Cincinnati 5, Atlanta 1
When: 7:10 PM ET, Thursday, April 30, 2015
Where: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
Temperature:
71°
Umpires:
Home -
Bob Davidson, 1B -
David Rackley, 2B -
Jerry Layne, 3B -
Sean Barber
Attendance:
15744
By The Sports Xchange
ATLANTA -- Cincinnati Reds right-hander Mike Leake took it upon himself to make sure he finally got his first victory of the season.
Leake allowed just two singles over eight scoreless innings and hit the fifth homer of his career as the Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 5-1 on Thursday night at Turner Field.
Leake, who had gone at least seven innings in each of his previous three starts with just a loss to show for it, retired the final 12 batters in faced. He struck out three, walked two and faced just two batters over the minimum thanks to a double play and caught stealing.
Catcher Tucker Barnhart, third baseman Todd Frazier and center fielder Billy Hamilton also homered for the Reds. First baseman Joey Votto had two doubles and an RBI.
Leake was pulled after 97 pitches and Tony Cingrani gave up an RBI double to Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman with two outs in the ninth inning.
Leake's homer off Shelby Miller in the seventh inning immediately followed a leadoff blast Barnhart, as the Reds finally got to the Braves starter.
Miller, who had been charged with an unearned run in the sixth, gave up Barnhart's second homer of the season on a 3-2 fastball, the drive lined into the right-field seats near the foul pole.
Then Leake, who had been hitless in his first four starts this season, connected with a 2-1 fastball and reached the seats in left-center field.
Miller, who had won his first three decisions for the Braves, allowed six hits, walked three (one intentionally) and struck out nine.
The sixth of Miller's strikeouts led to an unearned run in the sixth inning as rookie catcher Christian Bethancourt couldn't handle the pitch and Hamilton reached on the passed ball.
Votto followed a single by shortstop Zack Cozart with his second double of the game and 17th RBI of the season.
Miller got out of a bases-loaded situation to keep it 1-0, but then Barnhart and Leake struck it the seventh inning.
The Reds made it a four-run game when Frazier hit his seventh homer of the season into the seats in left-center field against Donnie Veal leading off the eighth inning.
Then Hamilton connected for his second homer off the year against Ian Thomas leading off the ninth inning, the ball also going out to left-center field.
Miller needed just 21 pitches to retire the Reds in order during the first two innings, then he stranded second baseman Skip Schumaker at third base in the third after a leadoff double.
It looked like the Reds would break through in the fourth when Votto doubled to the right-center field fence after a leadoff walk by Cozart.
Third base coach Jim Riggleman, though, held up Cozart with no outs and Miller got out of the jam by striking out Frazier and seeing right fielder Jay Bruce line into a double play.
Leake faced just one batter above the minimum through five innings thanks to a double play and a caught stealing. The Braves didn't have a runner reach second base in that time.
NOTES: The Reds scratched 2B Brandon Phillips from the lineup after he reported to the ballpark ill and started INF-OF Skip Schumaker in his place. ... The Braves are expected to call up RHP Mike Foltynewicz from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Friday's game against the Reds. The rookie, who was acquired from Houston in the Evan Gattis trade, had a 2.08 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. ... Rookie RHP Anthony DeSclafani, who leads National League starters with a 1.04 ERA, will pitch Friday for the Reds. ... LHP Donnie Veal, who appeared in 100 games for Pittsburgh and the Chicago White Sox the past four seasons, was purchased from Gwinnett to give the Braves a fresh bullpen arm. He hadn't allowed an earned run in Triple-A while striking out 11 in 8 2/3 innings. ... Rookie RHP John Cornely was optioned to Gwinnett by the Braves after he allowed four ninth-inning ru
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
| Cincinnati
|
9 |
4 |
24 |
.250 |
22 |
11 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
| Atlanta
|
4 |
0 |
6 |
.143 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
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