Reitsma

        MILWAUKEE — The Reds would have taken any run-of-the-mill win. What Chris Reitsma gave them instead was the best pitching performance by a Red this year.

        Reitsma shut out the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 Monday on five hits and threw the first complete game by a Red in almost a year. It was Reitsma's first career complete game, first career shutout and first victory since May 21.

        “I got a big old monkey off my back tonight,” said Reitsma, who had seven straight losses “It was really special.”

        Reitsma wrapped it all up in two hours, 25 minutes. After the right-hander completed the 1-2-3 ninth, he pumped his fist Tiger Woods-style, then hugged first baseman Sean Casey.

Eric Young's first-inning lands between CF Raul Gonzalez and RF Austin Kearns. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        “He was terrific,” Reds manager Bob Boone said.

        It was the first complete game of the season for the Reds. If Reitsma hadn't finished it, the Reds would have tied a club record for the most games into a season without a complete game. The record was set last year. The Reds' last complete game, and last complete-game shutout, was thrown by Elmer Dessens on July 28, 2001.

        Reitsma (4-7), a hard-luck pitcher, didn't allow luck to enter the equation. He didn't allow a runner to reach third base. After three of the hits, Reitsma got the next batter to hit into a double play.

        Reitsma struck out four, walked two and threw only 89 pitches. His only scary moment of the night came when Matt Stairs drove a ball to deep center in the sixth with runners at first and second.

        “He was much more aggressive,” Boone said. “He was becoming a finesse guy. When you throw a lot of breaking balls and changeups, it wears you out. Those are the most tiring pitches to throw. Later in the game, guys are sitting on the off-speed stuff. If you make a mistake, it doesn't come back.

        “I wanted him to be a little prouder of his fastball.”

Gonzalez scores in the second inning on Reitsma's single as the throw eludes Brewers C Paul Bako. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        Reitsma went with that plan.

        “I had a lot of late action on my fastball tonight,” he said. “When you have that, you're going to be successful. I really pounded the (strike) zone.”

        Reitsma had pitched the longest previous outing by a Red this season. He went 7 2/3 innings to get that May21 victory. He was 0-7 from that point until Monday.

        Reitsma admits the streak was tough, but he kept things in perspective.

        “I thank God for giving me the ability to be here,” Reitsma said. “He helped me through the hard times. There were times when I never thought I'd pitch again.”

        Reitsma is only 24. The tough times he was talking about weren't during the losing streak. Reitsma broke his arm pitching in 1997 and spent most of the next two seasons trying to regain his form.

        Reitsma, whom the Reds got in the Dante Bichette trade with Boston, went 7-15 last year as a rookie.

        “He's been better this year,” Boone said. “He's made fewer mistakes.”

        The Reds didn't exactly light up the scoreboard. Reitsma, in fact, drove in half of the Reds' runs. But they did score early, allowing Reitsma to pitch with a lead all night.

        The Reds got on the board in the first inning with a two-out rally. Adam Dunn singled and went to third on Austin Kearns' single. Dunn then scored on a wild pitch.

        The Reds added another run in the second. Raul Gonzalez started things with an infield single, then stole second. Reitsma got him home by punching a single into right field.

        The Reds entered Monday averaging only 3.54 runs in the games Reitsma pitches in. That's the third-worst support in the National League.

        “That's why his record is what it is,” Boone said. “He's done a good job.”

        Reitsma hadn't pitched since July3. He gave up a career-high nine runs that day in an 11-4 loss to Houston. All of them were unearned, thanks to three Reds errors.

        The rest might have helped Reitsma.

        “I felt real strong,” he said. “In the second inning when I walked those two guys, I was having trouble finding my release point. Once I found that, I was OK.”

        Actually, he was much better than OK. He was terrific.

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