Boxscore

It was another short outing for a starting pitcher, followed by a stellar performance from the bullpen to allow the Reds to rally in the late innings for the win over the Diamondbacks yesterday.

Mike Leake started for the Reds and lasted 5.1 innings. He allowed 6 runs (earned) on 11 hits and 1 walk in that amount of time. As I listened to the crackly AM signal of this non-televised game, I can tell you spirits were pretty low.

But around the time Alfredo Simon took the mound for 1.2 innings, the Reds started their rally. He allowed 0 runs on 1 hit. Logan Ondrusek was next, and he didn’t allow any hits in his .2 innings. Sean Marshall did give up a couple hits, but they didn’t amount to anything in the remainder of the eighth. Aroldis Chapman shut it down in the ninth by striking out 2.

Brandon Phillips is the hero of this game. He went 2-for-4 and hit the 3-run home run in the sixth inning that finally got the Reds on the board, plus he doubled in two more guys in the seventh. Honorable mentions go to Wilson Valdez, who got on base three times and scored twice, and Devin Mesoraco, who busted up the no-hitter that Arizona had going into the fifth.

The win brings the Reds record to 52-40 and earns them a split in the 4-game series, even without the services of Joey Votto. Tonight the Reds welcome the Milwaukee Brewers. Will Homer Bailey (RHP, 8-6, 3.93 ERA) give the bullpen a break when he takes on Marco Estrada (RHP, 0-3, 4.13 ERA)? Probably, but answering those questions is why they play the game. First pitch at 7:10 p.m.