Game 107: Reds vs. Giants

Reds' senior statesman Edgar Renteria slapped the game-winning hit last night to pull the Reds past his former team and the defending champs.  Youth looks to play a larger role in tonight's contest.  Super Sophomores and former first-round picks Mike Leake and Madison Bumgarner square off, with Cincinnati looking to take the current and season series against the Giants.  Leake is smaller, less left-handed, and older than his counterpart on account of his commitment to higher education (well, Arizona State).  He also strikes out fewer batters and allows more homeruns and runs.  But enough with the pessimism.  Leake has more wins (16 to 13, in one less career start), generates a few more groundballs, and can flat-out out-hit Bum-looker.  I'd also bet that Leake could dust Madison on the basepaths.  Plus, in his last start against the Giants on June 11, Leake struck out 8 against 1 walk in 8 scoreless innings.  More of that, please. 

It's also T minus 1 to an increasingly irrelevant non-waivers trade deadline.  Though the Reds now stand at 6.5 games out of the division lead, Walt Jocketty declared yesterday that "We are not sellers."  Such posturing is to be expected, but Walt went a step further in discussing the rumors surrounding Ramon Hernandez: "I haven't [considered offers for Ramon], and I don't know if I would. I still think he's a guy that can help us with this year. I think his value is greater to us now than if we were to move him. You're not going to get the value in return for him that he gives our club. That's why we would hold on to him."  Still, reading between the lines, Walt doesn't equivocally state that he won't trade The Clutch Man.  Stay tuned.

Lineup:

Stubbs 8
Renteria 6
Votto 3
Phillips 4
Cairo 5
Bruce 9
Heisey 7
Hanigan 2
Leake 1