Bad nights are going to happen and they’re never pleasant to endure. It happened for the Reds on Monday, and coming in the final week of the season with playoff scenarios still very much at stake, it was as welcome as gum on a shoe.
Starting pitcher Mike Leake was chased early, and the four second-inning runs he allowed were enough to give the Reds a 4-2 loss to the Mets at Great American Ball Park.
“I wasn’t making pitches and they were making me pay,” said Leake, who tied a career low with 1 2/3 innings pitched. He allowed eight hits.
It was a particularly costly night in the standings for the Reds, who fell to three games behind the first-place Cardinals in the National League Central with four games left in the regular season. St. Louis blanked the Nationals by a 2-0 score. The playoff-bound Pirates, whom the Reds are also battling for the chance to host the NL Wild Card game next Tuesday, beat the Cubs to move a game ahead. Cincinnati will host Pittsburgh for the final three regular-season games this weekend.
The Reds seem most likely to pitch some combination of Mat Latos, Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto should they advance to the NL Division Series. Where Leake fits into the playoff roster situation remains ambiguous at best. A rough final regular-season start certainly doesn’t help.
“We aren’t even thinking about that yet,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said. “I’m sure Mike feels badly about it. The thing about it is everybody is capable of a bad start. This was his first one in a long time. Just chalk that out and get ready for his next start.”
Leake, who is now 14-7 with a 3.37 ERA after 31 starts, took a 20 1/3 scoreless-innings streak into the night.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
