Mike Leake Pitches Reds to 5-1 Win Over Braves



This One Belongs to the Reds

 The Reds needed a good start badly and got one.  Mike Leake returned after two starts at Louisville to take the place of Edinson Volquez, who has struggled. 

Leake, who skipped the minor leagues completely by making the Reds' roster last season, had two poor outings in his only minor league action.  He pitched five innings and allowed five runs in his first game against Durham on May 18.  He pitched two innings on Monday against Norfolk in relief, allowing three runs on four hits.

Battling control problems, Leake shutdown the Braves with one run in six innings.  He allowed 10 base runners, seven hits and three walks but spaced them enough that Atlanta was scoreless until the sixth.  Dan Uggla's sacrifice fly plated Brian McCann, who doubled to open the sixth for the Braves lone run.

Left fielder du jour, Freddie Lewis, put the Reds on top with an RBI double that scored Scott Rolen, who topped a ground ball that died in the infield for a hit.

Lewis ran down a ball in the gap and threw out Martin Prado trying to stretch a single to end the third inning.

Atlanta's defense was lacking leading to a pair of Reds runs.

Starting pitcher, Tommy Hanson, threw a comebacker hit by Ramon Hernandez into center field after walking Lewis.  With Lewis on third, Paul Janish bunted to the mound as Lewis crossed the plate.

Cincinnati scored again in the fifth.  Brandon Phillips singled and stole second, then advanced to third on a fly out by Joey Votto.  Rolen walked and Jay Bruce hit a ball off reliever, George Sherril, that Sherril failed to reach for an RBI infield single.

Logan Ondrusek, Bill Bray and Nick Masset held the lead but had to escape loaded bases in the bottom of the eighth.

Bray walked Chipper Jones, a switch hitter that had to hit from the right side.  Bray retired the two lefthanded hitters that he was brought in specifically to face.  Bray struck out McCann and got a fly out from Eric Hinske.

Masset came in but allowed a ground ball single to Dan Uggla and walked Freddie Freeman on a very close 3-1 pitch.  The right handed setup man, who has rallied from an horrible first month of the season, rallied to induce former teammate, Alex Gonzalez, to ground into an inning ending force play.

Chis Heisey singled for his second hit as a double switch replacement,  Ramon Hernandez hit his seventh home run of the season off Craig Kimble, an opposite field shot near the right field line.  It matched his total from 2010.

The home run removed what would have been Francisco Cordero's elusive 300th career save.

Cordero finished off the Braves with a scoreless ninth.