The Reds Find A Place For Knuckleballs In Win Over Mets

R.A. Dickey's knuckleball has been a mystery to the National League all season.  Dickey came into the game tied with Johnny Cueto for the most wins in the NL with 15.  He was tied for third with a 2.72 ERA and opponents were hitting just .217 off him.

He is still tied with Cueto but at 15-3 as the Reds pounded him for 10 hits in a 6-1 win.

The Reds mastered his dancing deliveries and deposited them three times where, "there ain't nobody playin," as former Red, Lee May, used to say.

Zack Cozart greeted Dickey with a double past David Wright at thirdbase after Reds' starter Mike Leake retired the anemic New Yorkers in big apple pie order in the first inning.

Drew Stubbs bunted Cozart to third, where Cozart skipped home on a line single to center by Brandon Phillips.

The Mets tied the game with the first run scored off Cincinnati pitching in 28 innings in the fourth.  Mike Baxter singled to become the Mets' first baserunner.  Ruben Tejada blooped a single down the rightfield line sending Baxter to third from where he scored when Daniel Murphy hit into a double play.  It was the first run scored off Reds' pitching since the second inning on Saturday.

Jay Bruce opened the fourth with a single but Dickey, who is adept at controlling the running game, picked him off.  It was fortunate for Dickey because Scott Rolen continued his resurgence after a four-game absence with his sixth home run.  Todd Frazier followed immediately with a 474 ft torpedo that nearly sunk the riverboat atop the center field batter's eye.

Bruce hit a long home run in the sixth his 24th of the year.  Frazier singled and stole second.  Leake singled him home. Stubbs singled, stole second and scored on Ryan Ludwick's single to complete the scoring.

Leake retired 17 of the last 19 batters for a complete-game victory.  It is the second of his career.


Leake (5-7) faced three batters over the minimum and added an RBI single. He allowed four hits, no walks and struck out four while besting the pitcher who went into the game tied for the major-league lead in wins and the National League lead in strikeouts.

 "I was just a little, old four-winner," Leake said with a slight smile about being overshadowed. "It was a good all-around game for us. You couldn't ask for more."

 The win was his first in four starts since July 24.

 "I'm just glad I'm talking to you guys," he said. "It's been a while."

Manager Dusty Baker was impressed with Leake's efficiency. The right-handed finished with 111 pitches, 70 for strikes.

"He had it going, big-time," Baker said. "He didn't have a lot of strikeouts. He used his defense."

The Reds now own a season-high seven-game lead in the National League Central.  Pittsburgh lost to the Dodgers 9-3.  St. Louis is holding on to a three-run lead over Arizona in the ninth inning.  If they hold on, they will move into a tie with Pittsburgh for second place.