Let’s recap tonight’s titanic struggle….
FINAL
Atlanta 1
Cincinnati 4
W: M. Leake (1-5)
L: M. Minor (2-4)
S: S. Marshall (8)
BOX SCORE
POSITIVES
–Mike Leake was brilliant tonight. In his best start of the year, Leake went 8 strong innings against the second-best offense in the league, allowing only one run on two hits. Leake struck out six and walked one, and only threw 98 pitches. And hey, he got his first win of the season, too!
–Did I mention that Leake hit a homer, too? In the fourth, Leake homered to left. Zack Cozart promptly followed suit, then Drew Stubbs drilled his second homer of the game for back to back to back homers.
–Cozart and Stubbs were the only Reds with two hits (and Cozart had a beautiful defensive play at shortstop). Stubbs also walked; Joey Votto reached base three times, as well, with a hit and two walks.
–Sean Marshall, of all people, got the last out of the game with two runners on base, picking up the save. You know, because this team’s closer can’t pitch three days in a row. (#startaroldis)
NEGATIVES
–Jose Arredondo walked two in the ninth, and was unable to close out the game.
NOT-SO-RANDOM THOUGHTS
–A beautiful start to the homestand. Just a fun, fun game. Cincinnati is now three games over .500, and remains a half-game behind the Cardinals in the division. Slowly but surely, this team is turning things around.*
–If you hadn’t done the math already, all of Cincinnati’s runs scored on solo homers tonight. The four homers marks a season-high for the club.
–After our old friend Juan Francisco homered, Leake retired fourteen straight Braves. (And, in a wonderful summary of his career, Francisco promptly followed up his homer with an error at third base in the top of the following inning.)
–Evidently, the same guy caught both Leake’s and Cozart’s back to back home run balls out there in the left field stands. That’s crazy.
–Friends and neighbors, that is a good win against perhaps the best team in the National League. Let’s keep it going tomorrow, Mat Latos.
Source: FanGraphs
*Blind optimism provided for free!