Reds 4, Padres 0
CINCINNATI -- Jay Bruce homered twice and Johnny Cueto pitched seven innings, lifting the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in the finale of a three-game series Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.
Cincinnati (24-31) snapped San Diego's four-game winning streak, defeating the Padres for just the second time in the past nine meetings dating to last season. The Padres managed just four hits on Sunday.
Cueto (4-4) had his customary early struggles on Sunday, allowing three hits and issuing a pair of walks in the first three innings.
But the Padres couldn't take advantage as Cueto allowed just one hit through six.
Bruce put Cincinnati ahead in the second inning with a solo home run off Padres right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne.
Despaigne (3-4) allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings. He had given up just four home runs in 12 appearances prior to Bruce's pair Sunday.
Bruce's eighth home run of the season and first since May 17 traveled 438 feet, making the score 1-0.
Despaigne doubled leading off the fifth but was left stranded. It was the right-hander's second hit of the season, first for extra-bases.
Cueto retired 10 of 11 after right fielder Matt Kemp's double in the third.
The Reds handed their ace some insurance runs in the sixth.
After first baseman Joey Votto singled and third baseman Todd Frazier doubled leading off the inning, Bruce launched another 0-1 pitch from Despaigne into the visitors bullpen in right field, making the score 4-0.
It was Bruce's 16th career multi-home run game.
San Diego (29-29) scored six runs in the seventh and eighth innings in Saturday's win, but there was no stirring comeback against Cueto or the Reds' bullpen on Sunday.
Right-hander J.J. Hoover and closer Aroldis Chapman pitched perfect eighth and ninth innings to close out the victory for Cincinnati.
NOTES: San Diego suffered its 10th shutout loss of the season. ... The Reds optioned RHP Jumbo Diaz to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday and selected the contract of RHP Nick Adcock from Triple-A. To clear room on the 40-man roster, RHP Matt Magill was released. ... Reds C Devin Mesoraco is expected to begin a rehab assignment and play LF for Triple-A Louisville on Monday in Columbus. Mesoraco is on the disabled list with a hip impingement which prevents him from catching. ... San Diego's rally from a 6-1 deficit to defeat the Reds 9-7 on Saturday was its largest comeback since overcoming a six-run deficit to beat the Cubs at Petco Park on Aug. 23, 2013. ... Padres RHP Tyson Ross surprised his family by attending his younger brother Joe's major league debut for the Nationals on Saturday. "He didn't tell them he was coming," manager Bud Black said. "He said it felt really weird being in the stands. He found himself critiquing every pitch."