Ramirez to ground into a double play.

“All we’re trying to do down there is get the outs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and let (closer Aroldis Chapman) have the spotlight,” Broxton said. “That’s been working most of the year.”

Votto doubled home a pair of runs off Ryu Hyun-jin (7-3), who had won his last four starts. Votto hadn’t driven in a run since May 10, missing 23 games in between because of a strained muscle above his left knee.

Ryu had won his first five decisions on the road this season. When he faced the Reds on May 26 at Dodger Stadium, he took a perfect game into the eighth before settling for a 4-3 victory.

He helped the Reds get ahead in the rematch. Ryu walked two batters ahead of Votto’s two-out double in the second. Votto scored on Brandon Phillips’ single. Bruce homered in the sixth for a 4-0 lead. 


Darvish shuts out Marlins

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― Yu Darvish let out a good yell and pumped both fists before catcher Chris Gimenez greeted him in front of the mound.

The Texas ace wasn’t necessarily celebrating his first complete game in the major leagues. His battery mate says he does that all the time.

“He just kind of looked at me and goes, ‘Yeah!’ That’s what I said back to him,” Gimenez said. “He likes going ‘Yes!’ all the time. We kind of goof around with each other about it.”

This was their best reason yet to have a little fun.

Darvish struck out 10 in his six-hitter, Choo Shin-soo broke a long hitless streak with a three-run double and the Rangers denied Miami’s bid for a record interleague winning streak, beating the Marlins 6-0 Wednesday night.

Darvish (7-2) struck out the side in the eighth to end a streak of one baserunner in each of the first seven innings for the Marlins.

The Japanese right-hander wrapped up his 73rd career start by getting Garrett Jones to swing at a pitch in the dirt. Gimenez had to finish it off with a throw to first.

The closest Darvish had come to a complete game were the two times he lost a no-hitter with two outs in the ninth inning.

Minnesota 7, Toronto 2

Kansas City 4, Cleveland 1

Baltimore 6, Boston 0

Philadelphia 3, San Diego 0

Pittsburgh 4, Chicago Cubs 2

Milwaukee 3, NY Mets 1

Tampa Bay 6, St. Louis 3

Chicago White Sox 8, Detroit 2

Houston 5, Arizona 1

Colorado 8, Atlanta 2

NY Yankees 4, Seattle 2

Oakland 7, LA Angels 1

Washington 6, San Francisco 2