Mike Leake Sinks Tampa Bay 5-0

Mike Leake handcuffed the Tampa Bay Rays for six innings and Jonny Gomes had a successful homecoming in the Reds victory.

Leake allowed four hits and walked two.  Sam LeCure and Nick Masset took care of the other three innings.

Gomes broke in with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2003 after the team picked him in the 2001 draft in the 18th round.  Gomes has been under scrutiny from Reds fans for his .221 batting average entering the game but he is flourishing in the designated hitter role.  Gomes is hitting .358 with four home runs and 12 runs batted in over his last 20 games.

He hit a home run off Jeremy Hellickson to extend the Reds lead.

The Reds scored two batters into the game.  Freddie Lewis hitting leadoff, singled to open the game.  Brandon Phillips doubled him home, on of the Reds secondbaseman's four hits.  Phillips is also heating up with a seven game hitting streak in which his average has jumped to .299 by hitting a cool .500 during the streak.

Jay Bruce singled to drive Phillips home, after missing a game with illness.  Bruce was the Player of the Month for May but has had a down month.

The Reds scored a pair of unearned runs to close the scoring while Leake and company stymied the home team.  Leake improved to 7-4.  The Reds top pick in 2009 has a 2.48 ERA in seven games since he was optioned to Louisville on May 14.  He is 5-2 since and pitched at least six innings in all of his starts since being recalled.

The Reds picked up a half game on Milwaukee, St. Louis and Pittsburgh with the win.  They trail Milwaukee by 3 1/2 games, St. Louis by a half game and they break a tie with Pittsburgh and lead them by a half game