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D-Backs send Galarraga to the hill vs. Reds

Apr 19, 2011 - 2:38 PM (Sports Network) - Offseason addition Armando Galarraga tries for a third straight win in the National League tonight when his new team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, heads to Great American Ball Park for the first of three games with the Cincinnati Reds.

Best known for his near-perfect game with the Detroit Tigers last season, Galarraga finished just 4-9 overall in 25 appearances and headed west in January in a three-player deal that sent two minor leaguers to the Tigers.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan debuted on April 6 with a 6-4 win at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, then followed it up by getting the victory in a 13-8 defeat of the St. Louis Cardinals six days later in Arizona.

In 12 overall NL innings, he's allowed 14 hits and nine runs while walking four batters and striking out nine.

Galarraga has never faced the Reds.

Cincinnati counters with 26-year-old righty Sam LeCure, who will make a fourth appearance -- and third start -- as the Reds deal with a rash of early-season injuries on their pitching staff.

The University of Texas product tossed an inning of scoreless relief on Opening Day in the Reds' 7-6 win over Milwaukee and has since allowed four hits and three runs in 11 innings while getting no-decisions against Houston and San Diego.

The Reds have split those two starts, defeating the Padres and losing to the Astros.

LeCure reached the majors for the first time last season and appeared in 15 games -- starting six -- while allowing 24 runs on 50 hits in 48 innings.

He faced Arizona once and threw three innings of scoreless one-hit relief, striking out four batters.

On Monday in Cincinnati, Kevin Correia pitched his second career complete game and Matt Diaz went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and scored twice, as the Pittsburgh Pirates handled the Reds, 9-3, in the finale of a four-game set.

Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Reds, who have dropped four of their last five.

Travis Wood (1-2) was roughed up for six runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. The left-hander walked one and struck out three.

On Sunday in Arizona, Stephen Drew singled home Justin Upton in the bottom of the 12th inning to lift the Diamondbacks to a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field.

Drew added a two-run triple for Arizona, which salvaged the finale of this three-game set. Upton belted a solo home run.

Diamondbacks starter Barry Enright gave up four runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Josh Collmenter (1-0) tossed two scoreless frames to pick up the win in his major league debut.

The D-Backs took two of three from the Reds when the clubs met in Arizona on April 8-10.