Streaking right-hander Mike Leake can pitch the Cincinnati Reds to a four-game sweep on Thursday afternoon when they host the San Francisco Giants in the finale of a holiday week series at Great American Ball Park.
A native of Arizona, Leake is 3-0 in five career meetings with the Giants while posting a 4.18 earned run average across 28 full innings of work.
He was 2-2 on the season after a 7-2 loss to Atlanta on May 8, but has since won five of six decisions across nine starts while dramatically trimming his ERA from 4.32 to 2.52.
He's given up three or fewer runs in all but one of those nine starts and has pitched at least six innings in eight of nine as well.
In Leake's last home appearance, he allowed one run on six hits in seven innings of a 4-1 defeat of the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 17.
For the Giants, righty Matt Cain faces the Reds for the 11th time in his 253rd major-league start.
He's won four of nine decisions against Cincinnati thus far while allowing 27 runs on 71 hits in 68 2/3 innings of work.
A 16-game winner last season in 32 starts, Cain picked up victory No. 5 for 2013 with a June 13 victory at Pittsburgh, in which he allowed two hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings of a 10-0 triumph.
He's 0-1 in three subsequent starts while allowing six runs in 21 innings.
On Wednesday, Shin-Soo Choo singled in Todd Frazier with the winning run with two outs in the 11th inning to boost the Reds to a 3-2 decision.
Frazier walked to start the inning. Chris Heisey then put down a sacrifice bunt. Devin Mesoraco was intentionally walked. After pinch- hitter Ryan Hanigan flied out to right, Choo singled off Javier Lopez (1-1) to an open spot in right field to give the Reds the win, one night after Homer Bailey's no-hitter.
"The guy he got the hit off of is very tough on lefties," Reds manager Dusty Baker said.
Heisey had a solo homer and drove in two runs for the Reds.
Tony Abreu homered for the Giants, who have dropped nine of their last 10 games.
"We have too many guys scuffling right now," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I wish I had a reason to tell you why, but whether they're pressing or trying too hard, I wish I had the answer. I'd get them going."
San Francisco's Barry Zito was lifted after four-plus innings, while Cincinnati's Tony Cingrani pitched into the sixth.
The Reds won the season series with the Giants, 4-3, in 2012 and downed San Francisco, 5-2, in 2011.
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