Chicago @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( May 8, 2010 ) Chi. Cubs 2, Cincinnati 14
Mike Leake had a splendid major league debut against the Chicago Cubs last month. He’s now seeking a repeat performance.
The Cincinnati Reds right-hander, who skipped the minor leagues, will be back on the mound against the Cubs when the two teams complete a three-game series today in Cincinnati.
Leake allowed just one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings in his first career start but wasn’t involved in the decision of a game the Reds won 3-1.
The decision to have Leake (2-0) bypass the minors has worked out well for Cincinnati. Leake has gone at least six innings in all five of his starts and has allowed just one earned run in the three of the outings.
After walking 12 batters in his first two starts, Leake has walked just four in his last three outings, a span of 20 innings.
Leake was the eighth overall pick in last June’s draft and the first player from that draft to reach the majors. The Reds are 4-1 in the games started by Leake, who has a 2.94 earned-run average.
Leake would like to get the same kind of run support the Cincinnati offense provided Saturday when the Reds rolled up 14 runs and 15 hits against the Cubs.
Cincinnati scored 11 runs in its final two at-bats against Chicago’s struggling bullpen to break open a 3-2 game.
Catcher Ryan Hanigan went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, including a grand slam. Hanigan, hitting .409 in 44 at-bats this season, has 37 career RBIs - 15 of them coming against Chicago.
Ryan Dempster (2-2) will be on the mound for the Cubs. He’s gone at least six innings in all six of his starts and has pitched seven innings or more in each of the last four.
Dempster has lost his last two decisions but has a solid 2.95 ERA. He has struck out 39 batters in 42 2/3 innings.
Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro didn’t perform any supernatural feats in his second career game following his historic debut Friday night.
Castro went 1-for-4 with a double and made a costly error in the field in the seventh inning, when the Reds scored five runs to start pulling away.
On Friday, Castro homered in his first career at-bat and set a record with six RBIs in his major league debut.
Cubs center fielder Marlon Byrd is 5-for-11 in the series to raise his average to .350. Byrd was 3-for-5 on Saturday and posted his team-best 22nd RBI.