• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Reds send Leake against Giants ace Lincecum

Jun 11, 2011 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - It's Leake vs. The Freak.

Cincinnati Reds young pitcher Mike Leake will face off with San Francisco Giants two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum this afternoon in the continuation of a four-game series from AT&T Park.

Leake is 2-0 with a 2.70 earned run average in his last three starts -- all Cincinnati wins -- and is coming off Monday's 8-2 win over the Chicago Cubs in which he allowed two runs on 10 hits in eight innings of work. The effort lifted Leake's record to 5-2 in 12 games (9 starts) and lowered his earned run average to 4.63.

The right-hander, who is 1-1 on the road this season, will face San Francisco for the third time in his career. Leake has no record and a lopsided 21.21 ERA in two career games (1 start) in this matchup, spanning just 4 2/3 innings.

Lincecum, nicknamed The Freak, had won back-to-back starts before posting consecutive no-decisions and previously toed the rubber in a 5-4 win versus Washington on Monday. Lincecum was banged around for four runs in five innings and has allowed nine runs over his past two outings. He allowed that many in six starts from April 29-May 27.

The right-hander owns a 1-1 mark in five starts by the Bay and is 0-0 with a 4.85 ERA in two career starts against the Reds. Lincecum last faced Cincinnati in an 8-5 win at Great American Ball Park on Aug. 18, 2009 and allowed five runs in six innings for the no-decision.

San Francisco got the best of the Reds in Friday's second installment of this series, as Nate Schierholtz garnered hero status by plating speedy outfielder Andres Torres on a pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 victory. Miguel Tejada and Cody Ross both had two hits and an RBI for the NL West-leading Giants, who rebounded from a 3-0 loss to the Reds in the series opener to win for the seventh time in 10 tries. Tejada is riding a seven-game hitting streak and is batting .357 during the run.

Ryan Vogelsong started for San Francisco, which leads Arizona by two games in the division standings, and allowed two runs in six innings. Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo and closer Brain Wilson all threw a scoreless inning of relief, with Wilson notching the win (5-1).

Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez suffered a dislocated right shoulder when he dove for a ball in the fifth inning. Sanchez will most likely land on the disabled list after an upcoming MRI.

"We feel horrible for Freddy, but we'll keep fighting," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who said Sanchez will have an MRI on Saturday to determine how much time he will miss.

The Giants are 5-3 on a 10-game homestand and are expected to sign veteran infielder Bill Hall to fill the gap that Sanchez left.

Cincinnati entered last night's game with three wins in four tries, but lost for the fourth time in seven games. Jose Arredondo was saddled with the loss after Schierholtz stroked the game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth. Arredondo and Logan Ondrusek combined to walk the bases loaded in the final frame, and with two outs, Schierholtz lined one between third and short to send San Francisco to the win column.

"When you have walks late in the game, they're certainly going to haunt you and they haunted us tonight," said Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker.

The Reds blew a decent start by Travis Wood, who held the Giants to a pair of runs despite allowing 11 hits over eight innings. Brandon Phillips had three hits and Ryan Hanigan went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Reds, who are 1-1 on a seven-game road trip through San Francisco and Los Angeles.

If Cincinnati can get closer Francisco Cordero in position for a save, he will tie Doug Jones for 20th on the all-time saves list at 303. Jeff Montgomery is 19th with 304 saves.

San Francisco won four of seven over the Reds a season ago, taking two of three at home.