SAN DIEGO — On a night when he wasn’t sure he could, it took Johnny Cueto three pitches to be himself on the All-Star Game mound. Then it only took two pitches for the right-hander to undo himself.
Cueto said he woke up Tuesday morning feeling unwell, but still wanted to start for the National League. He torqued his body an extra degree while delivering an 0-1 pitch to Mike Trout, rocking his shoulders twice before unfurling a 90 MPH fastball. That was typical Cueto. What wasn’t was the second inning, when Salvador Perez and Eric Hosmer hit a pair of home runs in a three-batter span.
“When … you leave pitches up like I did,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros, “then you pay the price. That’s what happened. I left two pitches up and I paid the price.”
Ex-teammates of Cueto on the Royals last season, Perez and Hosmer were all over a pair of fastballs over the plate. Hosmer drove his the other way to left field, and Perez pulled his the same direction. That put three runs on the board in a six-pitch span, and Cueto was pulled a batter after Perez left the yard.
The right-hander’s numbers don’t paint a pretty picture: 1 2/3 innings, five hits, three earned runs, two home runs. There are hardly any knocks on Cueto’s first four months with the Giants. But if there’s a window for hitters to take advantage of Cueto, it’s early in the game. He entered Wednesday’s start with a 6.50 ERA in the first inning, and has allowed 2/3 of his runs this season in the first three innings.
“I guess sometimes I get a little bit dumb,” Cueto said of his early-game struggles this season. “I kind of lose track of what I’m doing, but I have to take a step back and regroup myself.”
Half of his 32 pitches came in the first inning, when he faced Jose Altuve, Trout, Manny Machado and David Ortiz. Cueto had a friendly exchange with the Red Sox slugger, who’s set to retire at the end of this season. They smiled at each other while Cueto’s NL teammates chirped for him to keep throwing Ortiz fastballs. The right-hander obliged, and Ortiz clobbered a fastball to first base.
Anthony Rizzo picked it and stepped on the bag to end the inning, but it foreshadowed the hard contact that was to come. Hosmer swung and missed on a 1-0 pitch before shooting a home run over the left field wall. Mookie Betts then reached base on the softest contact of the inning. He dribbled a ball up the third base line that Cueto tried to will foul, waving his arms to try and move the ball. No luck.
“I was hoping for it to be foul,” Cueto said, “but this is a game and we just have to keep on going.”
Cueto did, but not for long. Perez launched his home run three pitches later, and Cueto exited after Jackie Bradley Jr. lined a single to center field. NL Manager Terry Collins previously said Cueto would throw two innings, but pulled him in favor of Jose Fernandez.
Perhaps most surprising of Cueto’s rough start was how he was beat. Cueto ended the first half tied for the fewest home runs allowed this season. He’d allowed only six, split evenly between right- and left-handed hitters. That didn’t matter on Tuesday night, not in the All-Star Game and not against the game’s best hitters.
Cueto spoke to reporters in the bowels of Petco Park while the third and fourth innings of the All-Star Game were being played. He said he’d already turned his focus to the Giants’ first game on Friday, played in the same venue against the Padres. He’s unsure if he’ll start on Saturday or Sunday, but was positive he wasn’t nervous in Tuesday’s start on the big stage. It just didn’t go well.
“It’s a big responsibility to start the game,” Cueto said. “I wasn’t able to do a good job.”