Game 102: Reds vs. Padres (7:10 PM EDT) Mike Leake vs. Edinson Volquez

The Reds are 17-2 in their last 19 games and are now 21 games above the .500 mark. Play on, playas.

The non-waiver trade deadline is fast approaching and the Reds have been mentioned in their fair share of rumors. I would not be at all surprised if a deal went down before this goes to press, or during the game, or tomorrow morning before breakfast, or tomorrow morning after breakfast, or around mid-morning tomorrow, or maybe lunch time, or even perhaps a bit after lunch. Stay tuned to your local Red Reporter.

The Reds face erstwhile future-ace Edinson Volquez for the second time this season. He's still the same old pitcher he's always been if you look at his peripheral stats, but pitching in the spacious stadia of the National League's western-most division has done wonders for his home run rate. It's a full HR lower per nine innings than it was last year. He's still walking more than five batters per nine though, so you shouldn't be missing him at all.

Volquez tossed seven strong innings against the Reds in San Diego back on July 5th, giving up only one run and striking out 10. Two starts after that (and two starts ago), he threw a complete game one-hitter against the Astros. He is also working on a streak of 13 straight starts with three walks or more. So yeah, same old Wagon.

Mike Leake goes for the Reds. He's good.

Lineups and 'pen log after the jaernd:

LINEUPS

• Aroldis Chapman got the day off yesterday, but you could make a pretty strong argument that he should be avoided today as well. Since the All-Star break (15 days), he has thrown 10.1 innings and has appeared in 11 games. That's a very heavy workload. The team has been winning and therefore his services have been needed, but if it's a close one tonight I think I'd be more comfortable with Marshall and Arredondo nailing it down.
• Outside of Chapman, everybody else looks pretty fresh. Marshall and Arredondo have thrown 10 pitches in the last five days.