Both Reds Leftfielders Bail Out Mike Leake and the Reds

Chris Heisey hit his first home run of the season with two on in the first inning of the Reds 10-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Ryan Ludwick finished them off  with a three-run, pinch-hit home run in the seventh innings.

The Reds signed Ludwick to compliment incumbent  Heisey, who excelled as the Reds fourth outfielder.  The Reds felt the presence of a veteran like Ludwick could help Heisey develop by matching up better with pitchers that would get Heisey out.

Heisey appears to be taking over as the everyday leftfielder.  He has hit .414 while starting 14 of the last 16 games and has made some highlight-reel catches in the field.

Heisey has 21 starts in left and three each in center and right for a total of 27.  Ludwick, who has  24 starts, has come up with some huge hits for the Reds. Ludwick has 21 RBI on 21 hits and is hitting .212 on the year.  Heisey has 10 RBI on 30 hits but has beefed up his average to .268.

"Colorado can hit," manager Dusty Baker said.  "You have to outscore them and we did."

Mike Leake lasted 3 2/3 innings and was threatening to give up the lead that was handed to him with an error aided four-run first inning against Colorado starter, Jeremy Guthrie.  The Rockies crossed the plate twice in the fourth after struggling Jay Bruce drove home a run.  The Rockies were within 5-3 before Baker uses his bullpen which has been excellent all season.

"I couldn't get the ball down," Leake said

J.J. Hoover picked up his first major league win with 1 1/3 innings, closing out the fourth with the tying run at the plate and had a clean fifth inning.

Sam LeCure pitched two scoreless innings, Logan Ondrusek and Sean Marshall pitched one each.

"All the guys are just trying to go out and keep the team in the game," Hoover said.

Four of the first five Rockies got hits and the one that didn't, Carlos Gonzalez hit a sizzling ground ball to Brandon Phillips who started the first of three double plays to escape the inning with just one run.  Marco Scutaro tripled to leadoff the game and Tyler Colvin, who had four home runs off Leake, singled Scutaro home.

The Reds got the run back and then some.  Thirdbaseman Jordan Pacheco threw away Cozart's ground ball to start the bottom of the first. Phillips doubled off Pacheco's glove with two outs.  Guthrie walked Bruce and Heisey hit his first home run of the season.

"I told my wife Lisa that I had to hit the first one to get it off my back," Heisey said.  "I hit a couple that could have gone out but they were either into the wind or to the wrong part of the ballpark."

"We didn't get off to a very good start," Colorado manager Jim Tracy said.  "We would have liked to get Guthrie jump started but having said that we didn't pitch very well.  If we don't throw the ball away we get out of that inning with a zero and we could see what would have happened from there."

Pacheco tried valiantly to make up for his error.  He had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, including a double off Leake that started the two-run fourth.

Devin Mesoraco hit his second home run this week to put the Reds up by three runs again.  Drew Stubbs and Joey Votto (two doubles) opened the seventh with walks off Esmil Rogers.  Phillips lined a single to center after the runners moved up on a wild pitch.  Michael Cuddyer short hopped the ball to keep Votto at third.

Lefthander Matt Reynolds came in to face Bruce, who lifted a fly ball to Cuddyer, who threw Votto out at the plate but Reynolds walked Heisey.  Ludwick pinch hit for LeCure and finished off the Rockies.

The Reds increased its lead in the NL Central to 1 1/2 games because the Philadelphia Phillies shut out the St. Louis Cardinals.