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Leake attempts to put troubles behind him in finale with D'Backs

Apr 21, 2011 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - It's no secret that Reds starter Mike Leake is dealing with some off-the-field issues. This afternoon, the young hurler is tasked with ending Cincinnati's struggles on the diamond.

The Reds try to put the brakes on a season-worst four-game slide and avoid their first home sweep to the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2002 in today's finale of a three-game set at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds will stick with the 24-year-old Leake today despite his arrest on Monday for an alleged shoplifting incident at a downtown Cincinnati Macy's department story. Manager Dusty Baker did admit that the club thought about going with another hurler before opting to stick with Leake, whose next scheduled court date for the charges is May 18.

"There was consideration," Baker told his team's website. "We talked about how he felt and could he handle the pressure of it. He said 'yeah.' Sometimes in times of trouble, it's easier to go to work than not go to work."

The right-hander hasn't pitched since picking up his second victory of the season on Saturday versus Pittsburgh. Leake was charged with two runs on four hits and four walks over six innings, striking out six.

Leake, the eighth overall pick of the 2009 draft out of Arizona State who lives in Phoenix, faced the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career on April 10 and got a no-decision despite getting tagged for six runs over 4 2/3 innings of his club's 10-8 setback.

Cincinnati has dropped nine of 13 since a 5-0 start, falling to .500 for the first time this season at 9-9. Joey Votto drove in the lone Reds run in last night's 3-1 setback, while Bronson Arroyo settled down after some early struggles to hurl 6 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs in the loss, striking out eight while retiring 15 in a row at one point.

"We're just getting beat to the punch right now," said Arroyo. "They are just scoring first, getting big hits and we're not when we need it and, you know, that's baseball."

Justin Upton, Ryan Roberts and starter Ian Kennedy all drove in a run, while Kennedy also picked up the win after getting charged with just a run and four hits over 5 1/3 innings of work. J.J. Putz pitched a perfect ninth, extending his club record to consecutive saves to begin a season at five in a row.

"Ian was pretty much stellar, you know," said catcher Miguel Montero. "He threw strikes ... he was on."

Arizona has won a season-best three in a row and also climbed back to .500 at 8-8. It has won four of five over Cincinnati this season after going 3-10 against the club over the previous two seasons. The Diamondbacks haven't swept the Reds in Cincinnati since Aug. 13-15, 2002.

Right-hander Daniel Hudson draws the start today for the D-Backs and a combination of early struggles and little run support doomed him to a third straight loss last time out.

Hudson went 7-1 with a 1.69 earned run average in 11 starts last year with Arizona after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox, but is 0-3 with a 4.26 ERA this season. He lost to the Giants on Friday, yielding five runs -- four earned -- over six innings.

Three of the runs came on a homer in the first inning, but it might not of mattered as the D-Backs have scored just one run during Hudson's 19 innings this year.

"I can't do anything about that except go out there and try to put zeros up and keep the team in the game long enough for the offense to start clicking," Hudson told Arizona's official website. "It's going to even out in the end. It's not like they're not trying to score runs. Guys are going out and having good outings against me."

Hudson's best start this year came versus the Reds on April 9, a 6-1 loss in which the 24-year-old gave up two runs over seven innings with eight strikeouts. He is 1-2 with a 2.05 ERA in three career starts against Cincinnati.