Votto, Reds riding high against Cardinals
Mike Leake’s return to the Queen City didn’t go so well for the veteran righty. The Reds, though, couldn’t be happier about the way in which they kicked off a crucial series vs. division rival St. Louis.
Cincinnati pursues another win in tonight’s follow-up, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Great American Ball Park. Handicappers at online sports book BetDSI still lean toward the Cardinals. Bryan Price’s gang, conversely, enters as a +167 underdog. The over/under run total rests at 9.5.
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Making his first appearance against his former team, Leake got pummeled for six runs and 10 hits across 6 1/3 innings of the opener. Tuesday’s biggest blow, however, was reserved for the Cards’ Kevin Siegrist. Joey Votto smashed an elevated offering from the lefty, walk-off homer-style, to ensure Cincy’s 7-6 triumph.
The bomb to center field negated one more disastrous effort by the Reds’ bullpen. Price’s relief corps allowed St. Louis (30-28) to rally from a 6-1 deficit to tie the score, and that same group will likely have to record some key outs this evening. Alfredo Simon (2-5, 8.94 ERA) nabs the starting assignment for the hosts, but he’s ventured past the sixth on only two of 11 occasions.
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Mike Matheny counters with Jaime Garcia, who’s 10-4 with a 3.50 ERA vs. Cincinnati. Nonetheless, the lefty continues to battle uncharacteristic control problems. After walking 14 in the season’s first month, he issued seven free passes in May.
The Reds (22-36) earned a thoroughly impressive victory roughly 14 hours ago. Unfortunately, it probably came with a significant cost. Simon’s shakiness won’t escape the Redbirds’ batting order, which just welcomed back infielder Jhonny Peralta. Look for the visitors to rebound, and emphatically.
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