Simon goes for win No. 13 at Yankee Stadium
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - Alfredo Simon tries to become the majors' first 13-game winner when he leads the Cincinnati Reds into the middle test of a three-game series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Simon is 12-3 with a 2.70 earned run average and has won his last six decisions (8 starts), including a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on July 9. Simon struck out eight and limited the Cubs to a run and four hits over 6 2/3 innings of work.
The Reds have won each of the right-hander's last eight trips to the mound and he is 7-1 in 10 road starts this season. Simon has an 0-2 record with a 5.68 ERA in six career games (3 starts) against the Yankees.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cincinnati opened this set against the Yankees with Friday's 4-3 loss, as starting pitcher Mike Leake served up all four runs and eight hits across seven innings of work. Leake allowed Jacoby Ellsbury's two-run homer in the fifth inning.
"It was still a decent outing," said Leake. "Any time you go seven, you did something right."
Brayan Pena hit two home runs to power the Reds, who are 2 1/2 games off the lead in the NL Central and have alternated wins and losses over the past six games. The Reds entered the night having won seven of nine games.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Reds have lost four in a row on the road and will also visit the Milwaukee Brewers on this road trip.
New York ended a five-game home losing streak with last night's victory. Ellsbury's blast in the fifth inning proved to be the difference and made a winner out of David Phelps, who was reached for three runs -- two earned -- in 6 1/3 innings.
Dellin Betances pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before David Robertson closed the door in the ninth for his 24th save.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ellsbury, Derek Jeter and Carlos Beltran had two hits apiece in the win. Beltran returned to the lineup after being on the seven-day concussion disabled list, while Jeter made an MLB-record 2,610th career start at shortstop. Jeter broke a tie he shared with Omar Vizquel for the most starts at shortstop in major league history.
"I thought we swung the bats pretty well tonight off of a guy we don't have a lot of history off of," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. "Got some real timely hits."
The Yankees pulled within four games of Baltimore for the AL East lead and opened a 10-game homestand on a high note.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brandon McCarthy will make his second start in a Yankees uniform Saturday and did not record a decision in a 5-4 win at Cleveland on July 9, when he gave up four runs -- one earned -- in 6 2/3 innings. Acquired in a trade from Arizona, McCarthy was 3-10 in 18 starts with the Diamondbacks.
McCarthy, a right-hander, is winless (0-2) in three career games, two of which have been starts, with a 14.73 ERA against the Reds.
Cincinnati won two of three at Yankee Stadium when these teams last faced each other in 2012. The Yankees are 6-7 all-time versus Cincinnati in interleague play, the only MLB team they own a losing record against.