Fabulous Finnegan

Starting pitcher strikes out nine in dominating victory.

CINCINNATI—Brandon Finnegan made his first start of the season Wednesday for the Cincinnati Reds, and it may stand up as his best of the season. He will have a hard time topping it. That’s how good he was in a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Great

American Ball Park. Finnegan allowed a walk and a single in the first inning and then retired the next 19 batters. He struck out nine and left after the seventh.

“He’s done a wonderful job learning what he needs to do to be an effective major league starter,” Reds manager Bryan Price said before the game. “That was the challenge for him last year. He wasn’t guaranteed a full seasons of starts. He earned that.” Joey Votto broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run in the

seventh. Votto’s first hit of the season gave the Reds their first lead of the season. He was 0 for 4 Monday on opening day in a 4-3 loss to the Phillies.

Votto’s 222nd career home run moved him into a tie for fourth place with Jason Bay for home

runs by a native of Canada. Larry Walker is the all-time leader with 383.

Votto’s homer and then an RBI single by Zack Cozart in the same inning put Finnegan in position to get the victory. A year after he was 10-11 with a 3.98 ERA in 31 starts, he started strong in his second season in Cincinnati.

“He’ll compete,” Price said. “I don’t even expect that. I know it. He’s a competitor. He’s completely rested and competing every time he takes the mound, so I never have to worry about that. I like to see him working ahead in the count. That really sets the table for him. He’s got a nice mix of pitches and when he’s ahead it really opens up the full bag of pitches and allows him to control the game.”

Michael Lorenzen relieved Finnegan in the eighth. After giving up back-to-back singles, he struck out the next two batters and then got an inning-ending groundout. He also threw a scoreless eighth inning on opening day.

Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

Noteworthy: The game started at 8 p.m. after a 50-minute rain delay . ... Cozart was the only Red with two hits. Tucker Barnhart and Adam Duvall had doubles. ... Eugenio Suarez is the only starter who does not have a hit in the first two games. He was 0 for 3 both Monday and Wednesday.

DAVID JABLONSKI / STAFF Reds starter Brandon Finnegan, pitching against the Phillies on Wednesday at Great American Ball Park, retired 19 straight batters before leaving the game in the seventh inning.

ANDY LYONS / GETTY IMAGES The Reds’ Joey Votto hits a seventh-inning home run, breaking a scoreless tie and tying him with Jason Bay for fourth place in homers by a native of Canada. He has 222 career home runs.

DAVID JABLONSKI / STAFF The Reds’ Billy Hamilton steals second base. Otherwise, Cincinnati didn’t have much offense until the seventh inning, when it scored twice.