Reds at Cardinals
Mike Leake has been one of the top pitchers in baseball this month and looks to avenge his lone loss of the season when the St. Louis Cardinals host the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon. The National League ERA leader (1.32), Leake allowed one run in eight innings when St. Louis suffered a 2-0 loss to the Reds on April 7 but has won three straight starts since.
Leake, who pitched for the Reds from 2010-15, has struggled against his former club as he is 0-3 with a 5.64 ERA in five career starts. He will be looking to pitch the Cardinals to their 10th victory in 12 games after they posted a 7-5 win on Friday in the opener of the three-game series. Cincinnati is spiraling in the other direction with eight defeats in its last nine contests and has given up 36 runs while starting 0-4 on a six-game road trip. Scott Schebler homered in the opener and is 8-for-18 with five blasts and nine RBIs over his last five contests.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds RH Bronson Arroyo (2-2, 6.86 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Mike Leake (3-1, 1.32)
Arroyo has won consecutive outings against Baltimore and the Chicago Cubs after enduring a rocky start. He was pounded for six runs and six hits in four innings by the Cardinals in his first turn on April 8 and surrendered five runs and seven hits in six frames against Milwaukee. Arroyo is 8-18 with a 4.84 ERA in 40 career appearances (38 starts) against St. Louis and has fared well against Yadier Molina (12-for-57).
Leake has allowed just four runs and struck out 20 against only four walks during his splendid start. The 29-year-old has limited opposing batters to a .204 average - 63 points below his career mark. Leake has experienced issues with Billy Hamilton (7-for-11), Zack Cozart (5-for-10) and Adam Duvall (5-for-16, two homers) but has fared well against Joey Votto (3-for-14).
WALK-OFFS
1. Votto hit his 22nd career homer - and second this season - against the Cardinals in the opener.
2. St. Louis CF Dexter Fowler is 9-for-18 with two homers over his last four games.
3. Cincinnati C Devin Mesoraco (hip/shoulder) made his 2017 debut and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.