NewsManuel provides 'pen depth for Reds
Cincinnati (42-43) at New York (40-45), 7:10 p.m. ETBy Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
07/10/09 9:57 PM ET
NEW YORK -- Moments before his Major League debut on Thursday night, reliever Robert Manuel felt what he was supposed to feel. Then he went out to the mound and did what he was supposed to do. During the Reds' 9-6 loss to the Phillies, Manuel worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings -- on his 26th birthday, no less. "It was easily the best birthday present I've ever had," Manuel said. "My Major League debut -- I never thought that stuff would happen." Manuel first started warming up during the fourth inning, but was told sit back down. After the phone rang the second time to call his name, he was sent into the game. "It was nerve-wracking," Manuel said. "As I was jogging to the mound -- normally, I run -- I stopped halfway just to walk and calm myself down. The way I was going, I might have run over [manager] Dusty [Baker], I was going so fast." Manuel started his outing with Pedro Feliz lining a single to center field and Chan Ho Park hitting a single over third baseman Edwin Encarnacion's glove. But Manuel struck out Paul Bako to end the inning. In the seventh, after a leadoff walk to Jimmy Rollins, Manuel retired the toughest part of the Philadelphia lineup -- Shane Victorino, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard -- in order with a strikeout, popout and a groundout. Manuel isn't a hard thrower, and his hardest pitch was an 87 mph fastball. But he got the job done. "It's what I heard about and saw in Spring Training," Baker said. "He was better than what I saw in Spring Training. Perhaps he's not an early-in-the-spring guy like a lot of guys are sometimes. He hides the ball well and throws strikes." Needing bullpen depth after back-to-back routs on Sunday and Monday, the Reds called up Manuel from Triple-A Louisville. With the Bats in 32 games, he was 3-3 with a 2.51 ERA and eight saves. "It was amazing," Manuel said of his debut. "My heart was going 100 mph, and I tried to stay calm and cool on the mound. Getting that first out really settled me down. I had to go through the heart of the lineup. After I went through it, I feel real good about my outing and I'm anxious to go back out there." Pitching matchupCIN: RHP Johnny Cueto (8-5, 3.45 ERA)
Cueto isn't just coming off of any old loss, he's coming off the worst outing of his brief career and the most lopsided loss in Reds history. The right-hander lasted just two-thirds of an inning in Cincinnati's 22-1 shellacking in Philadelphia on Monday. In his time on the mound, Cueto faced 11 batters and threw 49 pitches. He gave up nine earned runs and five hits, with three walks, a hit batter and one strikeout. NYM: LHP Johan Santana (9-7, 3.29 ERA)
Though he lost to the Phillies on Sunday for the first time in his career, Santana threw 101 pitches in seven innings, most of them of high quality, but with slightly less velocity -- 90-91 mph -- than pitches he threw regularly in April and May. Two were hit for solo home runs by Rollins and Utley. Santana allowed one other hit and two walks. The Reds were Santana's first conquest this season. He allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings against them on Opening Day. Encarnacion has four hits -- two of them home runs -- in five career at-bats against Santana. Bruce to start
After Jay Bruce spent the past two games out of the starting lineup, Baker plans to play his slumping right fielder on Saturday against Santana. "Especially since left-handed hitters are much better against Santana [.267] than right-handers [.221]," Baker said. "Plus, in this outfield here, you have to have some good defense out there. There are a lot of hidden caroms and wind swirling." Tickets
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• Sunday: Reds (Aaron Harang, 5-8, 3.89) at Mets (Mike Pelfrey, 6-4, 4.52), 1:10 p.m. ET
• Monday-Wednesday: All-Star break
Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
