Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	7	2
Pirates	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	8	0

Boxscore

The Reds let the Pirates tie up the series last night when they lost 1-2.

After Homer Bailey’s no-hitter the night before, Mike Leake kind of needed a perfect game and four hits to get himself into serious contention for the play-off roster. Unfortunately, he blew the perfect game on the second batter when Josh Harrison singled to center field. He did go 1-for-2 on the night, though, which is something.

Leake pitched 6.0 innings, surrendering 4 hits and 3 walks before his tenure was up. It was Jose Arredeondo who got credit for the Pirates’ first run in the seventh inning. The Reds managed to tie it up in the eighth, and Logan Ondrusek held the Bucs during that inning. But alas, the Reds’ offense couldn’t come up with anything in the ninth, and Jonathan Broxton failed to send the game into extras when Andrew McCutchen, the second batter in the bottom of the inning, hit a home run to right field for the walk-off.

The Reds did have plenty of hits: 7 different guys each contributed 1 to the team’s 7 hit total. Joey Votto also walked twice, of course, so that didn’t help matters. Votto’s protection for the night, Scott Rolen, was the one to hit in the Reds’ only run though.

The loss brings the Reds’ record to 95-63. They try to win the series this afternoon at 1:35 p.m. Johnny Cueto (RHP, 19-9, 2.83 ERA) will take his last chance for win number 20 when he faces off against Wandy Rodriguez (LHP, 5-4, 3.78 ERA).

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Reds (95-62)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	1
Pirates (76-81)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Boxscore

In case you missed it yesterday, Homer Bailey pitched a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates last night.

It’s the first no-hitter in PNC Park history, and it’s the first that a Cincinnati Reds pitcher has thrown since Tom Browning threw his perfect game back on September 16, 1988. Bailey accomplished his feat with 115 pitches. Over the 9 innings, he allowed no runs, no hits, walked one, and struck out 10.

The offense was again not really present. The Reds scored early, in the top of the first, but their bats fell silent after that. Thanks to Bailey’s flirt with flirtation, the 1 run was all they needed.

Phillips started the game off by singling to left. Zack Cozart followed with a single, providing Joey Votto with a rare opportunity to bat with runners on base. So of course, the Pirates walked him. But clean-up hitter Todd Frazier kept the bases-loaded, no-out situation from being a total loss by hitting a sacrifice fly to drive in Phillips.

It was all pitching after that, for both teams. In the end, the Pirates couldn’t score, and the Reds doomed them to their 20th season in a row without a winning record.

The Pirates still have a shot at a .500 record, but they’ll have to win all their remaining games. They’ll send out Kyle McPherson to attempt that, while the Reds will counter with Mike Leake, a man on the bubble of being included on the playoff roster. The game starts at 7:05pm.

In the first of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds starter Homer Bailey threw a no-hitter.

He faced one more than the minimum number of batters and was one error and one walk away from a perfect game. Scott Rolen had an error that allowed Clint Barmes to reach base. Later, Bailey walked Andrew McCutchen. After stealing 2nd base, McCutchen attempted to take 3rd, but was thrown out by catcher Ryan Hanigan.

Bailey threw 115 pitches, struck out 10, walked 1, and allowed no hits and no runs. He picked up his 13th win and the Reds’ first no-hitter since Tom Browning’s perfect game back in September 1988.

Hall of Fame reporter Hal McCoy had the chance to sit down and chat with Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker when he was in the office yesterday, and it sounds like Baker is very close to returning.

Baker was upbeat, enthusiastic and effervescent during my short visit.

He looked fit and trim and the smile on his face was as wide as the room. His handshake was bone-shattering, as it always is.

Baker had a good attitude about the mini-stroke, feeling a little lucky to have it happen while he was still in the hospital. And he’s planning on returning for the final series of the regular season against the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I’m OK, I’m fine,” he said. “I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good.”

That’s encouraging news. While Baker has been making appearances before each of the last several games at the ball park, his actual presence with what is his team during the games will be very important for the playoffs.

Besides, it would be a shame for him to miss any post-season celebration.