Good Pitching Continues But Blue Jays Beat Reds 3-2

Pitching ruled the first of 15 interleague games.  The fewer times a batter faces a pitcher the bigger the pitchers advantage.

"We hadn't seen (Jo-Jo) Reyes since his Atlanta days," Dusty Baker said.  "We played great defense to keep the score where it was.  (Mike) Leake pitched great.  He had pinpoint control.  Reyes pitched a great game too."

Brandon Phillips and Paul Janish made some great plays.

Reyes last pitched against the Reds in 2008.  The Blue Jays have never seen Leake, not even in spring training.

Drew Stubbs broke the tie with his 10th home run in the sixth.  Hit hit a fly to the warning track in right center.  Corey Patterson from center field and Jose Bautista from right field both had a play on it.  Neither made it.

Stubbs slowed down between first and second, then put on the burners.

"I hit is pretty well but I didn't think I got enough of it," Stubbs said.  "Two guys camped under it.  I've been in that situation, where two guys call for it.  I think the last time I hit an inside-the-park home run was in college five years ago."

It was the first by a Cincinnati player at home since August 20, 2001 when Ken Griffey Jr. hit a walkoff inside-the-park shot off Andy Benes of St. Louis.

"Leake was rolling.  Reyes was rolling," Stubbs said.

The lead evaporated like the smoke from the tall stacks in center field.

Leake hit Patterson as he squared to bunt. 

"He got out of the way a little bit," Leake said when asked if Patterson let it hit him intentionally.

Bautista doubled Patterson home.  Adam Lind followed with his 15th home run to center 416 feet away.

"I left a couple pitches up to Bautista and Adam Lind.  The defense was great.  We could have had five or six of the top 10 on ESPN," Leake said.

"That's how things start, with a hit batter," Baker said.

Scott Rolen left the yard with a line drive poke off Reyes in the bottom of the inning.  The Reds put two on later in the inning but didn't get the big hit.

"You always hope for a better fate," Leake said.  "I  don't like using the quality start thing.  I just got two pitches up."

By Mark Schmetzer