Montero (3-9) held the Reds scoreless over 8.1 innings Wednesday, striking out eight while allowing three hits and four walks to collect the victory.
His line looked even better before the ninth inning, as Montero let the Reds load the bases and finally got the hook for closer A.J. Ramos. This ranks as the best outing of the year by far for Montero -- the only time he's cleared eight innings and the only scoreless start he's put up. Of course, he had to throw 117 pitches to do so, thanks in no small part to those walks; free passes have been an issue all year for the 26-year-old. Montero is averaging a strikeout per inning this year, but he's also sitting on a 4.6 BB/9, which has contributed strongly to his hefty 5.12 ERA.