Johnny Cueto 20 Game Winner? Cy Young?

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Johnny Cueto will have three starts left, including the last game of the season if the schedule stays the same.

The Reds have 15 games left and playing for awards is about all that is left for the team as it tries to finish strong.

The Reds will have two off days between now and the end of the season on September 28.

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"These awards are important," Bryan Price said.  "It would be a nice side note to our season for Johnny to win the (Cy Young) award."

Twenty wins would go along way toward that end.  Pitchers wins have fallen out of favor with stats prone fans in the Bill James era.  Yet winning 20 decisions is very difficult to do in the age of five starting pitchers cutting starts from 40 to 34, which is what Cueto will have if he makes his last three starts.  With the specialization of the bullpens, starters are no longer asked to throw nine innings.  Six is considered a quality start and seven a superior start.  This leads to fewer decisions as well.

Cueto and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers are the two front runners for the Cy Yound Award.

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After the 1-0 win over St. Louis, Cueto and Kershaw are tied for the National League lead with 18 wins.  Cueto lowered his ERA to 2.15 second behind Kershaw's 1.67. Cueto struck out seven batters on Thursday, increasing his lead over Kershaw's 210.  Kershaw has held hitters to a .188 batting average.  Cueto dropped his to .187.  Both have two shutouts.  Kershaw has six complete games.  Cueto has completed four games.

"Someone should consider the margin for error,"Price said.  "I don't think Johnny has had as much run support."