For his second outing in a row Chapman was lit up by a two-run home run that turned a save situation into a desperate situation in a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins..
On Tuesday Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run home run against him in Cleveland for a 3-2 loss. The Twins got a home run from Josh Willingham with Joe Mauer on base to down the "Cuban Missle"
The Reds had taken a 3-2 lead on Joey Votto's two-run blast off fellow Canadian, Scott Diamond in the eighth inning. The Twins had been tough on Votto, who leads the NL in All-Star Game votes. The Twins held Votto hitless in seven at bats until he seared a ball from Scott Diamond into the left field bleachers with Wilson Valdez on base.
Valdez had two hits and an RBI while giving Zack Cozart a break but grounded into a force out to end the game against former Red Jared Burton who earned his first major league save. Burton spent the last five years in the Reds' bullpen. The Reds wanted to send Burton to the minor leagues outright last September. The Twins signed him in November.
Mike Leake pitched eight innings but knew he was finished with 86 pitches under his belt. The Reds trailed 2-1 in the eighth inning when Votto's blast put the Reds ahead after the Reds jumped in front when Valdez singled home Devin Mesoraco, who doubled to start the third.
Baker did not hesitate to replace Leake with Chapman.
"That's (Chapman's) job," Baker said. "Leake just came off throwing 112 pitches his last time. That was the most he'd ever thrown. Everybody's got a job. What if I send Leake out and he gives it up. The hitters coming up he would have been facing for the fourth time. He'd done enough. He did his job."
Baker believes Chapman's problems stem from falling behind hitters, forcing him to come in with his fastball. He can throw it faster than 100 miles per hour, but it's less effective when batters know it's coming.
"He is right," Chapman (4-4) said through interpreter and assistant trainer Tomas Vera. "The last two outings, I've had that issue."
Chapman, now 8-for-12 in save opportunities, denied that he was bothered by lower-back problems that Baker had previously mentioned.
"I haven't thrown one pitch where I was feeling a problem," the Cuban said. "I've been feeling good."
Leake had no problem with Baker's decision.
"If they had said (the ninth) was your inning, I could've gone out there, but the guy throws 100," Leake said. "It was a pretty good decision to put a fresh arm in there. It just didn't work out."
Chapman struck out Darin Mastroianni to start the inning and Reds' fans stood as the Cuban born lefthander got ahead of Mauer 0-2 but Mauer laid off a couple sliders to get to a full count before fouling off four pitches before smacking a double off the left field wall.
"I tried to stay short. It's tough in interleague because you haven't seen the pitchers before and you don't know how the ball moves," Mauer said. "The guys got a heck of an arm and has good movement on his pitches. I was trying to put the barrel on the ball. A guy that throws that hard supplies most of the power."
Chapman struck out Darin Mastroianni to start the inning and Reds' fans stood as the Cuban born lefthander got ahead of Mauer 0-2 but Mauer laid off a couple sliders to get to a full count before fouling off four pitches before smacking a double off the left field wall.
The Cuban Missle main problem is with his command of the strike zone. Baker believes Chapman's problems stem from falling behind hitters, forcing him to come in with his fastball. He can throw it faster than 100 miles per hour, but it's less effective when batters know it's coming.
"He is right," Chapman (4-4) said through interpreter and assistant trainer Tomas Vera. "The last two outings, I've had that issue."
Chapman, now 8-for-12 in save opportunities, denied that he was bothered by lower-back problems that Baker had previously mentioned.
"I haven't thrown one pitch where I was feeling a problem," the Cuban said. "I've been feeling good."
Willingham hit a 3-1 pitch out to give the Twins another lead.
"It was fun to watch Joe's at-bat. It set the tone for the inning," Willingham said. "I was looking for something over the middle hard and the pitch was over the middle and it was hard. I tried to stay short with my swing. You don't swing early but just try to make it shorter."
The Reds mounted a mild threat in the bottom of the ninth off Burton.
Former Reds pitcher Jared Burton worked the ninth for his first career save.
Burton and lefthander Glen Perkins are covering for closet Matt Capps, who had a set back with his sore shoulder. Burton spent the last five seasons in Cincinnati. He elected free agency when the Reds wanted to send him to the minor leagues outright last September; then signed with Minnesota two months later.
Burton earned his first major league save.
"The last out was pretty intense. I had a little extra adrenaline going but I tried to tell myself the pressure was on the hitter because they were the ones losing," Burton said.
Burton walked Todd Frazier to start the ninth. Willie Harris sacrificed Frazier to second base. Burton walked pinch hitter Scott Rolen but retired Chris Heisey on fly out and Wilson Valdez hit into a force out.
"I had to be careful with Rolen," Burton said. "He's a professional hitter. I felt like I made good pitches the rest of the inning."
Pittsburgh lost to Detroit leaving the Reds' lead in the NL Central at one.
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