Gut Punched. Diamondbacks 4, Reds 3.

The Jay Bruce Honorary Star of the Game

Mike Leake wins the first ever JBHSotG. Leake and his radtastic 8 IP did everything in his power to channel the inner power of Jay The Bruce, and in the process proved to the Reds' masses that he's not just "the team's 5th starter." The kid's a force in the rotation, and I frankly hope he can continue to impress even close to this much for the rest of the season. Leake took a perfect game into the 6th inning and was both efficient and masterful throughout.

Given how the offense has played of late, the Reds will need all the help they can get.

Key Plays

• Jay Bruce has Good-Jay'd his way through June like he was Gulliver facing Lilliputian pitchers, and today was no different. His 470+ foot HR off of LHP Patrick Corbin in the Top of the 2nd inning was a thing of beauty seen only by those select 14 people in whatever freaking regions the Fox strategic planning team decided were worthy of watching. Reds led, 1-0.
  
• Mike Leake was stellar overall, but he was positively perfect through the first 5 and a third innings of the evening. In the Bottom of the 6th, however, he gave up a soft double to opposing pitcher Patrick Corbin, and Gerardo Parra immediately followed with his 2nd HR against the Reds in as many nights, and all of a sudden, the Reds trailed 2-1.
• The Reds rolled into the Top of the 9th behind in the game with Reds fans feeling down on their luck, but fortunately the heart of the lineup, beating lightly as it has been lately, was due up against Diamondbacks reliever Heath Bell. Brandon Phillips battled his way to a 9 pitch walk, and Jay Bruce followed with a HR that made men and women worldwide feel the tinglies. Todd Frazier followed with a walk and was fortunate to be safe at 2B after a Didi Gregorius misplay, but he was stranded on the basepaths despite there being no outs when he reached. Reds led, 3-2.
• Unfortunately, the bullpen. Aroldis Chapman was brought on for the save in the Bottom of the 9th, and.../cries. Reds lose, 4-3.

FanGraph Section That Makes Me Fear for btcoop's Dog

<iframe src="http://www.fangraphs.com/graphframe.aspx?config=0&static=0&type=livewins&num=0&h=450&w=450&date=2013-06-22&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" height="450" width = "450" style="border:1px solid black;"></iframe><br /><span style="font-size:9pt;">Source: <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/livewins.aspx?date=2013-06-22&team=Diamondbacks&dh=0&season=2013">FanGraphs</a></span>

Other Notes

• Dammit.
• Jay Bruce has hit a home run for each of his last 7 hits. Jay Bruce has homered in a house, Jay Bruce has homered with a mouse. Jay Bruce has homered in a box, Jay Bruce has homered with a fox. Jay Bruce can homer here or there, Jay Bruce can homer anywhere! Could he, would he on a train? Jay Bruce would homer in the rain. Jay Bruce, Red Reporters, would homer on a train.
• Dammit.
• This bullpen, y'all.
• Dammit.
• Tune time. There goes another one I thought we had.
  
• Dammit.
• It's alright, folks. It's a long hard ride, and we'll be fine in the end.
• Dammit.
• Aroldis Chapman allowed one fewer baserunner in 6 minutes on the mound than Mike Leake did in 8 innings. Dammit.
• Dammit.
• One More Saturday Night, y'all.