|
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Mike Leake wasnt about to let this 8-0 lead get away. Sam Mills Panthers Jersey . Jay Bruces homer helped the Reds get ahead by eight runs for the second day in a row, and Leake made this big lead stand up, pitching eight innings on Saturday for an 11-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. A day earlier, the Blue Jays pulled off the second-biggest comeback in their history. Down 8-0 after the second inning, they rallied to a 14-9 victory behind a pair of homers from Edwin Encarnacion. With their bullpen depleted, the Reds needed a solid effort from Leake (5-6), who went eight innings for the first time since May 13. "I already knew that we needed something, but its not like you can do it on command," Leake said. "My focus today was getting strike out within the first two pitches and going after them." The Reds got ahead 8-0 after four innings on Saturday against J.A. Happ (6-4), and the Blue Jays didnt have another big comeback in them. Leake had a lot to do with it, allowing the Blue Jays only four hits, including Colby Rasmus homer. "That was a character game," manager Bryan Price said. "We needed to show up and get yesterday out of our minds. One thing this team has shown all year is that it doesnt get down on itself." The Blue Jays are 9-5 all-time against the Reds, having won their four previous interleague series. Cincinnatis offence has languished near the bottom of the majors for much of the season, with Bruce and Joey Votto spending time on the disabled list. Both are back, and the Reds are starting to hit. Theyve scored at least nine runs in four of their last six games. Devin Mesoraco added a three-run homer in the seventh, his third homer in three games, as the Reds pulled away and quickly forgot about their Friday night meltdown. "Dusty (Baker) always said, Momentum is only as good as the next days starting pitcher," Mesoraco said. "Leake went out and gave us what we needed, and we were able to put some runs on the board." Happ made it easy for the Reds in the first inning, walking three batters with two outs. Ryan Ludwick drove in two runs with a single, and another scored on Erik Kratzs passed ball. Bruces homer in the third inning gave him 47 homers off left-handers over the last five seasons, the most by any player in the majors. Bruce scored three times overall. The Reds made it 8-0 in a fourth inning highlighted by RBI doubles from Votto and Brandon Phillips. Leake singled and scored during the rally. Happ lasted only four innings and give up seven hits, eight runs and four walks. It was his shortest start of the season. The four walks matched his season high. It was the most runs hed allowed since July 13, 2012 against the Giants. "He didnt have it today," manager John Gibbons said. "We never really had a chance. It was another big deficit to overcome. It was a little disappointing after last night, but theres nothing we can do about it now." Billy Hamilton singled home a run, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games. He also stole his 31st base, the most by a Reds rookie since Chris Sabo stole 46 in 1988. After their four-homer, 16-hit splurge in the series opener, the Blue Jays went back into their hitting funk. The AL East leaders have lost 10 of their last 14 games, scoring two runs or less seven times during that span. NOTES: Johnny Cueto, who leads the NL with a 1.92 ERA, goes in the final game of the series against R.A. Dickey, who got two extra days of rest after his last start because of a sore groin. ... Both teams bolstered their bullpens before the game. The Blue Jays called up LHP Rob Rasmussen and optioned RHP Liam Hendriks. The Reds called up RHP Carlos Contreras and designed OF Roger Bernadina for assignment. Both got into the game. ... SS Jose Reyes fouled a pitch off the side of his left knee in the fifth inning but stayed in the game and popped out. He was replaced as part of a double switch in the bottom of the inning. ... The Reds had their fourth sellout of the season. Theyre 1-3 in front of sellout crowds at Great American Ball Park this season. Jason Avant Jersey . Louis is going to get a chance to represent his country at the Winter Olympics after all. Sam Mills Womens Jersey . Sopoaga hit the upright with his first shot at goal from 15 metres. He then kicked nine goals in succession -- two conversions and seven penalties -- before being replaced in the 62nd minute, three points short of the Highlanders record for most points in a match.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Matt Moulson is sensing something different around the Buffalo Sabres after their first third-period comeback win of the season. "We had a great first period, an awful second period," Moulson said. "Maybe before we wouldve folded it in then but (interim coach Ted Nolan) had some good words in between periods for us and that helped jump start us a bit." Buffalo is 1-21 when trailing at the start of the third period after Moulson, Marcus Foligno and Matt Ellis scored to lift the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night. It was Buffalos first regulation win since Nov. 15 against Toronto, when Nolan took over for the fired Ron Rolston. "I love playing for him and a lot of guys go through the wall for him," Moulson said of Nolan. "Thats what you want from your coach, a leader like that. Hes probably one of the best in that position." Mark Scheifele scored two goals in 36 seconds to build a 2-0 second-period lead for the Jets, who have lost four of their past five games. "Lets be honest, our second period was horrendous," said Sabres captain Steve Ott, who also scored. "We had turnovers after turnovers and they capitalized twice on it. It simply wasnt good enough." What Nolan say after two periods that made such an impression on Moulson and the Sabres? "I just raised my voice a little bit longer than I usually do," Nolan said, "But I just said we gotta compete. If we compete, were good and we cant compete for 55 minutes, we have to compete for 60 minutes." The Jets were playing their third game in four nights and got through a scoreless first period that saw Buffalo outshoot them 19-7. "I never really liked the game even from the onset," Jets coach Claude Noel said. At the 1:02 mark of the second period, Scheifele moved between two stick-checking Sabres into the slot, scoring on a point-blank wrist shot over Ryan Millers right shoulder. Thirty-six seconds later, he carried the puck down the right side of the Sabres zone before taking a step toward the net and beating Miller over the same shoulder to give the Jets a two-goal lead. Scheifele has five goals and five asssists in his past 12 games after getting just five points in his first 24 games. Mario Addison Panthers Jersey. "I think we thought that the opponent would fold up and play and obviously that wasnt the case," Noel said. Ott put the Sabres on the scoreboard at the 10:16 of the second. Drew Stafford took a shot that Ondrej Pavelec redirected to Ott. The Sabres captain scored his fourth goal of the season and his first since Nov. 15. Stafford and Ott paired up on their next shift, but Pavelec was able to cover up Otts one-timer. The Sabres broke through 50 seconds into the third period when Foligno went to the net and tapped in a pass from Cody Hodgson to tie the score at 2. Less than two minutes later, with Eric ODell in the penalty box for hooking, Moulson deflected Christian Ehrhoffs shot past Pavelec to give the Sabres their first lead of the night. The power-play goal relieved a unit that had scored on just two of its previous 30 opportunities. "Our momentum took over like we played in the first period and that was the difference," Ott said. Buffalo added a fourth goal when Kevin Porter, recalled earlier in the day from Rochester of the American Hockey League, stole the puck from Eric Tangradi in the slot. His high backhand shot was batted out of the air by Ellis and past Pavelec. Buffalo hadnt scored more than three goals in its previous 16 games. "You have to play the percentages, Im a strong believer in that," Moulson said. "Eventually, they gotta go in. Weve been getting a lot of shots recently, a lot more than we were getting before. We eventually gotta find the back of the net at some point." The Sabres had a 3-on-1 break during a first-period power play, but Pavelec pushed Hodgsons shot wide of the net. Buffalo outshot Winnipeg 31-27 for the game as 12 different Sabres recorded points. Miller made 25 saves in the win. NOTES: The Sabres recalled Porter and D Chad Ruhwedel from Rochester before the game, sending D Mark Pysyk, D Brayden McNabb and LW Luke Adam down to the Americans. ... C James Wright was scratched for Winnipeg, making way for C Eric ODell. ... The Sabres next play Thursday at home against Boston. cheap jerseys cheap jerseys from china ' ' ' |
