Vladimir Gutierrez pitched a career-high seven innings in his third Major League start, received a standing ovation as he walked off the mound and had all his teammates line up in the dugout to give him high-fives afterward.
The one moment where he couldn’t stop smiling?
Gutierrez recorded his first big-league hit in the second inning, an infield single to shortstop that bounced over the head of a third baseman who was drawn onto the infield grass.
On the same day Sonny Gray was placed on the 10-day injured list, Vladimir Gutierrez provided a boost to the rotation with an impressive start to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 7-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park.
Gutierrez showed his poise in a 24-pitch fourth inning. He had to navigate the bottom of the Brewers lineup with two runners on base and one out after a walk and a single.
He was pitching with a four-run lead, so there was a little room for error. He didn’t need it. After falling in a 3-1 count to Jackie Bradley Jr., Gutierrez responded with two curveballs to strike him out. Catcher Tyler Stephenson pointed at Gutierrez with his glove, signaling he liked that pitch.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell knew the importance of the inning and inserted a pinch-hitter, Pablo Reyes, into the pitcher’s spot. Gutierrez pummeled Reyes with sliders and struck him out in four pitches. Stephenson was so happy with the way Gutierrez pitched out of the jam he wanted at the bottom of the dugout stairs for Gutierrez to congratulate him.
By the end of Gutierrez’s outing, at the end of the seventh inning, it was the crowd of 11,862’s turn to show their appreciation for the 25-year-old right-hander with a standing ovation. Gutierrez hugged manager David Bell when he returned to the dugout, then high-fived each person in the dugout.
Gutierrez permitted two runs on six hits and three walks across seven innings, striking out seven. He threw a first-pitch strike to 21 of his 31 batters, attacking hitters with his fastball and showing strong command of his curveball and slider.
It was big night for Stephenson, who had two doubles and drove in three runs. Brewers reliever Eric Lauer issued two-out walks to Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos in the fourth inning. Stephenson followed with a two-run double down the left-field line for a 7-1 lead.
The Reds had luck on their side in the first inning. Winker hit a slow roller to the right side of the infield. Brewers starter Brett Anderson and first baseman Daniel Vogelbach were indecisive about which person was going to field it, and by the time Anderson picked it up, it was too late to beat Winker to the base.
Winker celebrated his infield single by giving a fan a fist bump after running down the line.
Castellanos, the next batter, hit a pitch off the end of his bat in a similar area as Winker. Anderson fielded it cleanly, but spiked his throw to first base, allowing Castellanos to reach on an error.
Two runners on base on a pair of ground balls that didn’t make it out of the infield grass. Winker scored on an RBI double from Stephenson, a line drive that twisted right fielder Avisail García as he tried to make a sliding catch. Joey Votto drove in Castellanos on a groundout.
In the second inning, Jonathan India hit an RBI single to third base. Travis Shaw, the Brewers’ third baseman, dislocated his left shoulder as he reached for the ball, which rolled into shallow left field. Castellanos added a two-out, two-run double to left field.
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