Left-handed hitters are not supposed to hit left-handed pitchers. It says so right there in Baseball For Dummies and Baseball 101.
Obviously, Bruce’s Kindle Fire reader isn’t working.
For the third time in three days Bruce, a left-handed hitter, hit a two-run home run off a left-handed pitcher and it carried the Reds to a 4-2 victory Tuesday afternoon over the Chicago Cubs.
The victim this time was ex-teammate Travis Wood and it came in the first inning to give Johnny Cueto a 3-0 lead.
On Sunday, Bruce hit a two-run game-winning home run off Milwaukee left-hander Will Smith in a 4-2 victory. On Monday, Bruce hit a two-run home run off Chicago left-hander James Russell to push a two-run lead into a four-run lead en route to a 9-3 victory.
He now owns 50 home runs against left-handers over the past five years, the most by any batter — left-handed, right-handed or switch-hitter — in that span.
So, what is it? Diet? Exercise? Clean living? An innate hatred of left-handed pitchers?
“You know, I don’t know what it is,” he said, pausing to reflect. “Joey Votto and I talk about it a lot and we take a lot of pride in having success against left-handers. When you first come into the game, that’s what sets you apart as to being an everyday player.
“They bring in left-handers just to face you and I was bound and determined when I was young to make that not matter. I have gotten better against left-handers and I can continue to get better. They make mistakes like any other pitchers. You just have to wait a tick longer and do what you can.”
And he keeps doing it, over and over and over again.
Billy Hamilton led the bottom of the first with a bunt single and stole second. Brandon Phillips singled to make it 1-0 and Bruce homered for a quick 3-0 lead.
Cueto gave up one hit through five innings but wobbled a bit in the sixth when he gave up back-to-back no-out home runs to Chris Coghlan and Ryan Sweeney.
That made it a precarious 3-2 until the Reds scored a run in the bottom of the sixth. Chris Heisey, who had three hits, a walk and two extra-special catches in left field, singled with one out in the sixth, stole second and took third on catcher John Baker’s wild throw and scored on Ramon Santiago’s second of three hits.
With the 4-2 lead Cueto put himself in jeopardy by giving up three straight one-out singles in the seventh. That ended Cueto’s day.
Left-hander Manny Parra, who had made one pitch over the last 17 games, was asked to come in and face left-handers Coghlan and Sweeney, the two who had hit back-to-back home runs against Cueto.
They didn’t do as well against Parra as Bruce does against left-handers. Parra struck out Coghlan and coaxed a roll-over ground ball from Sweeney to end the uprising.
Parra made one pitch in San Diego on June 30 and a runner was caught stealing. That was his only pitch since June 20.
“I have to get the lefties out, that’s my job,” said Parra. “I didn’t know how sharp I’d be until I got out there. I’ve been up in the bullpen, gotten hot a few times, but it is definitely different once you get into the game. Man, you take that one pitch (on the caught stealing), which I don’t count, I don’t think I’ve ever gone that long without pitching.”
Cueto gave up two runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings and his earned-run average crept up to 2.03, but he won his ninth game against six losses.
“On the home runs, nothing special happened other than I just left the pitches right there, that’s the way it is. They hit them well,” said Cueto.
Perhaps the bright sunlight carried the day. In eight day-time starts this year Cueto is 4-2 with a 1.32ERA.
Asking him about it is like asking Bruce why he hits home runs off left-handers. A shrug is the best answer.
“I don’t think about those things and I work the same in (day) games as the night games,” said Cueto. “When I know when I am going to pitch a day game I have to prepare better to be in shape — more running and more endurance so I don’t feel fatigued during the day.”
As Bruce said, “Three runs in the first inning is always good, especially when we have Johnny Cueto on the mound.”
About the Author