LEAKE PITCHED WELL ENOUGH HIS LAST TWO STARTS TO RECEIVE A WIN. THIS TIME HE DOES.

6.5.10
BY:MEH
"GODZILLA" FINALLY GETS "FIF"
LEAKE PITCHED WELL ENOUGH HIS LAST TWO STARTS TO RECEIVE A WIN. THIS TIME HE DOES.

(Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Mike "Godzilla" Leake finally received his fifth win of the season on Saturday against the Washington Nationals pitching seven innings (7H, 0BB, 5K) of one-run ball. The rookie has put together quality starts for the Reds ten times over his eleven starts and has posted a 2.22 ERA on the season. The undefeated right-hander is undoubtedly the best pitcher in the Reds rotation.

"The thing about him is he pitches to the situation," Baker said. "If he needs a double play, he throws his best double-play pitch. If he needs a strikeout, he’ll go for the strikeout. That’s tough to teach. Most guys don’t learn that until far into their careers."



Avoiding their third straight loss, the Reds defeated the Nationals 5-1 on Saturday. Joey Votto and Orlando Cabrera each had two hits and a RBI while Mr. Leake helped himself out, as he usually does, going 2-3 and scoring a run. Leake became the first Reds' pitcher to have a four-game hitting streak since Bobby Livingston's in 2007. Godzilla can do it all.

Reds' second baseman Brandon Phillips added some hysteria during the eighth inning. After driving in Orlando Cabrera with a single, Phillips went to third on a wild pitch with Joey Votto at the plate. Phillips was clearly out at third, but the Nationals' Ian Desmond unintentionally clogged the base-path and was called for interference. After Votto walked, Scott Rolen hit a ball to short. Phillips aggressively charged home, bulldozing over National's catcher Luis Nieves as he blocked the plate. Nieves dropped the ball and Phillips scored causing him to beat his chest in celebration. During the bottom of the eighth, Phillips was drilled by a Miguel Batista pitch. Batista was promptly ejected by umpire Joe West.

"I just go out there and play the game of baseball the way I know how," Phillips said. "I just play with a lot of excitement. I didn’t see nothing wrong with what I did. If people think I did something wrong, I apologize to whoever thinks so, but it’s baseball."

Bronson Arroyo (5-3, 4.92) will face Craig Stammen (1-2, 5.88) and the Washington Nationals at 1:35pm on Sunday.

MORE NEWS:
-Davis visits Lynchburg, offers batting tips CHRIS LANG
-The innings meter is running on Leake JOHN FAY
-Gomes all about heart for Reds BILL KOCH
-Nats: Worst Unis Evar? OMGREDS

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