Reds' Johnny Cueto exits game with injury (Video)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Reds starter Johnny Cueto left the game with an apparent back injury after throwing a strike to the Giants' second batter of the first inning, Marco Scutaro. Right-hander Sam LeCure replaced him.

Cueto had struck out Angel Pagan and went 0-2 on Scutaro but walked off the mound in obvious discomfort after the strike-two pitch against Scutaro, prompting manager Dusty Baker and trainer Paul Lessard to come check on him.

On a 1-2 count to leadoff hitter Angel Pagan, Cueto stopped in mid-pitch when Pagan stepped off the box after calling for a timeout that plate umpire Phil Cuzzi did not grant. Because Cueto did not release the ball, it was a no-pitch, but the play might have led to the injury.

The early prognosis is back spasms and it doesn't seem to be a serious injury.

Cueto did not even throw a practice pitch before leaving the game, visibly frustrated.

He exited after just eight pitches, six of them strikes.

By bringing in Mat Latos in the third inning, Baker is highlighting the importance of winning today and worrying about tomorrow later on.

Actually, tomorrow is already covered, with Bronson Arroyo scheduled to get the start. But Latos was supposed to pitch Game 3 at Great American Ball Park. Instead, Baker summoned him to open the bottom of the third with a 2-0 lead, after LeCure navigated the Reds out of the emergency created by Cueto's injury.

Latos has been a Giants killer going back to his days with the San Diego Padres, registering a 2.19 ERA in 11 career starts against them and beating them twice with an 0.56 ERA this year, his first one with Cincinnati.

Baker can always find another pitcher to start Game 3, likely Homer Bailey, with Mike Leake getting activated as an injury replacement for Cueto and starting Game 4 if needed.

The most important thing for the Reds is to take advantage of their early lead against Cain, so it makes sense to play the Latos card now.

Replacing Cueto in the middle of this series would make him ineligible should the Reds advance to the NL Championship Series.

Cueto's start is the earliest postseason exit by a starter since Atlanta's John Thomson lasted one-third of an inning in Game 3 of a 2004 NL division series against Houston. Thomson came out with a sore muscle in his left side.

The right-hander, one of the top candidates for the NL Cy Young Award, went 19-9 with a 2.78 ERA in a breakout season.