CINCINNATI - Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Trevor Bauer did his unusual pregame warm-up, getting his arm loose by throwing the ball from one foul pole to the other. At that point, he had no idea that it would be one of those nights.
Three innings later, he wanted to forget it.
Bauer couldn't throw a strike when he needed and couldn't figure out why. He gave the shortest start of his young career as the Cincinnati Reds pulled away to a 4-0 victory on Tuesday night.
"I was bad," Bauer said. "Everybody has those days."
This was Cincinnati's day.
Right-hander Johnny Cueto showed no significant problem from his finger blister during six innings, and Ryan Ludwick hit a three-run homer off Bauer that gave the Reds their first victory without first baseman Joey Votto.
Votto had surgery earlier in the day to repair torn cartilage in his left knee, sidelining the former National League MVP for up to a month.
Cueto (11-5) threw 105 pitches, a sign that a blister he developed on his right index finger last week wasn't bothering him. He gave up four hits and walked four.
Aroldis Chapman came on with two aboard and two outs in the ninth and fanned Aaron Hill on four fastballs - the last one 101 mph - for his 14th save in 18 chances. Chapman has gotten 21 of his last 25 outs by strikeouts.
Bauer (1-2), the first of the 2011 amateur draft picks to reach the majors, had the roughest time in his four starts so far. The 21-year-old gave up four runs, walked five, threw two wild pitches and had an errant pickoff throw.
Bauer has lasted four or fewer innings in three of his starts. Asked to assess the young pitcher's situation after four starts, Arizona manager Kirk Gibson declined.
"I'm not going to talk about that now," he said. "I need some time to think about it."
The Reds scored an unearned run in the first inning with Bauer's help. Drew Stubbs walked, Zack Cozart reached on shortstop Stephen Drew's error, and the runners pulled off a double steal. Stubbs scored when Bauer threw a wild pitch that bounced in front of the plate - one of several that didn't make it nearly far enough.
"That young man who pitched for them had outstanding stuff," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He was just all over the place."
Ludwick's homer gave the Reds a 4-0 lead and extended Great American Ball Park's streak to 70 straight games with a homer. It's the longest such streak since Coors Field had 80 straight games with a homer from 2002-03.
Up next
• What: D-backs at Reds
• When: 4:10 p.m.
• TV; radio: FSAZ; 1490-AM, 104.9-FM
Please Wait…