The Cincinnati Reds will try again to reach the 50-win mark when they resume a three-game series versus the Seattle Mariners Saturday from Great American Ball Park.
The Reds had a three-game winning streak halted with Friday's 4-2 loss versus former starting pitcher Aaron Harang, who limited the hosts to a pair of runs in six innings. Cincinnati countered with Mike Leake and he was dealt the loss for giving up all four runs over five innings.
Leake was victimized by a pair of homers in falling to 7-4 on the season.
"They had a good plan," Leake said. "They were aggressive against me. They obviously knew I throw strikes. There were a couple of mistakes that got me."
Joey Votto belted his 15th home run of the season and posted two of Cincinnati's six hits.
Cincinnati dropped to 29-15 at home this season, but has still won 15 of the past 24 games at the Ball Park.
Mat Latos is 1-2 in his last three outings since opening the season 6-0 with a 3.08 earned run average in 14 starts. Latos gets the nod Saturday for the Reds and is coming off last Sunday's 3-2 loss at Texas, where he gave up three runs -- two earned -- and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Latos managed to strike out nine batters and has 31 K's in his past three starts. He is 7-2 in 17 starts with a 3.03 ERA and 4-1 in seven home appearances. Latos, a right-hander, has faced Seattle three times in his career, going 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA.
Seattle has won three of four games to start the month of July and set the tone early in Friday's win with Nick Franklin's two-run home run in the first inning. Michael Saunders led off the second inning with a solo blast for the Mariners, who are 9-1 all-time against Cincinnati.
Raul Ibanez went 1-for-4 and has hit in 11 straight games for Seattle, which has homered in 13 consecutive games.
Harang allowed six hits to move to 3-0 against the Reds in his career. Oliver Perez struck out three in the ninth for his second save.
"It has to be a big deal for him because he spent a lot of years here," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "He had a lot of good years here and the fans appreciated him tonight. He threw a good ball game for us."
Mariners veteran Jeremy Bonderman continues his return to the majors Saturday and looks to put a rough start behind him. Bonderman lasted only 3 1/3 innings in last Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs and was touched for six runs -- four earned -- with two K's and two walks.
Bonderman, who is 1-2 in six starts with a 4.05 ERA, lost his only career start against the Reds and gave up seven runs in three innings of a 9-4 loss on May 19, 2006.
The Mariners swept a three-game set when the teams last played in Cincinnati in 2002 and are making their first trip to Great American Ball Park.
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